ERN Executive Director Kevin Johnson Testifies in Support of Massachusetts All-Party Primary Initiative

On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, ERN Executive Director Kevin Johnson spoke before the Massachusetts state legislature in favor of an initiative petition to adopt all-party primaries in the state.

In his testimony to the Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions, Johnson highlighted the potential of primary election reform to reduce polarization and increase representation in American elections.

"The all-party primary election is a much needed change, one that will strengthen our democracy, elevate new voices, reduce toxic extremism, and ensure that every voter…has a meaningful say in every election," Johnson stated.

Research finds that all-party primaries lead to lower levels of polarization, higher voter participation, and more competition and choice. This reform also solves a growing concern that party primaries enable a small and unrepresentative group of voters to effectively elect political officeholders.

This point was echoed in Johnson's testimony: "Elected officials should serve their full constituency—not just a slice of citizens who vote in a low-turnout partisan primary."

The bill in question, H.5003 An Act to Implement All-Party State Primaries, will be given a vote in the state legislature this session; if the legislature rejects the proposal, it will appear on the November ballot for voters to decide.