The Democratic National Committee and allied groups in Washington are quietly supporting a strategy to promote independent candidates in states where the party’s own nominee is unlikely to win, party officials told The Associated Press.
In Nebraska, state Democratic chair Jane Kleeb said the party has nominated Cindy Burbank for the U.S. Senate, but Burbank intends to drop out in the coming weeks to give Dan Osborn a clear path. Osborn, an independent, came within 7 percentage points of winning a Senate seat in 2024. Kleeb, who also serves as a vice chair of the DNC, said building a coalition with independents is essential in a state where Democrats are just 32% of the electorate.
“For some states, and Nebraska is one of them, where Democrats are 32% of the electorate, this is a long-term strategy for us,” Kleeb said.
The Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue is processing donations for some independent candidates, and some party campaign committees are providing logistical support, according to the AP report.
Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin acknowledged the party’s brand problem. “The Democratic Party’s brand is awful right now,” Schwerin said. “The combination of the brand problem and the existential nature of the threat that our country is facing requires us to have a big tent and look for candidates who can win.”
But the strategy has drawn criticism from some in the party. Democratic strategist Mike Ceraso said the shift toward independents risks disguising Democrats and undermines calls for honesty and integrity.
“What’s the independent going to do for the Democratic Party if they win?” Ceraso said. “We’re the party of truth and honesty and integrity, but we’re playing these stupid political games?”
In Idaho, independent Senate candidate Todd Achilles, an Army veteran and former Democratic state legislator, said he will not caucus with either party if elected. Achilles described his politics as “straight down the middle” and said the Democratic Party “has given up on little red states like Idaho.” He is part of a group text chain with other independent military veterans running for Senate who share goals such as term limits and campaign finance reform.
“The priority is to get Congress functioning again,” Achilles said. “We gotta break the grip of the two-party system.”
In South Dakota, Brian Bengs, a Navy and Air Force veteran, launched an independent bid against Republican Sen. Mike Rounds. Bengs ran as a Democrat in 2022 and lost by 43 points. He said he was turned down by the party in 2022 when he sought to run with its organizational support but without the Democratic label.
Bengs said voters would immediately shut down any candidate associated with the Democratic label. “When you say, ‘I’m a lifelong independent running as a Democrat,’ the response was quick. ‘I’ll never vote for a Democrat.’ And that was it,” he said.
In Alaska, commercial fisherman and retired school superintendent Bill Hill, an independent, has raised more than $780,000 in the first quarter, besting Democrat Matt Schultz. The state Democratic Party declined to endorse Schultz at its convention, and the national House Democrats’ campaign arm has not promoted Schultz’s candidacy. Hill said he is not committing to caucus with either party if elected.
“There’s freedom,” Hill said. “I can truly represent the working people of Alaska.”
A spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee criticized the independent candidates as “fake Independents who would push liberal Democratic policies in the Senate.” The Senate currently counts two independents, Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, both of whom caucus with Democrats.