Quick Summary: ACA 24 Introduced to Safeguard Californias Open Primary System
- 2 million Californians are registered as “No Party Preference,” and they contributed to a record 41% turnout in the 2026 primary.
- If the repeal effort succeeds, California will return to partisan primaries for statewide and congressional races by 2030.
- The 2026 governor’s race sparked fears among Democrats of a potential shutout, despite their numerical advantage over Republicans.
- The repeal campaign, “Undo the Top Two,” was initiated by Democratic consultant Steven Maviglio and has bipartisan support.
- ACA 24, a countermeasure to protect open primaries, was introduced by Assembly Democrats as a constitutional amendment.
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California’s political landscape is in turmoil as party leaders clash over the future of the state’s nonpartisan primary system. At the heart of this battle is a proposed repeal effort, “Undo the Top Two,” which aims to revert to partisan primaries by 2030. This move has ignited fierce opposition from a group of 14 Assembly Democrats who are championing a constitutional amendment, ACA 24, to ensure that every voter can participate in all publicly funded elections.
The debate was ignited by the 2026 governor’s race, where Democratic leaders feared a potential shutout in a state dominated by their party. The repeal effort, spearheaded by Democratic consultant Steven Maviglio, has garnered support across the political spectrum, including from former California GOP chair Ron Nehring and California Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks.
The stakes are high, as more than 5.2 million Californians are registered with “No Party Preference,” a group that played a significant role in achieving a historic 41% turnout in the 2026 primary. The repeal campaign has moved beyond the idea stage, with Secretary of State Shirley Weber clearing the path for signature gathering. To qualify for the 2028 ballot, the campaign needs 874,641 valid signatures.
In contrast, the Democrats behind ACA 24 argue that the current system ensures fair participation and prevents party gatekeeping. They are backed by More Choice California, which is not only supporting ACA 24 but also exploring reforms to allow more candidates to advance to the general election. The next phase of this political showdown will unfold in the Legislature, courts, and on the ground as signatures are gathered.
The outcome of this battle will shape the future of California’s electoral process, as Democrats who were expected to align with their party’s concerns about the governor’s race are instead advocating for constitutional protections for open primaries. The coming months will determine whether this intraparty conflict escalates into a full-blown statewide ballot war in 2028.
The repeal campaign itself is already past the idea stage: Secretary of State Shirley Weber announced on July 15 that supporters had been cleared to begin gathering signatures, and they now need 874,641 valid signatures, equal to 8% of the total votes cast in the 2022 general election, to qualify a repeal measure for the 2028 ballot. 2 million Californians are registered as “No Party Preference,” according to the new Fulcrum piece, and that bloc helped push 2026 primary turnout to 41%, described there as the highest in California history.
If voters approved it, California would revert to partisan primaries for statewide and congressional races beginning in 2030. ” A simulation cited by KQED had put the chance of a Republican-versus-Republican general election at roughly 25%, which explains why party leaders began treating the top-two system as a threat rather than a reform.
The tactical spark for all this was the 2026 governor’s race, where Democratic leaders feared a shutout in a state where Democrats still outnumber Republicans by nearly 2 to 1. The repeal effort, branded “Undo the Top Two,” was filed in 2026 by Democratic consultant Steven Maviglio, but it has attracted support from figures across the political spectrum, including former California GOP chair Ron Nehring, Reform California chair Carl DeMaio, California Federation of Labor Unions president Lorena Gonzalez and California Democratic Party chair Rusty Hicks.
The most newsworthy bottom line right now is that Democrats who were expected to fall in line behind their party’s anxiety about the governor’s race are instead drawing a bright line against their own leadership. In practical terms, the next dates that matter are already on the calendar: ACA 24 was introduced on Monday, The Fulcrum’s report landed September 2, Shirley Weber’s signature clearance came July 15, and the repeal side is now in the long, expensive signature-gathering phase that will determine whether this intraparty rebellion becomes a statewide ballot war in 2028.
That is the core conflict: one faction says the current system weakens parties and produces distorted general elections, while the Democrats behind ACA 24 are effectively accusing both parties of trying to claw back control over who gets a meaningful vote. The Sacramento Bee reported that Republican Steve Hilton only narrowly beat Democrat Tom Steyer for second place in the gubernatorial primary, by less than 2 percentage points, and that Democrat Xavier Becerra ultimately advanced alongside Hilton.
2 million Californians are registered as “No Party Preference,” according to the new Fulcrum piece, and that bloc helped push 2026 primary turnout to 41%, described there as the highest in California history. If voters approved it, California would revert to partisan primaries for statewide and congressional races beginning in 2030.
The 2026 governor’s race sparked fears among Democrats of a potential shutout, despite their numerical advantage over Republicans. The debate was ignited by the 2026 governor’s race, where Democratic leaders feared a potential shutout in a state dominated by their party.
If the repeal effort succeeds, California will return to partisan primaries for statewide and congressional races by 2030. 2 million Californians are registered with “No Party Preference,” a group that played a significant role in achieving a historic 41% turnout in the 2026 primary.
To qualify for the 2028 ballot, the campaign needs 874,641 valid signatures. Quick Summary: Party Leaders Want to Undo California’s Nonpartisan Primary — These Democrats Say No – The Fulcrum 2 million Californians are registered as “No Party Preference,” and they contributed to a record 41% turnout in the 2026 primary.
The scale and speed of this development has caught many observers off guard. Each new update adds another dimension to a story that is still unfolding, and the full picture will only become clear as more verified details emerge from the people and institutions directly involved.
Analysts who have tracked this issue closely say the current moment represents a genuine turning point. The decisions made in the coming weeks are expected to set the direction for months ahead, with ripple effects likely to extend well beyond the immediate actors in the story.
For those directly affected, the practical impact is already visible. People navigating this fast-changing situation are dealing with real consequences while new information continues to reshape what is known and what remains open to interpretation.
Historical parallels offer some context, though experts caution against drawing too close a comparison. Similar situations have played out before, but the specific combination of pressures, personalities, and timing here makes this moment distinct in ways that matter for how it ultimately resolves.
The political and economic dimensions of this story are deeply intertwined. What appears as a single event on the surface is in practice the convergence of multiple pressures that have been building quietly over a longer period than most public reporting has captured.