Peter —

Most of us are pretty tired of hearing about Donald Trump, and many Americans probably wish he’d permanently retire to Mar-a-Lago (or prison, depending on your view), and let the U.S. move on. But today we’re going to use him as a case study for why it’s so hard for independent candidates to win elected office in the United States.

Think back to 2016. Trump wasn’t exactly your typical Republican candidate. So why didn’t he just run as an independent, rather than face down more than a dozen formidable GOP opponents? Because, for all his bravado, even he knew that he stood no chance. It’s just too difficult. On the other hand, by running as a major-party candidate, winner-take-all plurality voting and closed primaries that only turn out the most extreme members of the base allowed him to secure the GOP nomination.

Independent candidates also don’t typically have the financial resources of major-party candidates, who can tap their respective party’s established fundraising networks and big donors. As a result, independent candidates struggle to raise the funds needed to run an effective campaign. We don’t think of money as a major problem for Trump, but for the rest of us, who don’t have his generational wealth, money is a huge obstacle.

Independent candidates usually struggle to earn media coverage, too. Trump certainly didn’t face this problem, yet even he, with all of his media attention over a quarter of a century, needed to essentially hijack one of the two major parties to run a winning campaign. Now imagine how much more difficult it is for a relatively unknown independent candidate to get even a tiny fraction of the coverage without a party machine working at his or her behest?

Finally, the big one: ballot access. Every state has its own set of requirements for independent candidates to appear on the ballot, which can include collecting a certain number of signatures, paying fees, or meeting other qualifications. Some of the requirements are downright nutty and can be nearly impossible for independent candidates to meet. And that’s the point. The two major parties created these laws specifically to block competition. There’s no way a guy whose name is on buildings around the world would tolerate not having his name on ballots around the country. And he wasn’t about to beg. So of course he took the major-party route.

So considering all this, the question is: If a man like Donald Trump, with the massive benefits of his wealth and celebrity status, couldn’t cut it as an independent candidate, what chance would you have? Close to nil. That, in a nutshell, is why Forward exists. We think you deserve a chance.

• GOP grapples with how to control Trump—again —CNN
• Trump can win the GOP nomination without a majority of Republicans —Grid
• Three political third parties get notice of disqualification —KHON2
• Arizona Secretary of State concerned for future of state elections, political climate —Kiowa County Press

OTHER NEWS & VIEWS

Vermont city takes another look at RCV
Residents of Burlington, Vermont, will be weighing in on a ranked-choice voting charter change on its upcoming Town Meeting Day. The proposed measure would extend the method of voting to all city elections, including the mayor. Ranked-choice voting has been an ongoing discussion in Burlington for years. It’s currently in limited use and could be expanded if voters agree. Two years ago, voters approved the method for city council elections. It was used for the first time in a special election in December and will be in play for one council race on Town Meeting Day. —WCAX

More ranked-choice voting news:

• Should Chicago adopt ranked-choice voting? —WGN
• Carlos Hernandez Tavares: The case for ranked-choice voting —The Williams Record
• Beth Fukumoto: I’ve seen how ranked-choice voting can help overcome political tribalism —Civil Beat

The America I wish to see
“If our active duty military and veterans who served can work together and accomplish a common purpose, imagine what our country could accomplish if a new form of democracy—like open primaries—empowered independent voters so that all voters could work together rather than against one another. Accomplishing this would not only build democracy in America, but offer a beacon to other world democracies to continue to build their own systems to ensure equal voting rights for all the world’s citizens.” —Jarell Corley in The Fulcrum

More open primaries news:

• Open primaries legislation breaks through in New Mexico —The Fulcrum
• Katherine Gehl: How ‘final five voting’ can help save democracy —The Bulwark

Democracy needs to work to be defended
“Democracy usually isn’t under threat where it delivers. Conversely, people are less likely to rally to defend democracy if they believe the system is failing them. … It’s not rocket science to solve maddening everyday problems, and American democracy would be better off if the government devoted more effort to it. Dangerous would-be autocrats across the globe have attacked democratic norms, procedures, and institutions. More people will join the fight for democracy when they feel that democracy delivers for them. But for many people right now, their lived experience of democracy feels a lot like being stuck on hold.” —Brian Klaas in The Atlantic

Why I chose Forward
“Our group doesn’t make any sense. I don’t get how a bunch of old guys can meet with a bunch of young guys, a Black conservative and a Black liberal can sit in the same room, and all can come to agreeable terms. But I know this is only because we have been conditioned to think otherwise. My ragtag group is going to shake the country, and I couldn’t be more ready.” —Myia “MJ” Hall in The Topline

At Forward, we believe independent candidates deserve the opportunity to challenge candidates from the two major parties on equal footing. That means providing the strength of a party apparatus without the rigid, divisive, top-down ideology that has had a stranglehold on American politics for far too long. We’re ready for a new way.

All the best,
The Forward Party Team

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