BOONE COUNTY — Independent Indiana is working to turn down the temperature on political disagreement by getting more independent candidates on the ballot, its leaders say.
According to the Independent Voter Project, 44% of all registered voters in Indiana identify as independent — meaning they do not necessarily align with either major party. Independent Indiana’s goal is to increase the number of independent candidates running for office.
The group says there is momentum. In 2023 and 2024, a total of 244 independents ran for office in Indiana, and 127 of them won, a 52% success rate. During that same period, Republicans had a 61% success rate, while Democrats had a 35% success rate.
"Independent Indiana is a new initiative to try and give people hope,” Nathan Gotsch, the executive director of Independent Indiana, said. “You know... most people, I think, feel like we are stuck right now in this back and forth so much partisan bickering. But the reality is, all across the state, people have been running outside of the two-party system."
Indiana law defines an independent candidate as a person not affiliated with any political party. There is no “Independent Party” in Indiana, though some voters mistakenly believe there is.
Some Hoosiers say they would consider supporting an independent. Lifelong Republican and Boone County resident Brian Daggy said he could get behind an independent candidate.
"I consider myself kind of a Ronald Reagan republican,” Daggy said. “Where we are conservative fiscally but yet didn't necessarily feel compelled to tell people how to live their lives as long as no one else is being hurt. "
He said he finds both sides of the political spectrum problematic and supports the idea of an independent candidate.
"Anything that gives us more options as we vote and maybe draws us back from some of the extremes that the parties seem to be drawn to right now... is a good thing,” Daggy said.
Independent candidates have made most of their gains in local elections. Once they qualify for the ballot, independents compete only in the general election in the fall; they do not run in primaries as Democratic and Republican candidates do. They also face several barriers before getting on the ballot: independents are nominated by petition of nomination rather than through primaries or party conventions, and they often have to hire firms to collect signatures — a costly requirement that can force candidates to pay significant sums just to appear on the ticket.
Independent Indiana says it will focus on supporting independent candidates wherever they choose to run, and that tight races between Democrats and Republicans often indicate an appetite for an independent voice.
"When you have races that are pretty close between republican and democrat, that usually means that competition people feel like they have a real choice,” Gotsch said.
On Monday, September 22, from 7-8 p.m., the organization is hosting a conversation highlighting local politicians who won running as independents. The event is free and open to all ages. To find out more information and register, click here.
