Cara McCormick, principal at Smart Campaigns, advises on strategy and research. With 10+ years in major races, she led Maine’s historic move to ranked choice voting. Her work focuses on election reforms that improve representation and voter choice.
Campaigns
The race to be California’s next governor entered a new chapter this week. Toni Atkins, a veteran lawmaker with decades of influence in Sacramento, has stepped aside. In her place, Ian Calderon, bringing the restless energy of a 39-year-old millennial eager to reimagine the state’s future, has jumpe
Cannabis
On September 28, President Donald Trump posted a Truth Social video praising CBD as a “game-changer” for seniors.
Campaigns
A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS between August 21 and September 1 surveyed 2,077 adults, including 1,006 who identify as independents. The results challenge the idea that independents are a single bloc of undecided swing voters. Instead, they fall into five distinct groups with very different views
Cannabis
The landscape for cannabis in the United States continues to shift on multiple fronts, with recent developments spanning state tax relief, federal enforcement, and congressional roadblocks to reform.
Election Reform
Veterans are once again answering the call to serve, not overseas but here at home, to help heal America’s broken politics. Veterans for All Voters, a coalition of more than 700 active veteran volunteers, has officially launched the Take the Oath Challenge, a nationwide effort to reaffirm the enduri
Election Reform
The South Carolina Supreme Court has closed the door on a challenge to the state’s 2022 congressional map, ruling in a unanimous 5–0 opinion that partisan gerrymandering claims cannot be resolved by the courts.
Public Safety
When California lawmakers extended indoor heat protections for workers across California last year, unfortunately, they stopped at the prison gate, leaving tens of thousands of correctional officers and thousands of their coworkers to clock in for their shifts in record-breaking heat with no guarant
Election Reform
The shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk has shaken the country and highlighted just how fractured our democracy has become. On this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, Chad Peace and Cara McCormick reflect on the moment, drawing comparisons to the unity the nation felt after 9/11 and asking
Campaigns
Colorado has reached a new milestone in voter registration: unaffiliated voters now make up more than half of the electorate.
Election Reform
Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is stepping back into California politics with a warning about Proposition 50. He urges voters to reject the November measure, which would pause the state’s independent, citizen-drawn congressional map and substitute a Legislature-written plan for the 2026, 2028
Campaigns
Ethan Penner, a Calabasas businessman, author, and educator with a storied career in real estate finance, has officially announced his intention to run for California governor in 2026 as an independent. On his campaign website, Penner says he is running to “disrupt the failing two-party system.”
Election Reform
Imagine showing up to vote in November, proud that you are doing your civic duty, only to learn that the real contest happened six months ago without you. The winner was decided in a low-turnout primary while you were busy living your life. This is not a conspiracy. It is how the system was built.