OPINION: Democrats should vote in GOP primaries to save democracy

“Former Rep. Jim Renacci shakes hands with former President Donald Trump on Nov. 5, 2018, at a rally in Cleveland, Ohio.” Photo by John Minchillo, AP Photo.

Zach Richards is a junior studying history and an opinion writer for The New Political.

Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.

If Democrats want to save democracy from the Republican party, their best strategy might be to help better Republicans win their primaries.

The concept of a lesser evil should be familiar; many people use this idea when voting in nearly every election. Voters may not particularly like the Democratic Party or their candidates, but they elect them out of fear of what Republicans might do if they win the election. The same logic can apply to intra-party dynamics. One may believe that all Republicans are bad while also acknowledging that some are worse than others.

On the federal level, six Republican senators and 121 Republican representatives voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. This vote demonstrates a meaningful difference between some Republicans and others. Even with everything else being the same, some Republicans are willing to end democracy in this country, and some are not. This justifies why some voters prefer pro-democracy Republicans to win their primaries. They might not vote for them in a general election, but if a pro-democracy Republican loses the primary, it will likely be to someone with no respect for democracy. 

The type of Republican candidate who wins the primary can also make a big difference in state races. Electing Gov. Mike DeWine in 2018 may have saved thousands of Ohioan lives. He was more willing to implement COVID-19 prevention measures and received praise for his response plan. Surely someone further to the right would have avoided taking the measures he did, potentially leading to many more deaths.

The problem is that someone worse could very well replace DeWine. One of his primary opponents, former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, describes himself as “Pro Election Integrity.” This is undoubtedly a dog whistle that means he does not accept the 2020 election results and would not recognize any Democratic electoral victory as legitimate. DeWine, on the other hand, congratulated Biden on his electoral victory. Renacci would thus undoubtedly be worse than DeWine as governor.

If Renacci wins the primary, he will almost certainly win the general election. Trump won Ohio by eight points in 2020. The electoral environment has only gotten worse for Democrats since then. Right now, Republicans lead general ballot polls heading into the 2022 elections. The Cook Political Report defines the race as likely Republican, meaning they do not currently consider it competitive.

Whoever wins the Republican primary is almost certain to win the election, so Democrats should take advantage of every opportunity to tilt the vote. If enough left-leaning or moderate voters registered as Republicans vote for DeWine in the primary, it will ensure that no one worse than him becomes the governor.

This Ohio gubernatorial race is just one example. Across the country, some states consistently elect Republicans but have a substantial number of Democrat voters. If Democrats in red states and districts all over the country started voting for better Republicans, it could create a stronger Republican Party. That might be needed to save democracy.