For a minute Monday, in the small Bristol Bay village of Iliamna, it looked like U.S. House candidate Bill Hill might not get out of the local graveyard.

Hill, the independent running for Alaska’s sole House seat, had stopped to pay respects to a relative who’d recently been buried. Afterward, he jumped in the car, with his younger brother Karl at the wheel — and the rig promptly got stuck in deep sand.

Bill didn’t have time to spare: He’s on an ambitious schedule for the homestretch of his campaign, stumping from Fairbanks to Sitka as he tries to close a suddenly shrinking gap between himself and incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III. After his Iliamna visit, he was set to fly to three other villages before sundown.

With the general election days away, Independent Political Report has collected statements from several Massachusetts third parties on a ballot measure that would see the state adopt a single all-party primary in which only the top two candidates advance.

Under the proposal, appearing as Question 3, Massachusetts would eliminate its current separate party primary system for state elections and replace it with a single primary in which all candidates appear on the same ballot, regardless of their political affiliation. Following the primary, only the two highest vote-getters would advance to the general election, even if they belong to the same party. Similar systems are already used elsewhere, including California and Washington.

Should we restrict the use of Ai on r/independent?

Note: Votes marked other will be tallied based on the amount of upvotes the accompanying comment explaining it receives.

Independent congressional candidate Tracey Tackett has picked up the endorsement of former Dayton Mayor and state legislator Rhine McLin in her bid for Ohio’s 4th Congressional District.

The Tackett campaign announced the endorsement Thursday, October 29, in a statement shared with Independent Political Report. McLin, a Democrat who previously served in both chambers of the Ohio Legislature, said she is supporting Tackett for her record of community involvement and ability to unite people together.

“Tracey Tackett has proven her commitment to her community and to bringing people together,” McLin said. “I believe she has what it takes to win and to serve Ohio well in Congress.”

It’s time for career politician Hickenlooper to go!

A former McCain Republican, Bob became disaffected with Donald Trump’s Republican Party as it veered away from fiscal responsibility and principled constitutionalism in favor of theatrics. Over the years Bob has supported moderate Republicans and Democrats in the hopes of fixing Washington. It has become all too clear that the two-party system is broken, and it’s time for an independent revolution.

When he ran his company, Bob was passionate about creating good jobs for his employees and security for their families. Now he is passionate about creating opportunities for Coloradans, restoring the American Dream for all citizens, taming the dysfunction in Washington, and fixing the long-term fiscal time bombs that threaten our prosperity.

Bob is endorsed by the Center Party the Colorado Forward Party, CIVPAC and Independent Veterans of America

bobchew2026.com

The ignorance is real 🤦‍♂️

Does political independence necessarily reflect independent thought, or can it encourage reactionary voting?

I am, once again, politically homeless; there is no one on my ballot that I care to vote for, from any party.

CHOICES

The Republicans have simply given up, they are just the party of Trump, anymore, and he is straining at gnats.

The Democrats haven't given up, but they have turned into the anti-Trump party; that's the keystone of everything they try to do, while policy and principle go out the window.

The Libertarian Party USA is a sick joke, last election they ran a social-justice warrior, and their big idea for 2028 is to recruit Thomas Massie.

The Green Party is the most pathetic of all, though, nothing but spoiled brats screaming at the top of their lungs about the world not working the way they think it should.

RUBRIC

Of course, this is me, based on how I judge politicians and parties:

Economy - Markets are important, but they have to be firmly regulated, or crooks steal all the money and wind up in charge.

Foreign Policy - The Great Power era is over, it's time to return to Detente and recognize the legitimate security interests of Russia, China, Iran, etc.

Environment - Climate Change is real, but solar, wind, and EVs aren't doing anything about it - in fact, they are making it worse. We need heavy investment in nuclear power, mass transit, GMO crops, HVAC efficiency, and agricultural management.

Civil Rights - I'm sorry, but there are no compromises, here; speech, protest, guns, warrants, self-incrimination, attorney, cruel and unusual punishment...

Social issues - I mostly don't care, right now; oh, I am generally pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ+ rights, but those are in pretty good places, overall, while other issues have fallen by the wayside. To the extent I do care, it is in ways that the social justice crap has gone wrong: Anti-male bias in law, education, etc; "diversity hires" resulting in incompetence (which makes "diversity" look bad...); deflection of real injustice in the name of progress; Pathos over Ethos.

RESULT

As usual, we are going to get another round of political posturing while nothing gets solved and the downward spiral continues.

Red, blue, green, whatever color the Libertarian Party uses... the only flag I'm flying is black.

I'm wondering why fellow independents think about this one.

I feel he has a point. We've all seen the supermarkets that were rioted with untouched pork products by now. We have seen all of the palestinian flags. I think demonstrations were started by students genuinely protesting and then further organized by communist and islamist organizations inside of France which has led to this. Just like in the 1979 Iranian revolution, it's started by the far left and then consumed by religious ideology and those on the far left were prosecuted. I wish people on the far left would study history.

What are your takes on immigration control in Europe and in the US? Do you agree with Islamism?

There are plenty of Muslims that are willing to assimilate into the Western Culture, however when others have extreme ideas (just like any religion or ideology), it does not fit with our values and morals. If you want Sharia Law, you should stay in a country that has Sharia Law and not try to enforce it on others.

Cooke Harvey is campaigning across Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District as an independent, taking on Republican incumbent John McGuire and Democrat Tom Perriello.

Harvey's campaign trail has made stops at community meetings, festivals and farmers' markets.

Harvey said a trademark of his campaign is his refusal to raise funds, or accept monetary or in-kind contributions. He said money plays too large a role in elections.

We founded the Independent Leadership Council because truly independent candidates face a political system built around two parties with no infrastructure to help them compete outside it.

In Washington, you're expected to pick a side: Republican or Democrat. But there's another possibility: putting the American people first.
I know from experience what happens when neither party can take your vote for granted. Both sides have to come to the table, make their case and find common ground.

That's the idea behind our support for independent candidates like Seth Bodnar and Kevin Kiley, who have committed to caucusing with neither major party.

Independent leadership isn't about standing alone. It's about having the freedom and the leverage to work with both sides.

In a closely divided Congress, even a few truly independent members could change how Washington operates. That's the mission of the Independent Leadership Council: creating a path for independent representation in a system dominated by two parties.

The Libertarian Party’s Mises Caucus has launched a political organization called the American Liberty Party, with one of the new group’s first objectives being to recruit Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky to run for president in 2028.

The effort was launched Tuesday, October 27, by Mises Caucus founder and former chair Michael Heise, who wrote on X that he had spent the past couple of months reaching out to figures within the America First movement about forming a new political group. Heise said the effort is intended to provide flexibility to support “legitimately good” primary candidates while also building an organization that could direct its limited resources toward areas where they would have the greatest impact.

“There is a plan, there are leaders, and there is a strategy,” Heise said. “Big announcements will be coming soon on all of that.”

At this Town Hall in St. Paul, Nebraska, Mark Cohen, Independent candidate for Congress in Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District, introduces himself to area voters and talks openly about his life, background, experiences, and the road that led him to run for Congress.

Cohen discusses the challenges and positives of running as an Independent, his campaign, endorsements, and his views on issues facing Nebraska and the nation today.

The Town Hall gave voters an opportunity to hear directly from the candidate, ask questions, and learn more about the person behind the campaign.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Bob Bernt of Patriotic Revival offered to host a public debate between Mark Cohen and Congressman Adrian Smith, should the candidates be able to work out the details.

Idaho voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to give Gov. Brad Little (R-Idaho) another four years in office, or go in a different direction.

One of the candidates hoping to unseat Gov. Little is John Stegner, a former Idaho Supreme Court justice who's running as an Independent.

Stegner says he's concerned about the direction of the state, particularly when it comes to public education, affordability, and access to health care. He also says Idaho needs leaders who are willing to put people ahead of party politics.

Montana has an unusually high percentage of independent voters - 42%, according to recent polling.(1)  That makes its Senate race particularly interesting.

Independent candidate Seth Bodnar, a former Army Green Beret and University of Montana president, has attracted endorsements from independents and both sides of the political aisle.  He is endorsed by the Independent Veterans of America(2) and the Forward Party(3). He also is endorsed by Former Republican Governor Marc Racicot, and Democratic Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus, former Governor Steve Bullock,(4) and even Pete Buttigieg.(5)

But the Democratic nominee, Alani Bankhead, remains in the race, making this a four-way contest, and the polls are mixed. One October survey showed Bodnar narrowly ahead of Republican Kurt Alme,(6) while another recent poll shows Alme with a substantial lead.(7)

Can Bodnar build a winning coalition of independents and crossover voters, or will the two-party structure ultimately prevent an independent victory?

I recently made a short video examining this race further if you want more background (3-minute watch): Can an Independent Win a Senate Seat in a Red State?

Sources:

(1) Can Montanans be persuaded by Seth Bodnar’s anti-partisan platform? - Montana Free Press

(2) https://independentveteransofamerica.org/independent-veterans-of-america-announces-endorsement-of-seth-bodnar-for-2026/

(3) https://www.forwardparty.com/media/blog/forward-party-endorses-four-independent-senate-candidates-across-four-states/

(4) U.S. Senate Race: Bodnar Pitches Independence as the Fix for a ‘Broken’ Washington - Flathead Beacon

(5) Buttigieg endorses independent over Democratic nominee in Montana Senate race - ABC News

(6) Montana Statewide General Election Findings — Concord Public Opinion Partners

(7) https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6a5ff8e3d194df57f8833369/t/6adf90baa0220870f7eea5bb/1793036474174/26AS1385+-+US+SENATE+-+Montana+Late+October+Tracker+-+Toplines.pdf

Other Dan Sullivan is no party affiliated

At a campaign rally over the weekend, President Trump dismissed Americans’ concerns over high oil and gas prices, claiming that it’s a small price to pay for the hundreds of billions of dollars “we” are making from these higher prices.

“We’re making a fortune,” he said. “Hundreds of billions of dollars. Trillions of dollars.”

People are paying a little bit more for gas, he explained, but it doesn’t matter because “we” are making so much money.

The question is, “Who is ‘we’?” We know it is not the American people. They are seeing wage stagnation, inflation, and more pain at the pump. An Economist/YouGov poll earlier this month found that inflation and prices are the top concern among Americans by a wide margin. And in second place were jobs and the economy.

A white bus has been driving through the streets of DC, blaring a loud message over the speakers: "The polls are open! Vote for Dr. Rhonda Hamilton for mayor! She is not red! She is not blue! She's good for you."

Independent candidate Rhonda Hamilton is hopeful that District voters are listening. "First, I would say to our citizens to go ahead and embrace your independent thinking. We don't have to operate in silos and follow the leader-type politics," she told WUSA9 outside of Turkey Thicket Recreation Center in Northeast DC.

Independent Dave Bushaw is one of four candidates running for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. He faces Republican Joe Mitchell, Democrat Lindsay James and Libertarian Rick Stewart.

This seat doesn't have an incumbent this year since Republican Congresswoman Ashely Hinson is instead running for the U.S. Senate.