Independent Democrats Understanding the Political Identity

In the complex landscape of United States politics, an independent Democrat is an individual who maintains a loose association with the Democratic Party but chooses to forgo formal membership to remain an independent. In other cases, this designation arises when a candidate is denied the Democratic nomination during a primary election or caucus but continues to align with the party's goals.

It is important to note that independent Democrats do not constitute a separate political party. Instead, they are individuals with varying political views. Often, a shift toward the far right or far left of the party mainstream serves as the catalyst for an individual to identify as an independent Democrat.

Active Members in Government

U.S. Congress

In the 119th Congress, two politically independent U.S. Senators caucus with the Democrats:

• Angus King (Maine): Serving since 2013; formerly the 72nd Governor of Maine.
• Bernie Sanders (Vermont): Serving since 2007; formerly a U.S. Representative from VT-AL.

State and Territorial Legislators

Several independent state legislators caucus with or consistently vote alongside the Democratic Party. Notable examples include Alyse Galvin and Rebecca Himschoot in Alaska, Megan Hunt in Nebraska, and Laura Sibilia in Vermont.

Similar dynamics exist in territorial legislatures. In the Northern Mariana Islands House of Representatives, 12 of the 16 independent members are in a coalition with the Democratic members. Additionally, the Council of the District of Columbia has two de jure independent members—Christina Henderson and Elissa Silverman—who were required to resign party membership due to restrictions on majority party candidates for at-large seats.

Historical Context

The 19th Century

The first member of the U.S. House of Representatives to identify as an independent Democrat was Zadok Casey of Illinois (1833–1843), who transitioned from being a Jacksonian Democrat. In 1848, James Hutchinson Woodworth ran for Mayor of Chicago as an independent Democrat to distance himself from a corrupt local party organization, winning the election with 59% of the vote.

The 20th Century

Throughout the 1900s, various figures adopted this label. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina served as an independent Democrat in the 84th Congress before briefly returning to the Democratic Party and eventually joining the Republicans in 1964. Harry F. Byrd Jr. of Virginia also referred to himself as an independent Democrat after leaving the party in 1970 while continuing to caucus with them.

The 21st Century

A prominent modern example is Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. After losing the 2006 Democratic primary to Ned Lamont, Lieberman created the "Connecticut for Lieberman" party and won the general election. He explicitly identified as an "Independent Democrat, capital I, capital D," and continued to caucus with the Senate Democrats until his departure from Congress in 2013.