The only elected official in San Francisco who is a member of the Green Party has just switched to the Democratic Party. Yes in San Francisco, the largest jurisdiction in the US that uses instant runofff voting. The argument FOR IRV has been that it helps third parties, is fairer, eliminates negative campaigning, increases turnout, guarantees a majority, saves money, blah blah blah and does everything but grow hair. Is instant runoff voting proving to be as big a scam as the Sham Wow? Is IRV nothing more than a fish bicycle?
Green Party San Francisco City Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi switches affiliation to Democratic Independent Political Report. March 11th, 2010.
One of the most successful Green Party politicians in California and the nation, Ross Mirkarimi, has switched his party affiliation from Green to Democratic. He is a San Francisco City Supervisor and member of the appointed California Coastal Commission. He was the party’s only elected official in San Francisco, and holds the same seat that Matt Gonzalez previously held as a Green.
Mirkarimi is considered a potential candidate for mayor of San Francisco and it has been said that if he ever sought higher office he might abandon the Greens...
But being a green wasn’t such a bad thing back in 2003, incidentally before IRV was implemented.
Green Party candidate Matt Gonzalez was a very competitive challenger against Gavin Newsome in the 2003 traditonal runoff:
2003 Results
GAVIN NEWSOM. . . . . . . . . . 133,546 52.81
MATT GONZALEZ . . . . . . . . . 119,329 47.19
http://www.sfgov.org/site/election_index.asp?id=19802
Turnout was awesome, apparently voters found the contest compelling.
2003 San Francisco Mayoral Contest – Traditional Runoff Election
PRECINCTS COUNTED (OF 562). . . . . 562 (100%)
REGISTERED VOTERS – TOTAL . . . . .466,127
BALLOTS CAST – TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . .253,872
VOTER TURNOUT – TOTAL . . . . . . . . 54.46
http://www.sfgov.org/site/election_index.asp?id=19802
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