California's "jungle primary," formally the top-two system, was marketed as a reform to curb partisanship, empower moderates, and boost voter turnout. Adopted via Proposition 14 in 2010, it allows all candidates to compete on a single primary ballot, with the top two advancing to the general election regardless of party.

As the clock ticks toward the 2026 midterm elections, a high-stakes federal lawsuit challenging California's newly approved congressional redistricting maps under Proposition 50 has wrapped up its expedited hearing, leaving the state's political landscape hanging in the balance.