Strong primary turnout fuels general election campaigns

You are already seeing the yard signs and the shirts, but the ability to cast your vote will be here sooner than you think. The Knox County Primary Election is about to open, with early voting from April 15th through the 30th, and Election Day on May 5th. 

Some people think “well, I’ll just wait until the general election to cast my vote, whoever the Democrat will be.” Others might see only one Democrat in the primary and wonder why a primary vote even matters. Still others might be burnt out and think they just have to choose “the lessor of two evils.”

But the data is clear: voting in the primaries is just as important as in the general election. 

Strong primary turnout shows early momentum that fuels general election campaigns. 

Democrats shattering records and reversing historical trends by doubling primary turnout in Texas has already been pointed to as an early bellwether for the coming November General Election. But even beyond major races where voters had to decide between different visions for platform and rhetorical style, uncontested races also saw surges in turnout, such as the Illinois Senate Primary. 

“Nobody shows up to a parade for losers,” Democratic strategist Caitlin Legacki told NOTUS. “And the enthusiasm we’re seeing in Dem primaries vs. the lack of enthusiasm we’re seeing in Republican primaries is a pretty strong signal.”

The platform that wins primaries helps shape other races - and what gets accomplished after the candidate wins.

The term “popular mandate” refers to the general ratio of the margins of victory in primary and general elections, and is a form of soft power. FDR was able to fundamentally reshape American society through this kind of support, for example. His policies were not at all favorable to the rich and powerful, but the overwhelming electoral support for his administration and Democrats in Congress repeatedly showed that the vast majority of American people wanted things to change. Because of that support, the system did change. If people had stayed home, none of it would have happened.

As for the impact of primaries, consider how Biden’s 2020 platform was significantly influenced by Bernie Sanders: lowering the age of Medicare eligibility, negotiating prescription drug prices, expanding Medicaid and Obamacare coverage, and even a $15 federal minimum wage. We know the influence came from voting data: Bernie voters favored Biden to Trump by 87% to 4%, and because of that, the Biden campaign directly adopted a lot of policy platforms from the Vermont Senator. If those Bernie voters had stayed home in the primary, Biden’s platform might have been more catered to conservatives, and he might have lost. 

Strong turnout in the primaries in Knox County will cause the local GOP to spread itself thin.

This might be the single most important fact to consider. If every single Democratic Primary Candidate does well, local Republicans will be forced to fight in every race - even the ones they think are safe. When that happens, they expose themselves to losing the races that could be close. 

Knox County Democrats have been steadily flipping seats every election. We need to keep these seats and flip even more. By showing up in large numbers for every primary on the ballot, Republicans won’t know which race to prioritize. When compounded with significantly reduced Republican enthusiasm, it shows one simple fact: we could win in a landslide in the Knox County General. 

It supports the candidates directly.

Running for office is difficult and scary. You have to work extremely hard, often on top of your normal job and family responsibilities. You put your entire life on display to the public, and opponents come after you. A strong primary turnout, however, gives a huge boost to moral. If you want this person to represent you well, show them that they have your support. Donations and - even better - volunteering do a lot, but seeing turnout in May helps give them the mental energy to carry on through the long summer of the General Election. 

There are about 60,000 Democrats in the county that voted in the 2024 presidential election but did not vote in the August 2025 election.

If just 10,000 of those people vote in the local August election of 2026, then Knox County turns blue across the ballot.

We actually can do this. We can put people in power who better represent us. Vote in the primaries - again, early voting begins in just a couple of weeks! - and send out a clear, strong signal to Democrats across the county. Send a warning shot to Republicans that this MAGA chaos must end.  Worry those same Republicans into spreading themselves too thin and opening up themselves to more losses. And give your local candidates a boost of energy and support. They’re our local neighbors too, and they are standing up publicly to support us. The best thing we can do in the short term is donate, volunteer, and vote in the Knox County Primary!