Third-party and independent members of the United States Congress are generally rare. Although the Republican and Democratic parties have dominated U.S. politics in a two-party system since 1856, some independents and members of other political parties have also been elected to the House of Representatives or Senate, or changed their party affiliation during their term.
Image | Senator | State | Term | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kyrsten Sinema | Arizona | 2019–present | Elected as a Democrat, switched to Independent in 2022 [1] | |
Angus King | Maine | 2013–present | Elected as an Independent; caucuses with the Democrats | |
Joe Lieberman | Connecticut | 1989–2013 | Re-elected on the Connecticut for Lieberman ticket after losing the 2006 Democratic nomination | |
Bernie Sanders | Vermont | 2007–present | Elected as an Independent; caucuses with the Democrats; Democratic Party member from 2015–2016 and 2019–2020 while running for President [2] | |
Dean Barkley | Minnesota | 2002–2003 | Appointed for Independence Party of Minnesota | |
Jim Jeffords | Vermont | 1989–2007 | Switched from Republican to Independent in 2001 | |
Bob Smith | New Hampshire | 1990–2003 | Switched from Republican to Independent in 1999 but switched back to Republican in 2000 | |
James L. Buckley | New York | 1971–1977 | Elected as a Conservative, lost re-election as a Republican in 1976 | |
Harry F. Byrd Jr. | Virginia | 1965–1983 | Switched from Democratic to Independent in 1970 | |
Wayne Morse | Oregon | 1945–1969 | Switched from Republican to Independent in 1953, then to Democratic in 1955 | |
John E. Miller | Arkansas | 1937–1941 | Elected as an Independent, served as Democratic | |
Ernest Lundeen | Minnesota | 1937–1940 | Elected as Farmer-Labor | |
George W. Norris | Nebraska | 1913–1943 | Switched from Republican to Independent in 1936 | |
Elmer Austin Benson | Minnesota | 1935–1936 | Elected as Farmer-Labor | |
Robert M. La Follette Jr. | Wisconsin | 1925–1947 | Switched from Republican to Progressive in 1934, then back to Republican in 1946 | |
Magnus Johnson | Minnesota | 1923–1925 | Elected as Farmer-Labor | |
Henrik Shipstead | Minnesota | 1923–1947 | Elected as Farmer-Labor, switched to Republican in 1940 | |
Miles Poindexter | Washington | 1911–1923 | Switched from Republican to Progressive in 1912, switched back to Republican in 1915 | |
Joseph M. Dixon | Montana | 1907–1913 | Switched from Republican to Progressive in 1912 | |
Henry Heitfeld | Idaho | 1897–1903 | Elected as a Populist | |
William Alexander Harris | Kansas | 1897–1903 | Elected as a Populist | |
Henry Moore Teller | Colorado | 1876–1909 | Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896, then to Democratic in 1903 | |
Fred Dubois | Idaho | 1891–1897 | Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896 | |
Frank J. Cannon | Utah | 1896–1899 | Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896 | |
Richard F. Pettigrew | South Dakota | 1889–1901 | Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896 | |
Lee Mantle | Montana | 1895–1899 | Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896 | |
John P. Jones | Nevada | 1873–1903 | Switched from Republican to Silver in 1895, then back to Republican in 1901 | |
William Morris Stewart | Nevada | 1887–1905 | Switched from Republican to Silver in 1893, then back to Republican in 1901 | |
William V. Allen | Nebraska | 1893–1901 | Elected as a Populist | |
James H. Kyle | South Dakota | 1891–1901 | Elected as a Populist | |
Marion Butler | North Carolina | 1895–1901 | Elected as a Populist | |
William A. Peffer | Kansas | 1891–1897 | Elected as a Populist | |
Harrison H. Riddleberger | Virginia | 1883–1889 | Elected as a Readjuster | |
William Mahone | Virginia | 1881–1887 | Elected as a Readjuster | |
David Davis | Illinois | 1877–1883 | Elected as an Independent | |
Newton Booth | California | 1875–1881 | Elected as an Anti-Monopolist, served as an Independent Republican | |
Orris S. Ferry | Connecticut | 1867–1875 | Elected as a Liberal Republican in 1872 | |
Morgan C. Hamilton | Texas | 1870–1877 | Switched from Republican to Liberal Republican in 1872, switched back to Republican in 1875 | |
Charles Sumner | Massachusetts | 1851–1874 | Elected as Free Soil Democratic in 1851, became a Republican in 1855, then became a Liberal Republican in 1872 | |
David T. Patterson | Tennessee | 1866–1869 | Elected as a Unionist in 1866, became a Republican by 1867 | |
Joseph S. Fowler | Tennessee | 1866–1871 | Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1866, became a Republican by 1867 | |
John Creswell | Maryland | 1865–1867 | Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1864 | |
Benjamin Gratz Brown | Missouri | 1863–1867 | Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1863, became a Republican by 1865 | |
Peter G. Van Winkle | West Virginia | 1863–1869 | Elected as a Unionist in 1863, became a Republican by 1867 | |
Reverdy Johnson | Maryland | 1863–1868 | Elected as a Unionist in 1863, switched to Democratic by 1865 | |
Lemuel J. Bowden | Virginia | 1863–1864 | Elected as a Unionist in 1863 | |
Thomas Holliday Hicks | Maryland | 1862–1865 | Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1862 | |
Robert Wilson | Missouri | 1862–1863 | Appointed as an Unconditional Unionist in 1862 | |
John B. Henderson | Missouri | 1862–1869 | Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1862, became a Republican by 1865 | |
Garrett Davis | Kentucky | 1861–1872 | Elected as a Unionist in 1861, switched to Democratic by 1867 | |
John S. Carlile | Virginia | 1861–1865 | Elected as a Unionist in 1861 | |
Waitman T. Willey | Virginia | 1861–1863 | Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1861 |
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