InU.S. politics, an independent Democrat is an individual who loosely identifies with the ideals of the Democratic Party but chooses not to be a formal member of the party (chooses to be an independent) or is denied the Democratic nomination in a caucusorprimary election. Independent Democrat is not a political party. Several elected officials, including members of Congress, have identified as independent Democrats.
In 1848, a candidate for Mayor of Chicago, James Hutchinson Woodworth, labelled himself an independent Democrat to distance himself from what was at the time a corrupt and disorganized Chicago Democratic party organization; he preferred being described as an independent Democrat rather than as a Whig as that party was itself experiencing a transition. Woodworth won the 1848 Chicago mayoral election against DemocratJames Curtiss with 59% of the vote. He won re-election with 80% of the vote in the 1849 election. Woodworth later served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party.[26][27]
Harry F. Byrd Jr., a senator from Virginia, left the Democratic Party in 1970. He continued to caucus with the Democrats and referred to himself as an independent Democrat.[30][31]
After failing to be re-nominated in the 2006 Democratic primary, U.S. Senator Joe LiebermanofConnecticut created a new party called the Connecticut for Lieberman party. He had lost the nomination to his own seat to Ned Lamont by a 52% to 48% margin. Lieberman won the general election with 49.7% of the vote to Lamont's 39.7%.[34] He had stated while campaigning that if elected he would continue to caucus with the Democrats. Within the week following the election, Lieberman stated that he was "an Independent Democrat, capital I, capital D," and that he had specified as much to the secretary of the Senate.[35] He continued to caucus with the Senate Democrats who had a slim majority in the 110th Congress. Lieberman remained a registered independent until he left Congress in 2013.[36][37]
U.S. SenatorBernie Sanders of Vermont, the longest-serving independent politician in congressional history, was initially denied caucus membership by the Democratic Party, however he eventually caucused with the party in both the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.[40] He has criticized the Democratic Party from a socialist perspective, though sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 and 2020.[41]
U.S. SenatorAngus King served as Governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003, and was the only Independent governor in the United States during that period. He positioned himself as a centrist during his tenure, and later ran for Senate in 2012 on the same premise. He has caucused with Senate Democrats since 2013, and briefly considered caucusing with Republicans after the 2014 Senate elections.[42]
U.S. SenatorKyrsten Sinema of Arizona was elected as a Democrat in 2018, switching her affiliation from Democrat to Independent in December 2022, effective upon commencement of the 118th Congress. She has opted to caucus with neither party, while maintaining her seniority and committee assignments through the Senate Democratic Caucus.[43] Sinema announced she would not seek re-election in 2024.[44]
U.S. Congressional candidates Cara Mund, Evan McMullin, and Al Gross have all run as independents while receiving endorsements or support from their respective states' Democratic Parties in traditionally Republican states.[45][46][47]
^Filiault does not officially caucus with the Democrats, but he consistently votes with the party.[5]
^Perez does not officially caucus with the Democrats, but she consistently votes with the party.[14]
^Pluecker does not officially caucus with the Democrats, but he chairs the Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry Committee in the Democratic majority and consistently votes with the party.[16][17][18][19][20]