There is a clear space for a significant new centrist political party, created by the progressive and Donald Trump bases being drawn to their opposite poles on the political spectrum. This is a daunting challenge, of course, but there is precedent for it.

Only once in American history has a major party been replaced by a new party. in Ripon, Wisconsin, in 1854; Jackson, Michigan; and in Aurora, Illinois, a new, highly centrist Republican Party emerged to oppose the expansion of slavery into the North, replacing a Whig Party that was divided on the issue. I say centrist because it wasn’t all the abolitionists wanted, but it was still a step in the right direction. And working-class Northern men were drawn to a new party that would prevent enslaved people from taking their jobs.

Moderates have been largely pushed out of the political spotlight by severe polarization as well as overstretched congressional and legislative districts in many states. You know how it works: The dominant party redraws districts and randomly selects its voters, while the minority party concentrates its voters in fewer districts. The dominant party in each resulting district controls the primaries, which become elections in which unorganized moderates either lack the numbers to compete or simply do not participate.

This polarization has disenchanted most of the 43% of Americans who consider themselves neither Democrats nor Republicans, according to a 2024 Gallup poll report. In response, the people I talk to in my small-town community want the political fighting to end and would rather come together to solve our problems.

So why hasn’t a Centrist Party emerged so far? First, new or “third” parties try to participate in national presidential elections but fail to win, otherwise sympathetic voters logically withdraw and vote where they can make a difference. This national approach is doomed to failure due to lack of money and credibility.

Efforts in new or moderate parties have also failed in the past because their party plans were adopted by one of the major parties (the Socialist Party and its embrace of what became Social Security and Medicare) or because they were perceived as fringe radicals. again Socialist Party).

It consists of a diverse group, including those who identify with both major parties, middle-of-the-roaders, those who lean toward one of the parties, and independents. Some are extremely busy, some are not busy, and some are idiosyncratic.

Moderate or “centre” parties have a long tradition in western democracies. They served as arbiters of problem solving, often pitting polar parties against each other. A Centrist Party in America would also run in general elections instead of primaries, adding a new alternative. Such a middle party could provide pragmatic solutions to critical problems that major parties avoid like the plague, such as the future funding of Medicare and Social Security and out-of-control public spending and debt.

A Centrist Party cannot be competitive everywhere in the United States, just as the 1860 Republicans were not even on the ballot in the Deep South. Fertile ground on which a new Centrist Party could pitch its stake would be the rapidly diversifying American suburbs. Until recent decades, most suburbs were dominated by Republicans, but the diversification of the suburbs and the opposition of many women there to the GOP’s anti-abortion and unfettered gun rights have turned many suburbs blue or purple. Generally, well-educated voters may be attracted to a credible Centrist Party that focuses on economic prosperity, public safety, and education.

Political parties are essentially state institutions, not national ones. Candidates petition state and local authorities. Each state has its own procedures for forming a new political party. In my home state of Illinois, distributing statewide petitions and creating statewide slates are key elements. But the focus should be on developing a platform of pragmatic party plans and recruiting candidates to run in a variety of targeted, winnable suburban state legislative and congressional districts. And build from there like the original Republican Party did.

This wouldn’t be easy, of course. My insider friends say this is impossible, but they, like the Whigs, have a very traditional mindset. I say that the broad center is dissatisfied with do-nothing polarized parties and can be mobilized to take electoral action on critical issues.

If you want to stay informed about the efforts of the Centrist Party, add yourself and your thoughts to a special email list at jimnowlan.net. We can make a significant difference in American politics.

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