Weekly Email - 5/11/26

Gates Pass, Tucson, AZ

Dear Restore the Balance Community,

In CD3, where more than 50% of registered voters are unaffiliated, we often find ourselves presented with only two realistic choices: Republican or Democratic party loyalists. Many of us end up voting against, rather than for, a candidate for public office. We may view the candidate we're against as extreme or downright dangerous. And perhaps what is even more damaging to our republic is that we reflexively dislike anyone who may have voted for that candidate.

When only two realistic choices exist, the chasm between their opposing positions widens. The "winner take all" phenomenon, created by limiting the number of parties or factions to only two, along with other factors, leads to the demonization of the "other side."

Surely this is not what the founders intended. John Adams wrote: "There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other."

James Madison worked to protect the balance that must exist between the rights of the individual and the rights of multiple different factions to exist in opposition to each other. Outlining Madison's vision, David French writes: "the very existence of a robust republic consisting of different competing communities and sects acts as an antibody against oppression." (Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation)

Topic of the Week: Partisanship & the Duopoly: How the Two-Party System Shapes Our Politics

The hyperpartisanship we see play out in politics is an unfortunate consequence of our system design. The Founders did not anticipate today's duopoly in our democracy's original design. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the cause of our current hyper-partisan political culture, certain behaviors and practices are suspect. Declining trust in institutions, abandonment of civility and decorum, declining cross-party social institutions, influence of social media, and media fragmentation are examples of socio-cultural contributors.

If you haven't yet watched the TED talk by Katherine Gehl that we've referenced in previous newsletters, we encourage you to do so. Like David French, Gehl doesn't just diagnose the problem — she talks about solutions. Watch the TED Talk here.

What Can Be Done? The Thiry-O'Leary Foundation and Courageous Colorado

The Thiry-O'Leary Foundation in Colorado, an RTB partner and Spring Gathering underwriter, invests in altering the practices and policies it believes contribute to the hyperpartisanship caused by the duopoly.

In a recent interview with Kent Thiry, we discussed his deep respect for the fragility of democracy and how difficult it is to maintain. In particular, gerrymandering and closed primaries have resulted in people being denied meaningful access. Other issues on their radar include protecting the citizen initiative option available in 24 states and preparing for 2029.

Upcoming Colorado Effort by the Foundation

Introducing an Open Primary initiative (without ranked choice voting, which was included in Prop 131 in 2024) to replace party-based primaries with a single, all-candidate primary:

— Instead of separate Democratic and Republican primaries, all candidates from all parties appear on one ballot, and all voters, including independents, vote in the same primary.

As Nick Troiano, Executive Director of Unite America, describes it: "This is the 'primary problem' in the U.S. political system today: A small minority of Americans decide the significant majority of our elections in partisan primaries that disenfranchise voters, distort representation, and fuel extremism… The primary problem helps explain the stunning incongruity between Congress's average 20 percent approval rating and its more than 90 percent reelection rate: There is a disconnect between what it takes to govern and what it takes to get reelected… Abolishing party primaries eliminates elected leaders' fear of being 'primaried' by a small base of voters within their own party. By abolishing plurality-winner elections and the 'spoiler' effect they produce, it levels the playing field for independent and third-party candidates."

Learn more at Ballotpedia | Visit Unite America

For more on Colorado's primary problem: Colorado's Primary Problem | Unite America The Primary Problem | Unite America

RTB supports the examination of structural democratic reforms that can help move the United States away from hyper-partisanship and toward a more representative, collaborative, and responsive democracy.

Further reading: Gerrymandering and the Bill of Rights — Politico

Upcoming Events

May 16 — RTB & Mesa County Public Libraries Book Discussion | 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Join us for a discussion of David French's Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation at Mesa County Central Library, 443 N. 6th Street, Grand Junction. French will deliver the keynote address at RTB's Annual Spring Gathering on May 21. More info and registration. 

May Social Hour — Cancelled. Join us instead at our Spring Gathering on May 21!

May 21 — RTB Annual Spring Gathering | 6:30–9:00 p.m. Keynote speaker: NYT columnist David French — "U.S. Elections in 2026: A Year of Decision at a Time of Division."

🎟️ Grand Junction — May 21 | 6:30 | CMU Ballroom.

🎟️ RTB La Plata Watch Party — May 21 | 6:30 | Fort Lewis College. 

🎟️ Delta Watch Party — Free & open to the public, no tickets required. Delta County Library, 124 6th St, Delta, CO 81416 (Meeker St. Entrance) | Doors open: 6:00 PM

Space is limited in Grand Junction and Durango. Reserve your spot early!

Please forward this email to friends, family, and neighbors who may not be RTB members but who may be interested in attending the Spring Gathering and hearing from David French.

Member Recommendations: 

• Song: Willie Nelson — Vote 'Em Out 

• Article: My Father's Conservatism — Washington Post

On the Radar: Local Government Meetings

• Board of County Commissioners: Tuesdays @ 9am

• Grand Junction City Council: 1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 5:30pm

• Town of Palisade Board of Trustees Meeting: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 6pm

• Fruita City Council: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7pm

• D51 School Board: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 5pm (public comments accepted on 3rd Tuesdays only)

• Mesa County Library Board: Last Thursdays @ 5:30pm

• Public Health Board: Monthly Tuesdays @ 3pm

Thank you to all who have submitted photos, podcasts, and video recommendations. We will publish a recommendation in each category every week. Please keep them coming!

Want to Contribute to Our Weekly Newsletter?

Our best recommendations come from you! Have you read a thought-provoking book? Listened to an insightful podcast? Found an article worth sharing? Captured a beautiful photo of Western Colorado? We want to feature your discoveries and perspectives in our Monday Update.

You can share resources, suggest topics you'd like RTB to address, or submit photos from around our community. All submissions can be anonymous or attributed to you; it's your choice.

Submit your recommendations here

Let's learn from each other and build a more informed community together.

Don't forget to vote in 2026: June primaries, November general.