jungle primary

American  

[juhng-guhl prahy-mer-ee, prahy-muh-ree] / ˈdʒʌŋ gəl ˈpraɪ mɛr i, ˈpraɪ mə ri /

noun

jungle primaries plural

1. a primary election in which all candidates run against one another, rather than being separated by political party.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• jungle primaries
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jungle primary

Ballots from California’s jungle primary last week are still being counted, but dark-horse Democrat Xavier Becerra has secured a spot in the November runoff for governor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026

In California, the state's "jungle primary" system picks the two contenders with the most votes to proceed to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

It’s a jungle primary, in which the top two finishers advance to a head-to-head general election this fall.

From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026

That's because unlike most other states -- where each party has its own election to choose a standard-bearer -- California has a so-called "jungle primary" that pits all-comers against each other.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

“California’s jungle primary system also allows for the debate to include a wide spectrum of viewpoints and proposals to tackle those challenges that will reverberate across the country in this pivotal election year.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026