President Trump's return to Washington has heightened fears regarding democratic integrity, particularly as many members of Congress and state legislatures were elected through largely uncontested primaries. A New York Times analysis reveals that average voter turnout in House primaries was around 57,000, which represents a stark disparity compared to the over 700,000 individuals they subsequently represent. Furthermore, a significant number of House members had no challengers, and more than three-quarters of state legislative primary races in 2024 were uncontested, indicating a dangerous trend of diminished voter engagement and representation.
President Trump's return to Washington has tested the bounds of presidential power and set off alarms among Democrats, historians and legal scholars who are warning that the country's democratic order is under threat.
A vast majority of members of Congress and state legislatures did not face competitive general elections last year, effectively being elected through low-turnout primary contests.
On average, just 57,000 people voted for politicians in U.S. House primaries who went on to win the general election, a small fraction of the more than 700,000 Americans each of those winners now represents.
The absence of primaries is even more striking in state legislatures, with more than three-quarters of those primary races in 2024 being uncontested, highlighting a troubling trend in democracy.
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