1. He makes a traditional mistake. “Let’s look at the effect on the legislature by looking at a few congressional results.” The Louisiana legislature has a greater share of independents elected as such than any state other than Virginia (and Nebraska which does not have partisan legislative elections).

   Because Top 2 produces a real majority, where most voters actively supported the elected candidate, there may be more commitment on the part of voters to the candidate. If only 30% of the voters support a candidate in the primary, and then that candidate gets a 45% in the plurality because of minor party candidates; they may beaten in the next primary (because they “sold out” and sought support from independent voters and even voters of the “enemy” party; or lose in the general election because there was a different crew of minor party candidates.

   The only Louisiana incumbent turned out under Top 2 had “won” in an election that was tainted by vote fraud. He kept his seat because the Democratic US House of Representatives on a party-line vote decided that since it could only be proved that 66 of the votes had been paid for, that the 260 vote margin should stand. Buddy Leach may not have truly had a majority, and in any case there was widespread perception that his election was corrupt.

   And while no other incumbent congressmen were voted out, many have switched parties, which demonstrates the type of centrist moderate officials produced by Top 2.

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