Independent Democrat

Last updated

In U.S. politics, an independent Democrat is an individual who loosely identifies with the ideals of the Democratic Party but chooses not to be a formal member of the party (chooses to be an independent) or is denied the Democratic nomination in a caucus or primary election. Independent Democrat is not a political party. Several elected officials, including members of Congress, have identified as independent Democrats.

Contents

Active members

U.S. Congress

Bernie Sanders Bernie Sanders 2023.jpg
Bernie Sanders

In the 118th Congress, four politically independent U.S. Senators caucus with the Democrats:

State Legislators

Alyse Galvin Alyse Galvin (cropped).jpg
Alyse Galvin
Megan Hunt Megan Hunt bio.jpg
Megan Hunt

There are thirteen politically independent state legislators that caucus with the Democrats or consistently vote with the party:

History

19th century

Andrew Jackson Hamilton Andrew Jackson Hamilton.jpg
Andrew Jackson Hamilton

The first member of the United States House of Representatives to identify as an independent Democrat was Zadok Casey of Illinois, who served from 1833 to 1843. Casey was a Jacksonian Democrat before becoming an independent. [25]

In 1848, a candidate for Mayor of Chicago, James Hutchinson Woodworth, labelled himself an independent Democrat to distance himself from what was at the time a corrupt and disorganized Chicago Democratic party organization; he preferred being described as an independent Democrat rather than as a Whig as that party was itself experiencing a transition. Woodworth won the 1848 Chicago mayoral election against Democrat James Curtiss with 59% of the vote. He won re-election with 80% of the vote in the 1849 election. Woodworth later served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party. [26] [27]

Andrew Jackson Hamilton of Texas briefly served in the U.S. House of Representatives as an independent Democrat. He later served as the 11th Governor of Texas and became a member of the Republican party. [28]

20th century

Strom Thurmond of South Carolina was elected to the United States Senate in 1954 and served as an independent Democrat in the 84th Congress until his resignation on April 4, 1956. In November of that year he was elected as a Democrat to fill the vacancy created by his resignation. [29] Thurmond later became a member of the Republican Party in 1964.

Harry F. Byrd Jr., a senator from Virginia, left the Democratic Party in 1970. He continued to caucus with the Democrats and referred to himself as an independent Democrat. [30] [31]

Patrick Lucey was a Democrat who ran as an independent as a vice-presidential candidate in 1980 with John B. Anderson. [32]

David Orr, who served as Mayor of Chicago briefly in 1987, entered politics as an independent Democrat. [33]

21st century

Joe Lieberman Joe Lieberman official portrait 2 (cropped 2).jpg
Joe Lieberman
Diane Savino (03-14-19) NY State Senator Diane Savino during Senate Session at the NY State Capitol, Albany NY (cropped).jpg
Diane Savino
Evan McMullin Evan McMullin October 2019.png
Evan McMullin

After failing to be re-nominated in the 2006 Democratic primary, U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut created a new party called the Connecticut for Lieberman party. He had lost the nomination to his own seat to Ned Lamont by a 52% to 48% margin. Lieberman won the general election with 49.7% of the vote to Lamont's 39.7%. [34] He had stated while campaigning that if elected he would continue to caucus with the Democrats. Within the week following the election, Lieberman stated that he was "an Independent Democrat, capital I, capital D," and that he had specified as much to the secretary of the Senate. [35] He continued to caucus with the Senate Democrats who had a slim majority in the 110th Congress. Lieberman remained a registered independent until he left Congress in 2013. [36] [37]

Four members of the New York State Senate–Jeffrey Klein, Diane Savino, David Valesky, and David Carlucci–indicated they would form a similarly designated caucus separate from the Democratic conference in 2011, known as the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC). Following the 2009 New York State Senate Leadership Crisis the IDC formed a coalition government with then New York Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos to give Republicans control of the New York State Senate. [38] In April 2018, the IDC announced they would dissolve and following the primary defeat of six of the eight members in the 2018 elections, returning the New York State Senate to Democratic control in 2019. [39]

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the longest-serving independent politician in congressional history, was initially denied caucus membership by the Democratic Party, however he eventually caucused with the party in both the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. [40] He has criticized the Democratic Party from a socialist perspective, though sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 and 2020. [41]

U.S. Senator Angus King served as Governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003, and was the only Independent governor in the United States during that period. He positioned himself as a centrist during his tenure, and later ran for Senate in 2012 on the same premise. He has caucused with Senate Democrats since 2013, and briefly considered caucusing with Republicans after the 2014 Senate elections. [42]

U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona was elected as a Democrat in 2018, switching her affiliation from Democrat to Independent in December 2022, effective upon commencement of the 118th Congress. She has opted to caucus with neither party, while maintaining her seniority and committee assignments through the Senate Democratic Caucus. [43] Sinema announced she would not seek re-election in 2024. [44]

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia was elected as a conservative Democrat in 2010, and re-elected to subsequent terms in 2012 and 2018. Prior to his retirement in 2024, he switched his afflilation from Democratic to Independent, while caucusing with Democrats for the remainder of the 118th Congress. [45]

U.S. Congressional candidates Cara Mund, Evan McMullin, and Al Gross have all run as independents while receiving endorsements or support from their respective states' Democratic Parties in traditionally Republican states. [46] [47] [48]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Filiault does not officially caucus with the Democrats, but he consistently votes with the party. [5]
  2. ↑ Perez does not officially caucus with the Democrats, but she consistently votes with the party. [14]
  3. ↑ Pluecker does not officially caucus with the Democrats, but he chairs the Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry Committee in the Democratic majority and consistently votes with the party. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States congressional delegations from Arizona</span>

Since Arizona became a U.S. state in 1912, it has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, beginning with the 63rd United States Congress in 1913. Before becoming a state, the Arizona Territory elected a non-voting delegate at-large to Congress from 1864 to 1912. Each state elects two senators to serve for six years, and varying numbers of members of the House, depending on state population, to two-year terms. Arizona has sent nine members to the House in each delegation since the 2010 United States Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political party strength in U.S. states</span> Representation of parties at the state level

Political party strength in U.S. states is the level of representation of the various political parties in the United States in each statewide elective office providing legislators to the state and to the U.S. Congress and electing the executives at the state and national level.

In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with more conservative views than most Democrats. Traditionally, conservative Democrats have been elected to office from the Southern states, rural areas, and the Great Plains. In 2019, the Pew Research Center found that 14% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters identify as conservative or very conservative, 38% identify as moderate, and 47% identify as liberal or very liberal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Senate Democratic Caucus</span> Formal organization of U.S. Democratic Senators

The Democratic Caucus of the United States Senate, sometimes referred to as the Democratic Conference, is the formal organization of all senators who are part of the Democratic Party in the United States Senate. For the makeup of the 118th Congress, the caucus additionally includes four independent senators who caucus with the Democrats, bringing the current total to 51 members. The central organizational front for Democrats in the Senate, its primary function is communicating the party's message to all of its members under a single banner. The present chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus is Chuck Schumer of New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Welch</span> American lawyer and politician (born 1947)

Peter Francis Welch is an American lawyer and politician serving since 2023 as the junior United States senator from Vermont. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for Vermont's at-large congressional district from 2007 to 2023. He has been a major figure in Vermont politics for over four decades, and is only the second Democrat to be elected a senator from the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Party divisions of United States Congresses</span>

Party divisions of United States Congresses have played a central role on the organization and operations of both chambers of the United States Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives—since its establishment as the bicameral legislature of the Federal government of the United States in 1789. Political parties had not been anticipated when the U.S. Constitution was drafted in 1787, nor did they exist at the time the first Senate elections and House elections occurred in 1788 and 1789. Organized political parties developed in the U.S. in the 1790s, but political factions—from which organized parties evolved—began to appear almost immediately after the 1st Congress convened. Those who supported the Washington administration were referred to as "pro-administration" and would eventually form the Federalist Party, while those in opposition joined the emerging Democratic-Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 United States elections</span>

The 2010 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, in the middle of Democratic President Barack Obama's first term. Republicans ended unified Democratic control of Congress and the presidency by winning a majority in the House of Representatives and gained seats in the Senate despite Democrats holding Senate control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyrsten Sinema</span> American politician (born 1976)

Kyrsten Lea Sinema is an American politician and former social worker serving as the senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat she has held since 2019. A former member of the Democratic Party, Sinema became an independent in December 2022.

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Maine:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruben Gallego</span> American politician (born 1979)

Rubén Marinelarena Gallego is an American politician who is a United States senator-elect from Arizona. He has served as the U.S. representative for Arizona's 3rd congressional district since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, Gallego was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, where he was assistant minority leader from 2012 until he resigned to run for Congress. Gallego was first elected to Congress in 2014. His district includes most of southern, western, and downtown Phoenix, and part of Glendale, where he served four terms in the House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2018 United States Senate elections were held on November 6, 2018. Among the 100 seats, the 33 of Class 1 were contested in regular elections while 2 others were contested in special elections due to Senate vacancies in Minnesota and Mississippi. The regular election winners were elected to 6-year terms running from January 3, 2019, to January 3, 2025. Senate Democrats had 26 seats up for election, while Senate Republicans had 9 seats up for election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States elections</span>

The 2016 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. Republican nominee Donald Trump defeated Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, while Republicans retained control of Congress. This marked the first time Republicans won or held unified control of the presidency and Congress since 2004, and would not do so again until 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">117th United States Congress</span> 2021–2023 meeting of U.S. legislature

The 117th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2021, during the final weeks of Donald Trump's first presidency and the first two years of Joe Biden's presidency and ended on January 3, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States Senate election in Maine</span>

The 2018 United States Senate election in Maine was held on November 6, 2018, alongside a gubernatorial election, U.S. House elections, and other state and local elections. Incumbent independent Senator Angus King won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee Zak Ringelstein and Republican nominee Eric Brakey. This was one of two independent-held Senate seats up for election in a state that Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">118th United States Congress</span> 2023–2025 meeting of U.S. legislature

The 118th United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2023, and will end on January 3, 2025, during the final two years of Joe Biden's presidency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2022 United States Senate elections were held on November 8, 2022, concurrently with other midterm elections at the federal, state, and local levels. Regularly scheduled elections were held for 34 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, the winners of which will serve 6-year terms beginning with the 118th United States Congress. 2 special elections were held to complete unexpired terms. While pundits considered the Republican Party a slight favorite to gain control of the Senate, the Democrats outperformed expectations and expanded the majority they had held since 2021, gaining a seat for a functioning 51–49 majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States Senate elections</span>

The 2024 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, 2024, as part of the 2024 United States elections. Regularly scheduled elections were held for 33 out of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate, plus one seat in a special election. Senators are divided into 3 classes whose 6-year terms are staggered so that a different class is elected every 2 years. Class 1 senators faced election in 2024. The Republicans outperformed expectations and regained the majority they had held before 2021, flipping four Democratic-held seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States Senate election in Arizona</span>

The 2024 United States Senate election in Arizona was held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Arizona. Democratic congressman Ruben Gallego defeated Republican former news journalist Kari Lake to succeed independent incumbent Kyrsten Sinema, who did not seek a second term.

References

  1. ↑ Gallagher, Noel (February 18, 2015). "For Maine's Sen. Angus King, moderate stance, unpredictability paying off". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  2. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (May 31, 2024). "Manchin changes party registration to independent, fueling speculation". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  3. ↑ Qiu, Linda (February 23, 2016). "Is Bernie Sanders a Democrat?". PolitiFact. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ Cowan, Richard; Chiacu, Doina (2022-12-09). "Kyrsten Sinema leaves Democratic Party, adding drama to tight U.S. Senate margin". Reuters . Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  5. ↑ "Shaun Filiault's Voting Records". Vote Smart. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  6. ↑ Green, Rick (June 14, 2023). "Another state rep joins Shaun Filiault in declaring as an independent". The Keene Sentinel. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Alyse Galvin". Iowa State University: Archives of Women's Political Communication. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  8. ↑ Woolsey, Robert (January 11, 2024). "After a blazing start last year, Rep. Himschoot expects a slower legislative pace in second session". KCAW. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  9. ↑ Dunker, Chris (May 5, 2023). "Nebraska Sen. Megan Hunt ditches Democratic label, registers as nonpartisan". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Representative Jed Lipsky". Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  11. ↑ Dew, Rob (January 10, 2023). "Sen. Mia McLeod leaving Democratic Party". ABC News. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  12. ↑ "HD36 winner Dan Ortiz chooses to caucus with minority". KSTK. November 24, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Representative Kelly Pajala". Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Maria Perez's Voting Records". Vote Smart. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  15. ↑ Kisluk, Jessica (October 2, 2023). "New Hampshire state Rep. Maria Perez leaves Democratic Party, will serve remainder of term as 'undeclared'". WMUR. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Representative Bill Pluecker". Maine State Legislature. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  17. ↑ "2022 Environmental Score Card for the Members of the 130th Maine Legislature" (PDF). Maine Conservation Voters. p. 18. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Maine Legislative Scorecard Based on the Constitution". Freedom Index. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  19. ↑ "2023 Legislative Scorecard". Maine People's Alliance. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Legislative Scorecard". Maine AFL-CIO. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  21. ↑ "William Pluecker reelected to represent House District 95". Penobscot Bay Pilot. November 3, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Calvin R. Schrage – House District 25 Representative – Democratic Nominee" (PDF). State of Alaska Division of Elections. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Representative Laura Sibilia". Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  24. ↑ Warren, Anthony (January 14, 2022). "'Toxic environment' | North Jackson lawmaker gives up party affiliation following redistricting vote". WLBT. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details".
  26. ↑ Carbutt, John; Meredith, Joseph (1868). Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago. Chicago, IL: Wilson & St. Clair. pp. 149–156.
  27. ↑ "Chicago Mayors, 1837-2007". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  28. ↑ Greeley, Horace; Cleveland, John F. (1860). A Political Text-book for 1860: Comprising a Brief View of Presidential Nominations and Elections: Including All the National Platforms Ever Yet Adopted: Also, a History of the Struggle Respecting Slavery in the Territories, and of the Action of Congress as to the Freedom of the Public Lands, with the Most Notable Speeches and Letters of Messrs. Lincoln, Douglas, Bell, Cass, Seward ... Etc., Touching the Questions of the Day; and Returns of All Presidential Elections Since 1836. New York: Tribune Association. p. 244.
  29. ↑ "Party Division in the Senate, 1789–Present". United States Senate. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
  30. ↑ "Flight of the Byrd". Time, Inc. March 30, 1970. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2007.
  31. ↑ "Senators Who Changed Parties During Senate Service (Since 1890)". United States Senate. Retrieved 2007-09-28.
  32. ↑ "Gov. Patrick Joseph Lucey". National Governors Association. 3 January 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  33. ↑ Dardick, Hal (June 21, 2017). "Cook County Clerk David Orr won't seek 8th term". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Vote for United States Senator". CT.gov. November 7, 2006. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  35. ↑ "MTP Transcript for Nov. 12", page 3, at Meet the Press site
  36. ↑ "Senators of the 111th Congress: Joseph I. Lieberman". United States Senate. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  37. ↑ Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress Archived 2010-04-23 at the Wayback Machine ; specify "lieberman" in "Last Name" field
  38. ↑ Aris, Hezi (January 26, 2011). "Independent Democratic Conference Members to Chair Legislative Committees". Yonkers Tribune. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  39. ↑ Wang, Vivian (April 16, 2018). "As Session Resumes, a Democratic Truce in Albany Seems Uneasy". New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  40. ↑ Massie, Christopher (June 11, 2015). "Despite Claims, Bernie Sanders Hasn't Always Caucused With Democrats". Buzz Feed News. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  41. ↑ Detrow, Scott; Taylor, Jessica (February 19, 2019). "Bernie Sanders Launches 2020 Presidential Campaign, No Longer An Underdog". NPR. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Senator King to caucus with Democrats". WCSH. November 5, 2014. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  43. ↑ 2023  Congressional Record, Vol. 169, Page  S22 (January 3, 2023)
  44. ↑ Warburton, Moira (March 5, 2024). "Independent Kyrsten Sinema will not seek reelection to US Senate". Reuters. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  45. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (1 June 2024). "Manchin changes party registration to independent, fueling speculation". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  46. ↑ "Ex-Miss America Mund's entry pushes Dem out of ND House race". AP News. September 6, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  47. ↑ Cole, Devan (April 25, 2022). "Utah Democrats throw support behind independent Evan McMullin to take on Mike Lee". CNN. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  48. ↑ Mueller, Eleanor (November 11, 2020). "GOP's Sullivan defeats Gross in Alaska Senate race". Politico. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.