IA EXCLUSIVE: Gov. Wes Moore on Closed Primaries: "25% Shouldn't Decide for 100%"

Maryland has roughly a million independent voters — about 22% of the electorate — and under the state's closed primary system, none of them get a say until November, when most races are already decided. Paul Rieckhoff puts the question directly to Governor Wes Moore: will he help open Maryland's primaries and lead the rest of the Democratic Party in doing the same?

Moore doesn't dodge it. He argues the whole system needs to be reevaluated, points to the fact that fewer than 10% of congressional races are actually competitive, and explains how closed primaries create a "forcing mechanism" that pushes independents — including independent veterans who've served this country — to register with a party that may not represent them. He makes the case for national redistricting reform and questions whether closed congressional primaries are something we can still stand by.

Rieckhoff's takeaway: America has a primary problem, and it's driving the country apart. Fewer and more extreme voters are deciding elections for everyone. It's a fault line every serious presidential candidate should have to answer for.

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