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Veterans for All Voters launched publicly in Madison, Wisconsin in October 2021. Our Founder, Eric Bronner, was inspired to take action by a Freakanomics Radio podcast called, “America’s Hidden Duopoly,” back in the fall of 2018. The podcast featured Wisconsin businesswomen Katherine Gehl and Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter outlining all of the ways our two-party “duopoly” prevents new competition and real innovation in order to maintain the status quo. Their thesis was that the lack of competition in almost 90% of our General Elections is one of the root causes of partisan gridlock, toxic polarization and Congressional dysfunction.
Eric searched for political reform organizations in his home state of Missouri and found Show Me Integrity – a brand new, cross-partisan, good government organization. Show Me Integrity helped pass a new, nonpartisan “approval voting” system in St. Louis City in 2020. After working on the campaign, a fellow Veteran saw Eric’s passion for reforms and suggested he do something to get more Veterans involved. Eric organized about 10 Veteran leaders from across the country, and across the political spectrum to serve on an interim advisory council. Two Advisors, fellow Navy Veteran Todd Connor, and Marine Corps Veteran Dan Biga went on to join Eric as co-founders.
Todd and Dan had a background working at the intersection of Veterans and entrepreneurs. Todd is a serial entrepreneur who founded Bunker Labs – a national ecosystem for Veteran entrepreneurs. Todd is also a politico who was searching for real solutions to our country’s toxic polarization crisis. After initial research, the advisory council learned that there was a true “white space” between the 10,000 (or so) good government, pro-democracy, civic-engagement, pro-reform organizations and the over 40,000 Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs). As a result, with modest seed-funding from the Institute for Political Innovation, Veterans for All Voters launched in the fall of 2021, and supported pilot projects for reform campaigns in Wisconsin, Missouri and Nevada.
Our mission is “to empower military veterans to advocate, advance, and defend election reforms that increase competition, reduce polarization, and make our government more effective for everyone.”
We define success, in part, by the number of high-agency Veterans who we activate as problem solvers and force multipliers, in their local cities and states, in support of real (structural) reform solutions.
Because “a bad system will beat a good person every time,” we are focused on structural reforms that address the bad incentives in an outdated political operating system. When at least 10 states have adopted structural reforms that create a level playing field for ALL candidates and ALL voters, regardless of political affiliation, we will have a new political operating system where independent-minded problem solvers, and common sense public servants can run and win. In turn, these elected officials will be incentivized to solve problems, and govern on behalf of a majority of their constituents; they will be rewarded for common sense, bi-partisan compromise.
When Veterans for All Voters first launched in the fall of 2021, some of our earliest volunteers made an incredible impact in their home states. For example, Army Veteran and Connecticut Attorney, Henry Rowland, saw that there was no existing reform ecosystem in his state. As such, Henry organized a coalition of like-mind leaders and launched Connecticut Voters First (CVF). CVF went on to successfully lobby Connecticut’s Governor to introduce a pro-ranked-choice voting (RCV) Bill that is currently under consideration.
In Nevada, in 2022 there was a new ballot campaign for Final 5 Voting (FFV – an open, unified primary election followed by a top-5 instant runoff, with ranked-choice voting). The campaign was looking for trusted voices to be featured in the media. VAV recruited Marine Corps Veteran Mike Escobar who went on to be the “face of the Nevada Campaign.” Mike recorded powerful commercials, urging voters to open their primary elections to the over 750,000 nonpartisan (Independent) voters in the Silver State.
In Wisconsin, Army Veteran Kevin Miller, Marine Corps Veteran, Josh Wilson, and Navy Veteran, Mark Pfost, have been leading the charge in support of a bi-partisan bill for Final-5 Voting. VAV launched in Wisconsin because three out of four of the original Bill’s co-sponsors are Veterans. Final-5 Voting is a powerful reform that ensures there is real competition in the election that is supposed to matter the most – The November General Election.
Every day, over 10,000 people are leaving the Democrat and Republican Parties. 61% of Younger people, ages 18-24 identify as Independent, and over 55% of post-9/11 Veterans do as well. This is our time. Independent Voters are the fastest growing voting block in almost every state in our country.
Americans are exhausted with politics as usual. They are hungry and desperate for more and better candidate choices. But, most Americans don’t realize that it’s the system itself that makes it so challenging for new Independent (or, third-party) candidates to break through.
However, the Independent reform movement is growing stronger every day. More and more Americans are leaving both of our corrupt and fundamentally flawed major political parties. We are getting so close to a true “tipping point” moment for Independents everywhere!
The Independent Center is building and strengthening the independent centrist movement with sophisticated data, research, and candidate support. IC is helping to strengthen the independent reform ecosystem, which complements the work Veterans for All Voters is doing.
Within five years, we will have a true “fulcrum” of Independent leaders in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. From there, a number of common-sense Centrist elected leaders will be empowered to leave their parties and join the new Independent Centrist coalition. At that point, they will be the most important and influential voting block in both Houses.
If you are a Veteran or military-connected (in any way), and you’d like to help build a new and better political operating system, please join us today at veteransforallvoters.org/take-action! If not now, when?
