May 20, 2005-- The Washington State Grange is prepared to fight tooth-and-nail the lawsuit filed by the Republican Party demanding the state’s new “top-two” qualifying primary, enacted via Grange-sponsored Initiative 872, be thrown out.

“The top-two primary supports the rights and desires of voters and candidates, and does not exclude political parties from the process,” said State Grange President Terry Hunt. “Despite this, the parties insist upon bucking the wishes of the average citizen, and once again the Grange will go to war to make sure Washington’s voters are heard.”

The Republican Party is claiming the top-two primary, in which the top two vote-getters move on to the general ballot regardless of party affiliation violates their First Amendment rights to free association by not limiting who chooses party candidates.

“When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down California’s primary system in 2000, they noted there were alternative systems that would be constitutional,” said Grange Elections Specialist Don Whiting. “Initiative 872 was specifically written to conform to the requirements laid out in the Supreme Court decision. The Grange is convinced Washington’s new top-two system will be successfully defended.”

Initiative 872 was drafted in response to the court’s decision to invalidate Washington’s long-standing “blanket” primary. Voters overwhelmingly approved it last fall.

“The initiative passed in every county and all but one legislative district,” said Grange Legislative Director Toni McKinley. “The Republican Party appears to think it is more qualified to choose who represents us than we do. Don’t insult our intelligence.”

“The people of Washington have long been of an independent nature,” said Hunt. “It was no surprise they demanded a primary election system that echoed that nature, and the top-two primary does just that. For the parties to yet again insist their priorities come before the citizens of this state is ludicrous.”

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