Spokesperson Trainig Newsletter

INAUGURAL ISSUE | SEPTEMBER 2026

From the Director

Hello!

Thank you for the flood of contributions to this first issue — questions, reports, and thoughts from across the alumni network. Consider this our quarterly check-in.

Something has shifted.

I don’t mean incrementally. I mean the kind of shift where you start to notice it in places that used to ignore us entirely — the New York Times writing about independent candidates (even if they couldn’t quite figure out how to frame it), CNN putting independents at 48% of the electorate, Latino independent turnout in California primaries surging 40% since 2022. Nationally, 10,000 Americans switch their registration to independent every week. As Open Primaries President John Opdycke outlines in The Fulcrum, the argument that open primaries is a fringe idea and that independents don’t exist is getting harder to make with a straight face.

As Opdycke says: what makes it different from earlier independent surges is that it doesn’t depend on a single charismatic figure to hold it together. It’s distributed. It’s in cities and state legislatures and ballot campaigns and, yes, in the conversations you’re having in your communities every day. You didn’t take the Spokesperson Training to watch from the sidelines. The movement needs people who can make this case clearly, personally, and without a talking-points sheet. What you’ll find in this newsletter are your fellow alumni doing exactly that.

Gwen Mandell
Director of Leadership Development
Open Primaries

In The Media

USA Today profiled three independent voters — all Spokesperson Training alumni — in “Independent Voters in 3 key states reveal what moves the needle for them.” John Marvin (FL), Sandi Hebley (TX), and Sophie Gelling (PA) shared why they’re independent. The article also featured commentary from Open Primaries President John Opdycke.

In case you missed it, check out Sandi’s Letter to the Editor in the Dallas Morning News making the case as a taxpayer shut out of an election she helped fund.

Spokesperson Spotlight
Lisa Rice, Founder of Grow Democracy

DC voters approved Initiative 83 in 2024 to open primaries and add ranked choice voting — but the Council implemented RCV and shelved open primaries for nearly two years. Lisa and her team went back to work and forced the Council to act. Open primaries are now moving forward in the nation’s capital.
Here’s what Lisa had to say about lessons learned from Spokesperson Training:

“The best skill I learned? Communicate why enfranchisement is important — not just for the movement’s sake, but for each individual voter. Putting a face on independents, humanizing the unaffiliated, kept us grounded in our campaign and helped us win the fight!”

Lisa was John Opdycke’s guest on the recent Open Primaries Virtual Discussion, “The Personal Touch: Building Campaigns for Open Primaries that Inspire Voters.” Watch the Discussion.

Independents in Action / Reports from the Field
Thanks for sending in your reports. What follows is what some of your fellow alumni have been doing around the country!

TV Appearances & Video
On-camera and video moments from alumni

•	Tom Graf · Pittsburgh, PA Interviewed by Action News4 (local ABC affiliate) while protesting independents’ exclusion from primaries on Primary Day in Beaver Falls. Tom also decided to record his own interview with PA state house candidate Hadley Haas when she knocked on his door. Watch here

•	Doug Wentz · Winter Park, FL Posts regularly on his YouTube channel @MakeModeratesMatter; One of the videos, “I Can’t Vote Today, Ask Me Why,” protesting Florida’s closed primary can be seen here. Watch here

•	Trish Lopez · Albuquerque, NM Talked about changing the system on a video she did when invited to speak for a Democratic women’s anniversary event. Watch here

•	Briana Strong & Dr. Torsha Childs · Brooklyn, NY Persuasive video testimonials from Harlem Week on what closed primaries mean to New Yorkers. Watch Torsha’s video Watch Briana’s video

•

Chris Jerome · Buckeye, AZ
Hosts The Radical Independent on Facebook/YouTube; Chris has been inviting independents to join him on video to answer the question “Why Are You An Independent Voter?” His first video features alumni Jarell Corley, Al Bell, Catherine Barrett, Paul Hosse, Amy Hamilton, Dexter Bland and Scott Perez and recently, Chris recorded a second one with Steve O’Hara, Tanya Hutchins Mark Ewoldt and Tom Graf.
Watch Video 1 here
Watch Video 2 here

Letter to the Editor, Podcasts, Radio & Published Pieces
Alumni bylines and mentions in print, online and audio

•	Dona Sauerberger · Maryland Dona, a lead plaintiff in Open Primaries’ lawsuit challenging Maryland’s closed primary system, got a Letter to the Editor published in the Baltimore Sun challenging Gov. Wes Moore to make good on his stated support for open primaries. Read here

•	Scott Perez · Durango, CO Writes a regular column for the Durango Herald; Shared “Both Political Parties Have Failed ‘We the People.'” Read here

•	Hugh Campbell · Havre de Grace, MD Wrote “Fixing Broken Systems: America’s Path Beyond Polarization.” Published by The Fulcrum on the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact; Read here

•	Harry Hou · Philadelphia, PA Profiled independent State Rep candidate Chris Gambino for Independent Pennsylvanian’s newsletter, spotlighting the ballot-access barriers independent candidates face. Read here

•	Steve O’Hara · Miramar Lakes, FL Launched a Substack (@steveohara1) where he’s been writing about why he’s independent; also joined Chris Jerome’s podcast.

Activities & Events
Pickets, trainings, conferences, and community events alumni took part in.

•	Matthew Phillip Wee · Veterans for All Voters Testified before the DC Council on Initiative 83; attended The Chamberlain Network’s Veterans Civic Leadership Convening in Portland, ME. Read his report here.

•	Tom Synhorst, Brad Williams & Katie Roth · All Votes Count Iowa Staffed a booth at the Iowa State Association of Counties convention; 125 county auditors, recorders, treasurers and supervisors stopped by to learn about opening Iowa’s primaries. Read their report here

•	Sandra “Sam” Williams · St. Augustine, FL Organizing screenings of the movie People vs Politics across Jacksonville and St. Augustine; canvassing with the League of Women Voters and introducing other organizations to Open Primaries.

•	Louie Hinman · Kerhonksen, NY Attended “The Zoom Where It Happens” Q&A and put a direct question on open primaries to then-candidate David Jolly, four days before his primary win. Jolly said he supported opening the primaries in Florida. Read his full transcript here.

Campaigns

•	Al Bell & Richard Sinclair · Arizona Independent Voter Network launched Converge, an initiative to mobilize independent voters in Arizona’s competitive First Congressional District.

•	Catherine Barrett · Phoenix, AZ collected 616 signatures — well above the 400 required — to land a seat on the November ballot for the Paradise Valley Governing Board. Spoke before the Arizona association; active in writing, canvassing and hosting community events.

•	Lenny Guckenheimer · St. Petersburg, FL is using a peer-to-peer organizing platform Reach (reach.vote) to text Florida’s 3.3 million No Party Affiliated voters ahead of two decisive open races.

•	Dennis Lopez, Esq. · Tampa, FL is planning to launch two 501(c) organizations — Independents for Integrity and Integrity First

Questions & Thoughts
Leah Brickley · Cornwall, NY
“What’s a persuasive response to voters who fear that opening primaries will simply take too long?” Read my response.

Ken Martin · Surprise, AZ
Shared his notes from a year of one-on-one conversations with Arizona voters. Read in full here.

Al Bell, Peoria AZ reflected that 47 years in land use and local politics left him unprepared for the independent voting world — there’s no substitute, he wrote, for real-time immersive learning. The training reshaped not just what he says, but how his engagement feels — and that shift in feeling, he argues, is what builds the resilience and agility independents need for the long haul.

Jonathan Kendall · El Cajones, CA
Shares his thoughts about how loyalty to the two parties has hurt the country. Read here.

Jackie Fuller · Alexandria, VA
On how the training sharpened her messaging: “Being an effective spokesperson isn’t simply about knowing the facts. It is about being prepared, disciplined… and able to connect the issue to the people listening.” Read full message here.

Edward Strickler · Farmville, VA
On why publicly declaring which primary he votes in reinforces, rather than undermines, his identity as an independent. Read here.

Sandi Hebley · Dallas, TX
“I think most people don’t care about hearing some polished, professional speech. I think they want authenticity, someone speaking to what they believe.”

TRAINING APPLICATION

Additional ways to stay connected with Open Primaries activities:

The Let Us Vote Power Hour is an opportunity to spend an hour with fellow independents, hear updates and take action together. Join the next one, Monday, September 21. Register here.

Contact Cathy Stewart at cstewart@openprimaries.org to get connected to activity in your state.

Questions? Reach me, Gwen Mandell at gmandell@openprimaries.org