The Independent View: FairVote's 25th Anniversary Event

I attended FairVote's 25th Anniversary and 2017 Champions of Democracy Awards in Manhattan, New York last night.

From Executive Director, Rob Richie's Welcome Message:

This is a special year because FairVote has turned 25 and is celebrating what we've achieved and the opportunity before us to realize our mission: greater choice, a stronger voice, and a representative democracy that works for all Americans.

The case for reform has never been so clear. American politics is broken, and winner-take-all, vote-for-one voting rules are at the very core of that failure. This year's introduction of the Fair Representation Act shines a beacon on the way forward for electing a U.S. House with fairness, choice and incentives to govern more responsively. Without it, gerrymandered elections, distorted outcomes, and bitter partisanship are inevitable. With it, every American will participate in an election that matters and have a real chance to earn a seat at the table.

Last year's historic victory for Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) in Maine is at risk, but Mainers are taking a bold path that shows every promise of restoring RCV. We've seen similar responses to adversity and were thrilled by what that meant for this month's RCV elections. The four cities with RCV had historic upticks in voter turnout, with elections widely seen as more substantive, civil and inclusive than the binary politics that so often leaves us disenchanted and disappointed.

The Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

Lani Guinier: Professor commitment to Fair Representation and Voting Rights started in the 1970's, when she served in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. In the 1980's, she headed the Voting Rights Project of the NAACP LDF. For nearly three decades she has taught Law, first at UPenn and now at Harvard. Her Law Review articles on Voting Issues and Proportional Representation Elections have inspired a Generation of Reformers.

Presented by Rashad Robinson: The Executive Director of Color Of Change, the Nation's largest Online Racial Justice organization. Color Of Change has developed winning strategies to change the Written and Unwritten Rules of many fields affecting Communities of Color. He is a former FairVote Outreach Director and has written extensively and appeared often on television as Authority on Voting issues.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Hendrik Hertzberg: A Senior Editor at The New Yorker. He served as Chief White House Speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter and a Fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He is the former Editor of The New Republic and has written trailblazing essays about Proportional Representation, RCV, and the National Popular Vote Plan. He has served on FairVote's Board of Directors since 1995.

Presented by Jonathan Alter: An American Journalist, Best-Selling Author, and Television Producer. He was a Columnist and Senior Editor for Newsweek magazine from 1983 until 2011, and has written three New York Times Best-Selling Books about American Presidents. Since 1996, he has been a Contributing Correspondent to NBC News.

Outstanding Service Reward

T. Clark Weymouth: Organizes and Leads Hogan Lovells' Pro Bono Legal work, including Overseeing 36 Lawyers in work in support of FairVote's Reform Vision. He is the firm's Pro Bono Partner overseeing 70,000+ Pro Bono hours in the Americas each year, along with Pro-Democracy work in support of Voting Rights and the Equitable Representation of Women in Elected Office. Hogan Lovells provided the Facilities for this Event.

Presenters:

Drew Spencer Penrose: Heads the Legal and Policy Department at FairVote, where has worked since 2012. He has Co-Authored Two Law Review articles arguing for the use of RCV in Legislative Elections. He has also helped draft and submit Amicus Curiae Briefs in Cases concerning Voting Rights, Primary Elections, and Ballot Access and has been a frequent Media Source.

Maria Perez: Born and raised in Ecuador, Maria Perez immigrated to the United States in the 1990s. With 18 years of Experience working on Equity and Equitable Policy, she is a seasoned Organizer, Facilitator, Health Care Practitioner, and Coalition Builder. Since March 2017 she has been Director of Fairvote New Mexico, and is Leading efforts to Implement RCV in Sante Fe and adopt it in other New Mexico Cities.

Outstanding Journalism Award

Reihan Salam: Executive Editor of the National Review, a Columnist for Slate, a Contributing Editor at National Affairs, and Co-Chair of the Board of the New America Foundation. His 2014 essay, The Biggest Problem in American Politics, and his Coauthored Commentary in the New York Times in July 2017 are two of the most powerful arguments for the Fair Representation Act.

Presented by: Congressman Don Beyer: An American Businessman, Diplomat, and Politician who has served as the Representative for Virginia's 8th Congressional District since 2015. From 1990-98 he severed as the 36th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He is the Primary Sponsor of the Fair Representation Act, which many believe is the most comprehensive Electoral Reform of Congress in American history.

State Reformer Award

New York State Senator Liz Krueger: A Democrat who Represents District 28, my District, on the East Side of Manhattan. First Elected to Office in a 2002 Special Election, I carried her petitions since that Election, she is the Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee and has had a steadfast Commitment to supporting and elevating RCV, along with other FairVote-backed Reforms. Her Legislation to use RCV in New York City Primary Elections is working its way through the State Senate.

New York State Senator-Elect Brian Kavanagh: A Democrat who will represent New York's 26th Senate District in January, 2018. He was an Assemblyman since 2007. He was an Aide to former New York City Mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins, and served as Chief of Staff to Gale Brewer, current New York (Manhattan) Borough President. He has played a Key role in passage of the National Popular Vote Plan in New York, advancing RCV, and Voter Pre-Registration of Teenagers.

Presented by: John Avlon: Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of The Daily Beast and a CNN Political Analyst. Previously he was a Columnist and Associate Editor for the New York Sun and Chief Speechwriter for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He is also a Co-Founder of No Labels, a group of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents dedicated to the Politics of Problem-Solving and making Government work again.

Grassroots Leadership Award

Jeanne Massey: Since 2006, when she became Executive Director of FairVote Minnesota, Jeanne Massey has been a remarkable impactful Reformer. Minnesota's two largest Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, have Passed and Implemented RCV. FairVote Minnesota is the most successful State Reform group for RCV and is poised for future success under Her Leadership.

Presented by: Kyle Bailey:Was the Campaign Manager in 2014-2016 for the Committee for RCV, which successfully adopted RCV in a 2016 Ballot Measure. He was formerly the Development Director for EqualityMaine and the Finance Director for mainers United for marriage, which made history by making Maine the first State to affirm same-sex marriage at the Ballot box.

I became an Investor and Activist for FairVote in 2001. I connected with old friends and meet new ones last night. From these connections, I will join New York State Senators Krueger and Kavanagh on an effort to bring RCV to New York City Municipal Elections to Replace these current Primary Elections that includes Run-Off Elections if no Candidate gets over 40% for Mayor, Public Advocate, and Controller.