There’s a new political party on the block, and it proposes to be neither right nor left but simply “forward.”
“Common Sense Party is taking a new, unconventional, untraditional approach of rather than social and economic reform, we’re actually focusing on the fundamental issues of governance: voting, democracy, and accountability and transparency of our candidates and political officials,” said Sara Lashanlo, the Northern California regional coordinator for the party.
The Common Sense Party isn’t certified yet. With nearly 30,000 registered voters signed on, party organizers are trying to collect more than 70,000 signatures by early October to be considered an official party by the state. Founded by Tom Campbell, Julie Meier Wright, and Quentin Kopp, the party has had its sights set on ballots since at least the 2020 elections. All three founders have political backgrounds—Campbell is a former Republican senator and member of Congress, Wright is the former state commerce secretary, and Kopp is a former San Francisco state senator.
Cal Poly graduate Lashanlo’s entry to the Common Sense Party also sprouted from her own political experience as both voter and candidate for public office. Last year, she unsuccessfully ran for a San Ramon City Council seat with an endorsement from the local Democratic Party chapter. She told New Times that she felt supported by the Democrats, and that she stands by their principles and values. But there were other reasons why she aligned her campaign with the Democratic Party.
“I also sought their support because I was desperate for their resources,” she said. “If I wasn’t in line with their value or if my constituents weren’t … half of them aren’t, then it’s a disservice to them because their elected representative is more accountable to the party than it is for the voters and the constituents.”
Lashanlo added that her campaigning process presented her with an opportunity to provide better candidate support in the future.
“If you’re an independent-minded candidate or if you’re a candidate whose constituents don’t subscribe to either party fully, then that’s a problem,” she said. “That’s a problem that I see Common Sense being able to solve.”
Funded by the Independent Alliance for California, the Common Sense Party aims to be accessible in San Luis Obispo County too. On April 16, organizers hosted a meet-and-greet event at Belnano Coffee in Atascadero. Its purpose was to recruit more voters and assess the potential of a South County chapter with an appointed leader. The party is currently planning to have another meetup in May, possibly in SLO.
“Our plan is to create two chapters in SLO County—one in Templeton or Atascadero, and one in south SLO County,” Lashanlo said. “The ultimate dream is to have a third chapter at Cal Poly.”
While the Common Sense Party is eager to set itself apart from the Democratic and Republican parties, Lashanlo said that it differs from the existing independent parties too.
“Every party takes a conventional approach in having a hard stance on social values and issues, and [uses] that as a litmus test for candidates and voters,” she said. “The Common Sense Party is the only party, to my knowledge, that’s flipping the script.”
Fundamentally, the party is looking for an “ethical person with integrity,” according to Lashanlo.
“Our values are being crafted by the membership, so it’s very democratic in its approach,” she said.
Transparency is high on the Common Sense Party’s list of values, as it wants to demystify the ballot initiative process for voters. They’re advocating for a politically neutral state librarian to have the authority to write ballot initiatives and summaries instead of the attorney general who presently pens them. By removing that power from someone holding a political post, the party believes voters could gain a clearer understanding of the ballot measures presented to them.
However, the party has a more immediate goal if it gets certified.
“We’ll hold a virtual convention to approve the by-laws and an initial platform,” Lashanlo said. “The by-laws will create a mechanism for endorsing candidates, taking positions on initiatives, sponsoring our own initiatives, and adding or subtracting planks to the platform.”
Fast fact
The 15th annual Wine 4 Paws event will return over the weekend of April 22 and 23. More than 80 wine, cider, and olive oil producers will participate and donate 10 percent of their sales to Woods Humane Society. The event director is hoping to raise a record-breaking $75,000 that will help to support the homeless pets of Woods Humane. For more information, visit wine4paws.com. Δ
Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Apr 20-30, 2023.