If there's a better solution for VZW users, let's hear it. The other carriers simply don't have the network coverage I need and I have zero interest in proprietary UIs, but the chances of another CDMA Nexus are very low.
Here are my requirements for a phone. Very simple, really: 1) It must work on Verizon LTE. 2) It must have a removable battery.
Other than those two items, I can be very flexible on what a Nexus phone should be.
What's wrong with the Galaxy Nexus? If software really is your focus it still runs 4.2.2 perfectly fine. It also has a very healthy developer community behind it. Reality is this, Google will build a device if the carriers want it, and my guess is that Sprint and Verizon haven't shown any interest. There's no money it for them, since they can't put all their carrier bloat on it and make changes to the software (those two little things on the VZW GNex notwithstanding).
I'm not advocating switching to GSM (though, if coverage is there and you want a Nexus 4, then, well....), but reality is that
Samsung isn't as developer friendly as people think. There are other companies that are quiet about it, but really do embrace the "hacking" community.
I'm also not saying that there aren't phones out there that have perfectly functional and working CM (or other AOSP-based) ROM's. There are. Most members of the "official" CM team are brought on board AFTER they have a working build running on a phone and have shown the ability to squash bugs and maintain the build for the device (don't believe me, do some Googling). One thing is certain, though, and that's that even they start with Nexus devices. I'm not really surprised, and neither should anyone else be.
Everything is about trade-offs and compromises. Unfortunately it will be like for a while.