• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers

3

Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
Leadership

What Is California’s ‘Jungle’ Primary—And Why It Has Democrats Freaking Out

By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 4, 2018, 5:55 AM ET
Representative Darrell Issa, a Republican from California and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, listens during a hearing with Jonathan Gruber, professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, not pictured, during a House Oversight Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014. Gruber, the economist whose remarks on Obamacare have drawn criticism from Republicans, apologized to lawmakers for being Òglib, thoughtless and sometimes downright insulting.Ó Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Darrell Issa
Representative Darrell Issa, a Republican from California and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, listens during a hearing with Jonathan Gruber, professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, not pictured, during a House Oversight Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014. Gruber, the economist whose remarks on Obamacare have drawn criticism from Republicans, apologized to lawmakers for being Òglib, thoughtless and sometimes downright insulting.Ó Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Darrell IssaPhotograph by Andrew Harrer — Bloomberg/Getty Images

All 53 representatives across California are on the ballot on Tuesday.

But while it is a firmly blue state (that currently only has 14 Republicans serving in the House), California will not be an easy sweep for Democrats. That’s because the state tried to make things a little more fair a few years ago.

Proposition 14

In 2010, a proposition was put on the ballot that would change California’s party primary system to a “top two” or “jungle” primary system. Rather than one candidate from each party advancing to the general election in November, the top two vote-getters—regardless of party affiliation—would face off in the general.

Under the party system, voters who were not registered to a party had to choose a Democratic or Republican ballot in order to vote in the primary. With an increasing percentage of Californians registering with no party preference, then-Gov. Schwarzenegger (himself a moderate Republican) believed that the top-two system would encourage greater turnout amongst this constituency.

The system was intended to be more representative and inclusive and the proposition passed, with just over 53% of the vote. At the time, only Louisiana and Washington used the jungle system. Nebraska also uses it for state elections.

What it means for the 2018 midterms

Like the Republicans did during the 2010 midterms, Democrats across the country are hoping to retake the House this election cycle. But a large part of the national strategy entails taking back at least a few of the Republicans’ 14 seats in California; seven of these districts favored Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Democrats think they can flip them this time around.

On the one hand, this should be fairly easy: California has emerged as one of Trump’s biggest opponents and the state has pushed farther to the left over time. What’s more, several of the most prominent incumbent Republicans (Darrell Issa, Ed Royce, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen) are not seeking re-election.

But choosing strong Democrats to run against the Republicans will not be smooth sailing, in part because the wave of anti-Trump fervor in California has led to an abnormally large group of Democratic candidates running across the state. In the 14 Republican-held districts, a total of 56 Democrats are running.

Why too many Democrats is a problem

With so many Democrats appearing on the ballot, many now fear that the top-two system will prevent the party from getting the wins it needs. There are a number of possible negative outcomes for the Democrats.

The sheer number of competing candidates could fragment the Democratic vote in such a way that no Democrat gets enough votes to proceed to the general election in November—imagine two Republican candidates appearing on the ballot. Or, if a Democrat does receive enough votes to get into the general election, the party still isn’t in the clear: fragmented Democrat voters could chose a candidate who is too progressive to get general election votes in a moderate district, or one who is too moderate to bring in voters in a progressive area.

Take California’s 49th district for example: Darrell Issa, the incumbent Republican, survived his re-election in 2016 by just over 1,600 votes. After Issa announced he would not be seeking re-election this time around, candidates have jumped at the opportunity to represent the district.

Eight Republicans and four Democrats (and a few third-party candidates) have all thrown their name in the ring. But whereas the Republican party has firmly placed its support behind Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, the Democrats are divided—the state’s Democrat Party didn’t endorse a single candidate. Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has decided to fund attack ads against two of the second-tier GOP candidates, rather than endorse one of the Democrats.

Without a clear frontrunner, there is a not impossible scenario in which two Republicans proceed to the general, locking Democrats out of a district that has turned increasingly blue in recent years.

And the 49th might not even be as bad as a few other districts: the 39th has six Democrats on the ballot, while the 48th has eight.

Depending on Tuesday’s results, we could very well be seeing another statewide election proposition—this one to overturn the top-two primary system in years to come.

About the Author
By Natasha Bach
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

r
HealthHealth
The quiet $8 billion crisis: long COVID costs keep rising as Washington looks away
By Bruce Y. Lee, Hannah Dimmick and The ConversationMay 24, 2026
7 hours ago
40 is the new 50: Millennial jobseekers are giving their resumes a facelift by hiding years of experience to land jobs
Future of WorkCareers
40 is the new 50: Millennial jobseekers are giving their resumes a facelift by hiding years of experience to land jobs
By Jacqueline MunisMay 24, 2026
10 hours ago
bofa
AIProductivity
BofA says you’ll be 10x more productive with AI. Ignore the 0.1% result so far
By Nick LichtenbergMay 24, 2026
11 hours ago
David Bennahum
CommentaryMedia
I was one of the internet’s first influencers. AI just killed the whole category — and created something better
By David S. BennahumMay 24, 2026
13 hours ago
Marc Perry, Toyota Alabama president and Jack Crowley in the lab with the students.
AIJobs
As AI wipes out white-collar jobs, one Alabama high school and Toyota are training students for roles that pay $40 an hour and can’t be automated
By Jake AngeloMay 24, 2026
14 hours ago
gf
SuccessEntrepreneurship
Meet the 32-year-old who is America’s only full-time spelling bee coach — he charges up to $180 per hour
By Ben Nuckols and The Associated PressMay 23, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
3 days ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
2 days ago
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
Success
Apple’s Steve Wozniak says he cofounded the tech giant after 5 rejections from HP—not to ‘make money.’ For years, his paycheck was just $50
By Preston ForeMay 22, 2026
2 days ago
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
Lifestyle
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
By Sasha RogelbergMay 24, 2026
10 hours ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
5 days ago
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
AI
Microsoft reports are exposing AI's real cost problem: Using the tech is more expensive than paying human employees
By Jake AngeloMay 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.