Shawn Griffiths
WASHINGTON, DC - The rise of an independent majority has long been dismissed by the press as a myth, which is why few people heard about an event in the nation’s capital on July 23 that gathered together prominent and rising independent voices.
Their message: A new political era is taking shape — and it’s not red or blue.
The event, titled “The Independent Majority: Reshaping America,” was hosted by the Independent Center on July 23, marking the organization’s inaugural forum and a new concerted effort to elevate independent leadership in the US.
“Independent voters are not spoilers, undecideds, or low-information voters,” declared Lura Forcum, president of the Independent Center. "This event explores what independent voters are, what they're looking for, and why they’re so important to our political health.”
Current and former public officials in attendance included US Senator Joe Manchin, who chose to leave the Democratic Party in May 2024, citing his intention to stay true to himself “and remain committed to put country before party.”
At the event, he reflected on his decision, saying: “My first obligation is to uphold my oath to the Constitution, to defend and protect it, and the second is to the people that sent me there.”
I thought the country was ready for this,” Manchin said. “Former Democrats and Republicans shared like-minded ideas about putting the country first.”
He focused his message on realigning the nation’s incentives around problem-solving, not party loyalty, and was joined by 3 former Republican House members and a slate of rising independent voices.
A Defining Moment for the Independent Movement?
More than 43% of the U.S. electorate now identifies as independent – and in many states that register voters by party, registered independents outnumber members of one or both major political parties.
But it is not just voters who are growing increasingly frustrated with a two-party system that is devoid of accountability or meaningful representation. Elected officials who genuinely want to make a difference are leaving DC because problem solving isn't a priority.
Former Representatives Ken Buck (CO), Reid Ribble (WI), and Mark Sanford (SC) each voiced frustration with partisan dysfunction and expressed hope for a movement built around restoring integrity, accountability, and adult governance.
“When the independent group becomes outraged enough to demand change, they’ll probably get it,” said Ribble. “There’s more of them than there are of anybody else.”
Of course, as IVN has long reported, mobilizing a movement of independent voters and candidates can be difficult in a system designed to suppress competition and enforces the idea that voters only have two options: Republican or Democrat.
Independent voters are not a monolithic group. They don’t simply fall in the middle of a linear left-right spectrum. They exist across the spectrum, and they are divided by geographics and gerrymandering, silenced by closed primaries, and denied a meaningful voice.
Yes, independent voters outnumber Republicans and Democrats but as much as voters are fed up with the increasingly divisive and partisan status quo – 90% of elections remain safe for the dominant two parties.
This isn’t to say there isn’t hope for the future – but that hope must be rooted in a commitment not only to elect independent leaders who are authentic and responsive to voters, but reform the way the US elects its public officials.
A failure to include systemic reform in the conversation would ignore the most critical component to why incentives in US politics are skewed toward party advantage rather than voters’ needs.
Independents Know What They Want – Better Elections, More Competition, and Greater Accountability
“The Independent Majority: Reshaping America” featured several panels, including a look at what independent voters want with former NBC host Chuck Todd, Forward Party’s Lindsey Williams-Drath, and Brett Loyd from the Bullfinch Group.
All 3 emphasized that independents are not apathetic nor are they ambiguous. The thing that all independent voters share is they are pragmatic and seek real electoral competition, not partisan theatrics.
In another panel, Heather Manchin of Americans Together echoed her father’s vision, arguing that freedom from party constraints enables real solutions. “Ask who benefits from the current system,” she urged. “It’s not the American people – it’s the parties.”
Buck, Ribble, and Sanford called for systems that reward collaboration, not tribalism – again grasping at the most important conversation to have to create such systems. They get to what is needed, emphasizing why it is important to talk about the "hows" and "whys."
Meanwhile, independent candidates like Todd Achilles and Ethan Penner, along with veteran advocate Paul Rieckhoff and radio host Khalil Ekulona, spotlighted the authenticity and empathy that comes with independent leadership – which they say is essential.
“A win-lose society is a lose-lose society,” said Achilles.
A Movement, Not a Moment
With only months to go until the midterm elections, Adam Brandon, political strategist and senior advisor to the Independent Center, predicted a transformative year for independents in 2026.
“You’re going to have more independents on the ballot this cycle than ever before,” he said. “In our nation’s history, big changes have always begun with a movement. Independent voters are forming a movement, and it is about to change American politics.”
Forcum echoed these sentiments, closing the evening by making it clear: this is just the beginning.
Whether you're ready or not, independents will be the defining story of the 2026 midterms and beyond. This isn’t just a flash in the pan. Washington better take note.”