217 Independent Candidates Seek U.S. House or Senate Seats in 2026

A Newsweek analysis identified 217 independent candidates running for U.S. House or Senate seats in the 2026 election cycle. Of those, 170 are seeking House seats and 47 are running for the Senate. The candidates are contesting 153 distinct races in 129 House districts or at-large seats and 24 Senate races.

The House candidates appear in 42 states or territories. Texas has the most with 15 entries, followed by New York with 14, Illinois with 12, California and Washington with 11 each, and Virginia with 10. The 47 Senate candidates are running in 24 states, with Tennessee and South Carolina each showing four entries and Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas each showing three.

Two prominent independent Senate bids are underway in Montana and Nebraska. Seth Bodnar, former president of the University of Montana, is running for Senate in Montana. Dan Osborn is running for Senate in Nebraska after an independent bid in 2024.

Gallup reported in January 2026 that 45 percent of Americans identified as independents in 2025. Of that group, 20 percent leaned Democratic, 15 percent leaned Republican, and 10 percent leaned toward neither party. Gallup found that majorities of Gen Z adults and millennials identified as independents, while more than four in 10 Gen X adults did so and one-third or fewer baby boomers and Silent Generation adults did.

Michael S. Kang, professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, stated that Republicans face headwinds from President Trump's unpopularity while the Democratic brand remains weak, creating openings for independents. Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, said more candidates are running outside the two-party system because more Americans identify as independents than at any point in recent history.