Several 2026 federal races have an independent candidate who has qualified for the ballot, either through a top-four primary, a petition process, or because the race has no major-party opponent in that lane. The Independent Center does not endorse candidates; this page is informational only.
Idaho: the race has no Democratic nominee after the party's candidate withdrew before the primary. The general election field is Jim Risch (R, incumbent), Todd Achilles (I), Natalie Fleming (I) and Matt Loesby (L).
Montana: the seat is open after Sen. Steve Daines withdrew his re-election bid at the March 4, 2026 filing deadline and endorsed the Republican nominee. The general election field is Kurt Alme (R), Alani Bankhead (D), Seth Bodnar (I) and Kyle Austin (L).
Alaska's At-Large seat: decided by a top-four primary on August 18, 2026. The four candidates who advanced to the ranked-choice general election are Nick Begich (R, incumbent), Bill Hill (I), Eric Hafner (D) and Jim McDermott (L).
California's 6th district: incumbent Kevin Kiley left the Republican Party in March 2026 and is running with no party preference, against Democrat Richard Pan.
Iowa's 1st district: Michael Bridgford is running as a No Party candidate, confirmed on Iowa's official candidate list, in a rematch between Republican incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Christina Bohannan.
Iowa's 2nd district (open seat): the field is Joe Mitchell (R), Lindsay James (D), Rick Stewart (L) and Dave Bushaw (No Party). Bushaw and Stewart are confirmed on Iowa's official candidate list; Mitchell and James reflect our own election guide's listing and were not independently re-verified against that same official list for this page.
Montana's 2nd district: the field is Troy Downing (R, incumbent), Brian Miller (D), Patrick McCracken (L) and Michael Eisenhauer (I). Eisenhauer qualified for the ballot by petition, submitting roughly 7,274 valid signatures against a requirement of 7,273. Miller sued on September 8, 2026, disputing that count, then dropped the case after missing a scheduling hearing. The dismissal was without prejudice, and Miller has said he may raise the issue again once a separate county investigation into the signature-gathering firm concludes.
Virginia's 3rd district: two independents, Makiba A. Gaines and Stephen C. Woll, are on the ballot alongside Democratic incumbent Bobby Scott and Republican Edwin Rivera Jr., confirmed on the Virginia Department of Elections' own candidate list.
Indiana Secretary of State: incumbent Diego Morales lost the Republican nomination to Max Engling at the party's June 20 convention. Greg Ballard is running as an independent under the Lincoln Party label, alongside Engling and Democrat Beau Bayh.
More Americans are identifying as independents than at any point Gallup has measured, and several candidates this cycle have cited a lack of competitive choices within their state's major-party primary as a reason to run outside the two parties.
No. The Independent Center is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization. We track where independent candidates have qualified for the ballot because it reflects a real shift in how people are choosing to run and vote, not because we are recommending anyone.
Montana's 2nd district signature dispute between Miller and Eisenhauer could resurface if the county's investigation into the signature-gathering firm finds something that reopens it. Beyond that, a candidate can always withdraw or a ballot can be challenged between now and November 3. Check your state's official candidate list or your sample ballot closer to Election Day.
A note on sourcing: Idaho, Montana's Senate and House races, Iowa's 1st district, Virginia's 3rd district and Indiana's Secretary of State race were each independently confirmed in full against an official state source or multiple news outlets for this page. Alaska's At-Large race and California's 6th district reflect our own election guide's candidate listings and Kevin Kiley's confirmed party switch, and Iowa's 2nd district has its independent and Libertarian candidates confirmed on Iowa's own list but its two major-party candidates unconfirmed; none of these three rosters were fully independently re-verified for this specific page.
Sources: Iowa Secretary of State 2026 General Candidate List; Virginia Department of Elections 2026 federal candidate list; Idaho and Montana Senate field via Ballotpedia; Ballotpedia News (Montana Senate withdrawal, Indiana Secretary of State); Daily Montanan, KTVH and Bozeman Daily Chronicle (Montana signature dispute); CNN, Roll Call, The Hill and Axios (Daines withdrawal, Kiley party switch).
Does "independent" always mean no party label at all?
Not always. Some candidates described as independents run under a minor-party label but campaign on being outside the two-party system. This page notes where that distinction applies.
Will this list change before November 3?
It's possible. A candidate can withdraw or a ballot can be challenged after this page is published. Check your state's official candidate list or your sample ballot closer to Election Day.
Where can I see all the races the Independent Center is tracking?
See our 2026 Election Guide.
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