Steven Maviglio Files 2028 Measure to Repeal California's Top-Two Primary as Democrats Fear GOP Sweep
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 2
Steven Maviglio Files 2028 Measure to Repeal California's Top-Two Primary as Democrats Fear GOP Sweep
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 2
A 2028 ballot proposal filed with California officials would scrap the state's top-two primary and restore party primaries, though it still needs an attorney general title, cost review and voter signatures.
Maviglio says the system is a failed experiment because crowded Democratic fields can split the vote and, in rare cases, let two Republicans reach the November ballot.
That fear flared in the 2026 governor's race when Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco rose in early polling, raising the prospect of a two-Republican general election in deep-blue California.
The immediate risk has eased after Eric Swalwell quit in April amid sexual-assault allegations he denies, helping Xavier Becerra surge, while Donald Trump's endorsement consolidated Republican support behind Hilton.
California adopted the Schwarzenegger-backed top-two system in 2010 to broaden competition; Democrats now argue it often backfires in a state where general elections can already pit two same-party candidates against each other.
California's top-two primary was meant to fix politics. Is it a 'failed experiment' limiting voter choice?
Could a different reform, like ranked-choice voting, solve the problems created by California's current primary system?
Undoing Proposition 14? California’s 2028 Ballot Initiative to Overhaul the Top-Two Primary
Overview
California's top-two primary system, created by Proposition 14 in 2010 and championed by Arnold Schwarzenegger to promote moderate candidates, is now facing a major challenge. The new 'Undo the Top Two' initiative, filed on May 8, 2026 and led by Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio, seeks to repeal this system due to concerns about its impact on future elections. This bipartisan campaign aims to change how candidates advance to the general election, reflecting growing dissatisfaction with the current process and setting the stage for a possible shift in California’s electoral landscape by 2030.