List of third-party and independent performances in United States elections

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This article contains statistics on third-party and independent performances in US elections and a list of pages containing lists of those elections.

Contents

Lists of third-party and independent, performances in United States elections

List of third-party and independent performances in West Virginia state legislative elections

Notable performances

Presidential elections

The following are third party and independent candidates who received more than 10% of the total popular vote.

YearPartyNomineeRunning mate# Votes% Votes% Votes
On Ballot
Electoral VotesPlaceNotes
1912 Progressive Theodore Roosevelt Hiram Johnson 4,120,609
27.39 / 100
27.86 / 100
88 / 531
2nd
1856 American Millard Fillmore Andrew J. Donelson 872,703
21.54 / 100
21.54 / 100
8 / 296
3rd
1992 Independent Ross Perot James Stockdale 19,743,821
18.91 / 100
18.91 / 100
0 / 538
1860 Southern Democratic John C. Breckinridge Joseph Lane 851,844
18.20 / 100
22.04 / 100
72 / 303
2nd
1924 Progressive Robert M. La Follette Burton K. Wheeler 4,833,821
16.62 / 100
16.69 / 100
13 / 531
3rd
1968 American Independent George Wallace Curtis LeMay 9,901,118
13.53 / 100
13.56 / 100
46 / 538
1860 Constitutional Union John Bell Edward Everett 590,946
12.62 / 100
15.43 / 100
39 / 303
1848 Free Soil Martin Van Buren Charles F. Adams 291,475
10.13 / 100
13.79 / 100
0 / 290

Senate elections

The following are third party and independent candidates who have won senate seats since 1970.

Notable third-party senatorial performances (1991–2020)
YearStatePartyNominee# Votes % VotesPlaceNotes
2018 Maine Independent Angus King 337,378
54.5 / 100
Re-elected
Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders 183,529
67.32 / 100
Re-elected
2012 Maine Independent Angus King 370,580
52.89 / 100
Elected
Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders 209,053
71.04 / 100
Re-elected
2010 Alaska Republican (write-in) Lisa Murkowski 101,091
39.49 / 100
Re-electedLost Republican primary
2006 Connecticut Connecticut for Lieberman Joe Lieberman 564,095
49.71 / 100
Re-electedLost Democratic primary
Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders 171,638
65.41 / 100
Elected
1976 Virginia Independent Harry F. Byrd Jr. 890,778
57.2 / 100
Re-elected
1970 Virginia Independent Harry F. Byrd Jr. 506,237
53.54 / 100
Re-elected
New York Conservative James L. Buckley 2,288,190
38.95 / 100
Elected

House elections

The following are third party and independent candidates who have received more than 30% of the popular vote since 2008.

Notable third party House performances (2022) – 19 entries
YearDistrictPartyCandidate# Votes % VotesPlace
2022 North Dakota At-large Independent Cara Mund 89,644
37.6 / 100
2nd
Texas 26 Libertarian Mike Kolls81,208
30.7 / 100
2nd
2020 Alaska At-large Independent/Undeclared Alyse Galvin [1] 159,856
45.3 / 100
2nd
2018 Alaska At-large Independent/Undeclared Alyse Galvin [1] 109,615
45.84 / 100
2nd
2016 Northern Mariana Islands At-large Independent Gregorio Sablan 10,605
100.0 / 100
Elected
Arizona 8 Green Mark Salazar93,954
31.43 / 100
2nd
2014 Northern Mariana Islands At-large Independent Gregorio Sablan 8,549
65.29 / 100
Elected
2012 Puerto Rico At-large New Progressive Pedro Pierluisi 905,066
48.44 / 100
Elected
Popular Democratic Rafael Cox Alomar 881,181
47.16 / 100
2nd
California 33 Independent Bill Bloomfield146,660
46.04 / 100
2nd
Kansas 3 Joel Balam92,675
31.55 / 100
2nd
2008 American Samoa At-large Independent Eni Faleomavaega 7,498
60.38 / 100
Elected
Puerto Rico At-large New Progressive Pedro Pierluisi 1,010,285
53.05 / 100
Elected
New York 23 Conservative Doug Hoffman 69,553
45.98 / 100
2nd
Puerto Rico At-large Popular Democratic Alfredo Salazar Jr. 810,093
42.54 / 100
2nd
American Samoa At-large Independent Amata Coleman Radewagen 4,349
35.02 / 100
2nd

Gubernatorial elections

The following are third party and independent candidates who have won governerships since 1990.

Notable third party gubernatorial performances
YearStatePartyNomineeRunning mate# Votes % VotesPlace
2014 Alaska Independent Bill Walker Byron Mallott 134,658
48.1 / 100
Elected
Rhode Island Independent Lincoln Chafee 123,571
36.1 / 100
Elected
1998 Maine Independent Angus King 246,772
58.61 / 100
Re-elected
Minnesota Reform Jesse Ventura Mae Schunk 773,713
36.99 / 100
Elected
1994 Maine Independent Angus King 180,829
35.37 / 100
Elected
1990 Alaska Alaskan Independence Wally Hickel Jack Coghill 75,721
38.88 / 100
Elected
Connecticut A Connecticut Party Lowell Weicker Eunice Groark 460,576
40.36 / 100
Elected

Statistics

Note: Prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment in 1913, most states did not hold direct elections to the Senate.[ citation needed ]

Legend:  1st2nd3rd
Elections with notable third party electoral performances (1900–present) [2]
StateGubernatorial electionsSenate electionsTotal elections
Thres­hold reachedThres­hold candi­datesThird party victoryThres­hold reachedThres­hold candi­datesThird party victoryThres­hold reachedThres­hold candi­datesThird party victory
Alabama5604409100
Alaska910266115163
Arizona550711012160
Arkansas1011066116171
California8101911017211
Colorado4604508110
Connecticut79144111132
Delaware220110330
Florida331330661
Georgia440220660
Hawaii330220550
Idaho1316045017210
Illinois450220670
Indiana240440680
Iowa110110220
Kansas78056012140
Kentucky220000220
Louisiana330220550
Maine1318355218235
Maryland110330440
Massachusetts1010044014140
Michigan220000220
Minnesota2125519225404710
Mississippi220440660
Missouri110110220
Nebraska1010145114152
Nevada67278013152
New Hampshire440110550
New Jersey220000220
New Mexico220110330
New York1112088119201
North Carolina110000110
North Dakota781911116192
Ohio340340680
Oklahoma77033010100
Oregon671914015201
Pennsylvania330450780
Rhode Island7901108100
South Carolina000221221
South Dakota79057012160
Tennessee78044011120
Texas912011010130
Utah6703309100
Vermont1111044315153
Virginia4401418218222
Washington78056012140
West Virginia440000440
Wisconsin182131215230365
Wyoming220110330
Total284327212032362148756342

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 Also listed as the de facto Democratic nominee.
  2. The threshold is >5% of the vote.

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