(From a speech given at the Phoenix No Kings Rally, on Flag Day, June 14, 2025)
The Star and Stripes is a symbol for all Americans to unite behind. It does not belong to any party or group. It represents us all. The Star and Stripes is a symbol for all Americans to unite behind. It does not belong to any party or group. It represents us all. Unity, not Division.
I recently heard Sen. Raphael Warnock speak at the American Democracy Summit. In his speech opening the Summit, he said these words, for which he is somewhat famous:
“Those without vision, traffic in division.”
Right now, we live in a country where our political leadership certainly lacks vision and seems to revel in sowing division.
The world tells us that we are divided. But I am here today to tell you that Arizonans are not as divided as we some would have us believe.
A poll taken by the Center for the Future of Arizona in 2022 of Arizonans of all political affiliations and backgrounds found that Arizonans had large areas of agreement on a number of issues.
Public Education
- 97% of respondents wanted to ensure that Arizona schools have high quality teachers and principals.
Water Conservation
- 95% we need to secure Arizona’s water future with policies that address our long-term drought.
Immigration
- 87% said we need to create a functioning border for commerce and immigration.
The Economy
- 95% want the state government to work to support Arizona’s long term-economic growth.
The survey responses are from Arizonans from all parties and backgrounds.
With all of these basic areas of agreement, the logical question becomes, why are things not better? Why isn’t our government more effective? Why aren’t politics less toxic?
It is easy to point fingers at different individuals and parties, but if we take a step back and look at things, most of us can agree we have been on this road for a while.
Most of us have watched as our politics have become more toxic and our government less effective with every passing election cycle. This same system will continue to divide us if we only try to treat the symptoms.
The deeper problem we face is a problem that is caused by our current election system. Our current system limits choices, and rewards candidates who purposely engage in divisive behavior. The way legislative districts are drawn, most elections in this country are decided in low turnout primary elections where participation is limited by party affiliation.
- In this past election, roughly 83% of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were effectively decided by approximately 7% of voters.
I am guessing that this does not sound like representation to you. However, it certainly explains this next statistic:
- In November of 2024, The United States Congress had an approval rate of 19%, and yet 97% of incumbents were re-elected.
Our current system virtually guarantees that our representatives will be re-elected if they keep their base happy. As that base tends to be made up of the most extreme members of the party, elected officials will continue to cater to those extreme elements in order to keep their job.
This is the reason for our Division. Now let me share with you a Vision for the future.
Voter Choice Arizona advocates a system known as Final Five Voting. This system would use a fully open primary to advance five diverse candidates to the general election. Voters would have the opportunity to rank those candidates.
So, what would this do:
- Voters would have actual choices and be able to focus more on voting FOR a candidate, and LESS about holding their nose, and trying to vote for the candidate who will do the least amount of damage.
- With more choice, our Legislative bodies would become more representative:
- In the top 100 U.S. cities that do not use ranked choice voting, women hold 33% of city council seats. In the 42 cities that have adopted ranked choice voting, women hold 51% of city council seats.
- When cities in the San Francisco Bay area adopted ranked choice voting in 2004, 39% of offices were held by people of color. Today in those cities, 65% of offices are held by people of color.
- Elections would become more civil, because candidates would need to campaign beyond their base in order to achieve a majority. In simple terms, candidates who behave in an obnoxious manner hurt their chances at being elected, so they tend to behave.
- Our government would become more effective. Because candidates need the support of the majority of their whole constituency to win, once elected, they would be incentivized to work for the benefit of everyone, focusing more on problem solving, and less on playing to a partisan base.
This is the VISION. An election system that gives voters more choice and more voice; creates a more civil discourse, and a more representative government that focuses on solving problems and making our society better for everyone.
We need your help to make this happen. It can happen, nearly 14 million Americans have already voted in a Ranked Choice Voting election. Voter Choice Arizona has a plan to make this vision a reality in Arizona. But we need you to act today! We need volunteers to help spread our message, and with grants drying up, we desperately need your donation.
If you would like to learn more about Voter Choice Arizona, sign up and we will send you information. But please consider helping us out with a donation. With your help, we can soon be well on the way to a better and brighter future for everyone.