In New York City, Democratic Socialists have learned to dominate low‑turnout primaries, effectively deciding the mayoral outcome before the broader electorate weighs in. With the centrist camp fragmented and demographically shrinking, a primary win plus a split general electorate can deliver citywide control.
— It spotlights how primary participation and party‑internal rules, not just general elections, can determine who governs big cities and thus where reform energy should focus.
Halina Bennet
2025.12.02
50% relevant
The Slow Boring post treats a low‑attention single‑district special election as a bellwether; that dynamic connects to the existing point that off‑cycle contests (primaries/specials) can produce outsized, nonrepresentative outcomes and thus alter party strategy and elites’ calculus—here evidenced by heavy outside spending (MAGA Inc.'s ~$1.7M) and intense national attention.
2025.12.02
65% relevant
The Portland item argues the far Left is the local establishment because it controls votes, money, and bureaucracy — this is a concrete municipal example of how low‑turnout, organized blocs can capture institutions and shape policy, which the existing idea highlights nationally.
Jonny Ball
2025.12.01
52% relevant
Although this article concerns a breakaway rather than a primary, it illustrates the same dynamic: intra‑party proceduralism, sectarian ritual, and activist networks (SPEW, SWP, etc.) can concentrate influence among small, highly motivated groups — a mechanism that explains how ideologues capture party organs or create splinter ballots that reshape competition.
Tanya Gold
2025.11.29
75% relevant
The article describes a small, intense activist layer (expulsions, security, holiday‑inn rallies) driving Your Party’s internal contest and a fall in public interest (18%→12%), illustrating how low‑participation, organized minorities can determine leadership and direction — the mechanism identified in the existing idea.
Nicole Gelinas
2025.10.05
100% relevant
The article notes DSA 'now dominate low‑turnout primaries' and that June’s primary was the turning point for Mamdani’s rise as the center eroded and opponents failed to coordinate.