This Week: Is America's Primary System Broken?

As the midterms election season heats up, are primary elections giving too much power to too few voters?

Aug 09, 2026

Are Primary Elections Ruining Democracy?

Midterms are coming in November, but 15 states are holding primaries in August, and several happened over the course of the past week. A race in battleground Michigan received the most attention, where progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed won by a narrow margin.

This week, we explore the pros and cons of our current primary system and its impact on American democracy during what may prove to be an unpredictable cycle with many surprises ahead. This debate also explores how primary elections have shaped past presidential election cycles, but the questions it raises are just as relevant today.

Listen to the debate now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, and as always, let us know what you think.

Arguing YES:

Elaine Kamarck, Founding Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution

“Primaries are not a perfect representation of the people, right? Primaries represent the most passionate faction of one or the other political parties, and you can trace the polarization of American politics directly to presidential and congressional primaries because in congressional primaries it's even more extreme. You have a very, very small turnout, so you have 13% to 19% of the voting age population voting in congressional primaries. Therefore, it is very easy for somebody who is on the far right or frankly on the far left to win those primaries with very small amounts of votes."

Arguing NO:

Jed Ober, Managing Director of the NRDC Action Fund; Former Director of Programs at Democracy International and Former Chief of Staff for Pennsylvania Congresswoman Susan Wild

“The Congressional primaries that we have, the Senate statewide primaries, those are processes that, whether or not they're constitutional or not, they are entwined in American democracy at this point. And I believe that they provide an essential opportunity for people to participate and choose those nominees.”

Save the Date: Watch Our Livestreamed Debate on Capitalism

From inflation and affordability to artificial intelligence, housing costs, labor markets, corporate consolidation, and economic opportunity, debates over capitalism are shaping policy decisions worldwide. Has capitalism drifted away from its original promise? Or is it still the best engine for innovation and prosperity despite today’s challenges?

Join us for a livestreamed debate where you will be able to vote on the question “Is Capitalism Broken?” on Thursday, August 20th at 2:30 PM ET.

Arguing YES: Nick Hanauer, Entrepreneur, Billionaire, and Venture Capitalist

Arguing NO: Jason Furman, Former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers; Professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government

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Election Questions That Matter

How should America choose its leaders—and how can the electoral system be improved? Explore more of our debates on the two-party system, Citizens United, and more.

In the Headlines: Continuing Litigation on the Idaho Four Case

Last week, convicted murderer Bryan Kohberger, who allegedly murdered four University of Idaho students in their home in 2022, announced he had filed a petition challenging his conviction, citing concerns about how the plea deal came together and is seeking to abandon his guilty plea and obtain a trial.

In the past, we had a Think Twice conversation with “The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy” co-author Vicky Ward, which discussed how this case challenges us to reconsider elements of the criminal justice system. Watch the conversation now.