Shawn Griffiths
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A new nonpartisan group launched this week in Indiana with a single goal in mind: Take on Indiana’s entrenched two-party system by encouraging more candidates to give voters a third option free of a party label -- and calling on Hoosiers to support these candidates.
This comes as Indiana is getting nationwide attention for the potential role it may play in the ongoing and escalating mid-decade redistricting war.
Independent Indiana, founded by former congressional candidate Nathan Gotsch, officially launched on September 2 with a statewide campaign to raise awareness of independent candidates and provide resources to help them succeed.
Independent Indiana exists to shine a spotlight on [independent] success, develop educational resources for prospective candidates, and study what reforms are needed so independents can compete at every level of government,” said Gotsch in the group’s launch announcement.
A Statewide Campaign for Change
Residents of Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, and Northwest Indiana may have first learned about the group from billboards highlighting independent leadership and inviting voters to imagine a political landscape beyond the Democratic and Republican parties.
The group is also set to host two events in September:
- Sept. 18 (Virtual) – “Lessons for Indiana from the National Independent Movement,” featuring Will Conway, former national organizing director for the Forward Party, and Christopher Thrasher, a ballot access expert.
- Sept. 22 (Indianapolis) – “Independent Leadership in Indiana” at Tinker House Events, featuring Huntington Mayor Richard Strick, former Bedford Mayor Shawna Girgis, and Lewisville Councilmember Tom Saunders, all of whom serve or served in office as independents.
Why They Say It Matters
Independent Indiana argues that the state’s party-first politics no longer represent the interests of most voters as trusted data modeling shows more and more state residents are moving away from the two major parties – and make up the largest voting bloc in the state.
The group cited voter data collected by the Independent Voter Project that shows:
- 44% of Indiana voters are independent or unaffiliated
- 31% identify as Republican
- 25% identify as Democratic
The Independent Voter Project uses L2 Data for its state-by-state primary map, which has established a reputation for setting the standard for voter and consumer data modeling. It is a go-to source not just for independent groups, but political, media, and industry giants.
L2 can even provide voter files for states that do not register voters by party affiliation – like Indiana. But this goes beyond voter registration and ID.
Gotsch and Independent Indiana point out that the move toward independence isn’t just a trend. There is evidence voters desire more choice and competition in elections based on the independent candidates who have already been successful in the state.
For example, Huntington Mayor Richard Strick was elected twice as an independent after leaving the Republican Party. Former Bedford Mayor Shawna Girgis served 3 terms as an independent.
“In 2023 and 2024, 244 independent candidates qualified for partisan races in Indiana. More than half of them – 52% – won,” said Gotsch. “And nearly a third of those who didn’t win still received between 30% and 49% of the vote.”
The Barriers to Running Independent
Despite these numbers, running as an independent in Indiana isn’t easy – something Gotsch is all too familiar with as a former independent candidate in Indiana's Third Congressional District. Independents lack both party infrastructure and visibility throughout the elections process.
“There is no ‘Independent Party’ in Indiana,” his group explains. “Independents do not run in primaries. They qualify for the general election ballot by petitioning for signatures.”
State law requires independent candidates to submit signatures equal to 2% of the last vote for secretary of state in the district they seek office. For a statewide race, that’s about 37,000 valid signatures. However, independent candidates always need a sizable buffer just in case.
So, in reality, independent candidates often need to collect 50,000 signatures or more in the event that some are tossed or challenged. At an estimated campaign cost of $15 per valid signature, professional petition circulators can bleed a campaign financially.
This is a massive hurdle that makes serious independent campaigns rare at the state level.
Giving Independents the Resources They Need
For now, Independent Indiana is focused on raising awareness and building a network of independent-minded voters. Gotsch confirmed that Independent Indiana is not endorsing or funding specific candidates at this time, but he hinted that future support could evolve as more independents step forward.
We’re proud to have financial support from multiple Hoosiers — both Republican and Democrat — who’ve seen the negative consequences of not having competitive elections,” he said.
As the 2026 election cycle approaches, Independent Indiana hopes to change the conversation around politics in the state, making it easier for voters to choose candidates based on ideas and leadership — not party labels.