Democrats Endorse Independent Candidates in Red States

Democratic officials in several red states are pursuing a new midterm strategy of not backing their own party's nominees and instead supporting independent candidates they view as better positioned to defeat Republicans. Senate but she has said a major priority is ensuring no Democrat appears on the fall ballot to avoid splitting the vote against independent Dan Osborn.

Burbank plans to drop out in the coming weeks. Osborn came within 7 percentage points of winning a Senate seat in 2024, and Democratic leaders believe he has the strongest chance to defeat the Republican incumbent. The approach represents both an intentional strategy in some contests and a more informal understanding in others.

It spans a handful of high-profile Senate, House and state legislative races. Independent Senate candidates are also running in Idaho, South Dakota and Montana, though Democratic leadership there has been slower to embrace them. She said the state party is backing independents in at least four state legislative seats in addition to the Senate race.

"We have to build a coalition with independents in order to win elections so we can do good work for the people. Period," Kleeb said. The Democratic National Committee and some allies in Washington are quietly supporting the strategy. The party's fundraising platform ActBlue is accepting donations for some independent candidates, and allied website builders are in use.

Campaign committees have provided logistical help in certain cases while refraining from public criticism of independents even where Democratic nominees remain in the race. "The Democratic Party’s brand is awful right now," Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin said.

One strategist questioned what independents would ultimately contribute to the party if elected and described the moves as political games that undermine the party's stated values. There is also no assurance that successful independent candidates would align with Democratic policy priorities or leadership in Congress.

In Idaho, independent Senate candidate Todd Achilles, an Army veteran and former Democratic state legislator, said he would not caucus with either party. He described his views as "straight down the middle" and focused on individual liberties, term limits, age limits and campaign finance reform.

"The priority is to get Congress functioning again," Achilles said. " He and other military veterans running as independents for Senate maintain a group text and share similar outlooks. Achilles noted that the Democratic Party had become a poor fit for states like Idaho and criticized its 2024 presidential nomination process, while adding that support for the Republican president appears to be fading in the state.

South Dakota, independent Senate candidate Brian Bengs, a Navy and Air Force veteran, is challenging the Republican incumbent. Bengs previously ran as a Democrat and lost by 43 points. He said he sought the party's organizational support this cycle without using its label but was turned down.

A key lesson from his earlier race, he said, was that voters often dismissed him immediately upon hearing the Democratic affiliation. "When you say, ‘I’m a lifelong independent running as a Democrat,’ the response was quick. ’ And that was it," Bengs recalled.

Hill raised more than $780,000 in the first three months of the year, outpacing the Democratic nominee. The state Democratic Party declined to endorse the nominee at its recent convention, which Hill attended. The House Democrats’ campaign committee has not promoted the Democratic candidate.

Hill has secured local union endorsements. He delivers the same message across party lines: voters should be pragmatic because the state needs a change in its House seat. He said he is unlikely to caucus with Republicans if elected but has not committed to joining Democrats either.

Hill described running as an independent as offering freedom to represent working people without party constraints. " Currently two independents serve in the Senate and both caucus with Democrats. The independent candidates are discussing ways to reduce partisan gridlock and install what they call guardrails on the political system.