Open Primaries
| Open Primaries | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | New York, New York |
| Type: | 501(c)(4) |
| Top official: | John Opdycke, President |
| Year founded: | 2014 |
| Website: | Official website |
Open Primaries is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization based in New York. The group's aim is to advocate for open primaries in elections.[1] An open primary is a primary election in which any registered voter can vote in any party's primary. Voters choose which primary to vote in; they do not have to be members of that party in order to vote.[2]
Background
Open Primaries, established in 2014, is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that advocates for open primaries. The group argues that open primaries make elections more competitive and encourage more participation from voters.[3]
According to the Open Primaries website, the group had the following mission as of October 2025:[3]
| “ |
The mission of Open Primaries is to advocate for open and nonpartisan primary systems, counter efforts to impose closed primaries, educate voters and policymakers, advance litigation, train spokespeople, conduct and support research, and participate in the building of local, state and national open primaries coalitions. We provide information to the public about open and nonpartisan primaries. We engage all sectors—voters, policy makers, good government and civic organizations, business leaders, community activists—to educate, build bridges and develop the primary reform movement.[4] |
” |
Leadership
As of October 2025, the following individuals held leadership positions at Open Primaries:[5]
- John Opdycke, founder and president
- Jeremy Gruber, senior vice president
- Cathy Stewart, national organizing director
- Gwen Mandell, director of leadership development
- Jesse Shayne, digital communications director
- Bree Doldron, national organizer
- Russell Daniels, communications and development manager
Work and activites
Ballot measure activity, 2014-2016
The following table details Open Primaries' ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia from 2014 to 2016. Click here to view Open Primaries' ballot measure stances issued after 2016.
| Ballot measure support and opposition for Open Primaries, 2014-2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | Position | Status |
| South Dakota Nonpartisan Elections, Constitutional Amendment V (2016) | 2016 | Supported | |
| Colorado Presidential Primary Election, Proposition 107 (2016) | 2016 | Supported |  Approved
|
| Colorado Unaffiliated Elector, Proposition 108 (2016) | 2016 | Supported | Approved
|
| Oregon Open Primary Initiative, Measure 90 (2014) | 2014 | Supported[6] | 
|
South Dakota Nonpartisan Elections, Constitutional Amendment V (2016)
Open Primaries was advocating for the passage of South Dakota's Nonpartisan Elections Amendment, which proposed to establish nonpartisan elections in South Dakota. The measure appeared on the ballot on November 8, 2016.[7]
Colorado Presidential Primary Election, Proposition 107 (2016)
Open Primaries supported Colorado's Presidential Primary Election Proposition, which proposed to re-establish primary elections in Colorado and allow open primaries. They also supported Colorado's Unaffiliated Elector Proposition, which proposed to allow unaffiliated electors to vote in the primary election of a major political party without declaring an affiliation with that political party and to permit a political party, in some circumstances, to select candidates by committee or convention, rather than through a primary election. Both measures appeared on the ballot on November 8, 2016.[8]
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of Open Primaries' revenues and expenses from 2014 to 2023. The information comes from Internal Revenue Service reports.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $3,560,262 | $2,937,816 |
| 2015 | $3,608,693 | $3,483,711 |
| 2016 | $3,418,890 | $3,984,053 |
| 2017 | $1,262,211 | $1,137,874 |
| 2018 | $256,939 | $238,237 |
| 2019 | $223,422 | $216,601 |
| 2020 | $859,471 | $395,562 |
| 2021 | $140,506 | $259,332 |
| 2022 | $392,524 | $231,798 |
| 2023 | $1,046,644 | $471,875 |
See also
External links
- Open Primaries website
- Open Primaries on Facebook
- Open Primaries on X
- Open Primaries on YouTube
- Open Primaries on Instagram
Footnotes
- ↑ Open Primaries, "OUR MISSION," accessed October 31, 2025
- ↑ MTV Rock the Vote, "Terms and Definitions," accessed January 15, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Open Primaries, "Mission," accessed September 13, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Open Primaries, "Meet Our Team," accessed October 31, 2025
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Measure 90, Top Supporting Donors," accessed September 13, 2016
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Statement," accessed August 16, 2016
- ↑ Open Primaries, "Current Campaigns," accessed September 13, 2016
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