User:Op2wiki/sandbox

John Opdycke is the founder and president of Open Primaries, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate for open and nonpartisan primary systems, counter efforts to impose closed primaries, educate voters, train and support spokespeople, and participate in the building of local, state and national open primaries coalitions. Opdycke previously served as the Director of Development for Independentvoting.org from 1998 -2013, a think tank and strategy center for the independent political movement. Among several other accomplishments throughout his career, Opdycke participated in the founding of the New York State Independence Party, a founding affiliate of the National Reform Party.

Opdycke has made appearances on Fox News, MSNBC, NBC, and has provided written commentary on the subject of independent politics and electoral reform that appeared in USA Today and numerous local publications. Also, Opdycke has written several political articles for many outlets such as Crain’s New York Business, The Sacramento Bee, The Hill, and The Atlantic.

Background
John Opdycke began his career as a fundraiser and researcher for Rainbow Lobby, a D.C. based lobbying firm which advocated for electoral reform in the United States and the democracy movement in the Congo (Zaire) and the Haitian dictatorship of Prosper Avil. In 1992, Opdycke joined Lenora Fulani’s independent campaign for president as a regional fundraising director followed by assisting Dr. Fulani in her campaign against Mario Cuomo in the Democratic Party gubernatorial primary of 1994. That same year, he participated in the founding of the New York State Independence Party, a founding affiliate of the National Reform Party.

In 1998, Opdycke became the Director of Development for Independentvoting.org where between 1999 and 2013, he developed a 50-state fundraising base and significantly expanded Indpendentvoting.org’s fundraising rate from $40,000 to $1 million annually.

Opdycke has capitalized the launch of The Neo-Independent magazine in 2002, the Choosing an Independent President process and national convention in 2004, “independent to independent” campaigns to enact Top Two Nonpartisan primaries in Oregon (2008), California (2010), Arizona 2012), and Jacqueline Salit’s book Independents Rising in 2012.

Education
John Opdycke attended The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Hobbies
Opdycke is a member of the artist collective of the Castillo Theatre, the home for postmodern political theatre in New York City. He has been involved as an actor, sound designer, and producer in over 15 Castillo productions over the last 20 years, and is currently a member of Castillo’s resident musical improvisation troupe, the Proverbial Loons.

Views
John Opdycke is a firm believer that all Americans should be able to exercise their constitutional right to vote regardless of party affiliation (Republican, Democratic, Independent). Opdycke has been quoted in saying “Every citizen deserves a political system that is fair, open, and responsive to them. Not to party insiders and special interest groups. Since primaries are run by parties, the will of the people are not represented and there is an absence of opportunity in development for the people.