5 GoodParty.org Certified Candidates Running for Congress in 2024

Thousands of GoodParty.org Certified candidates will appear on ballots during the November 5, 2024 general elections. These candidates have committed to running independent, people-powered, and anti-corruption campaigns, and they are running for offices up and down the ballot. 

In this guide, we’ll spotlight five candidates running for office toward the top of the ticket. These civic leaders are offering voters fresh perspectives and alternative choices for representation in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

Read the highlights of our conversations with each candidate below:

#1: Marco Battaglia for Iowa’s 3rd District

Marco Battaglia is a Libertarian write-in candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. He is on the ballot to represent Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Des Moines, Ankeny, and Ottumwa. 

A native of Des Moines, Battaglia previously contributed to earning the Libertarian Party major-party status in Iowa. Now, he is passionate about offering representation for all Iowans, not just for the members of any one political party.

“I would rather talk about individual issues than political parties or party ideology,” Battaglia said. “I've worked for people from probably the four largest political parties and independents. Out of the people that I meet, I'm the most pragmatic person that I know, and I'm willing to work with anybody regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof.”

Battaglia emphasized that as a representative in the U.S. House, he would stand up for the needs of all Iowa residents.

“I really just like talking to people about the issues that are important to them, and I try to learn from them, even if I disagree. Honestly, I think that's what the U.S. House is supposed to be about: representing the people from your district as individual people with individual inherent rights,” Battaglia said.

Iowa voters can learn more about Battaglia’s run for office by visiting his campaign website.

#2: Analisa Roche for U.S. Senate

Analisa Roche is an independent write-in candidate to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. Roche and three other candidates are on the ballot to challenge the incumbent officeholder, Ted Cruz.

Roche has been nominated by the American Solidarity Party, a minor party that she said she has called her political home since 2018.

“I grew up in a very red family. As I began voting, I became a single-issue voter, and I always voted red on one issue,” Roche said. “Over the years, the Republicans have just gotten further and further and further and further away from the things I value, including that one issue. Probably for 20 years, I've been voting for the lesser of two evils. I never felt like I was able to vote for someone I felt enthusiastic about.”

As an independent candidate, Roche is ready to represent Texas voters with greater integrity than the two major parties can offer.

“What our political landscape needs is people of integrity who are willing to work together,” Roche said. “I think of the major two parties, there are some people of integrity. There's almost none willing to work with the other side. That's a great tragedy for our country. I am skilled in seeing many sides of an issue, I am skilled in finding what we have in common, and I'm good at listening to where the other person is coming from.”

#3: Bruno Pereira for New Jersey’s 9th District

Bruno Pereira is a Libertarian candidate to represent New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. New Jersey’s 9th district includes the city of Paterson and surrounding areas.

The 9th district’s seat in the U.S. House is currently vacant. Pereira will compete against three other candidates, including a Democratic, Republican, and Green Party candidate, to fill the vacant seat.

Pereira immigrated to the United States at the age of 17. Since then, he has spent 24 years as a political independent and has only recently joined the Libertarian Party.

“I always voted with my principles. I always voted with what I thought was good policy, never with a party,” Pereira said. “I was never one following a party, anything like that. Then as I developed more of my thoughts, as I looked into issues, and as I looked into all the different aspects that affect someone's life, I realized that I'm actually more Libertarian than anything else.”

Pereira said he is running for office because he wants to make a difference, both for those who are struggling today and for future generations.

“I see people struggle every day at my job,” Pereira said. “To see your neighbors, to see people that you go to church with and people that you might go to school with, and knowing that they are in a bad financial situation, not because of something that they did, but because of inaction or bad action from the government, that stinks, because I feel like we should get better representation. That connection to the community also forced me to say, I want to raise my hand. I want to try. I want to do my best. I want my kids to grow in a world where they have all the opportunities that I did, and not just my kids, but every kid in the community. Those were great motivators for me and the reason why I ran. I want to hopefully be able to make things better for everyone.”

Pereira said that his personal journey also inspires him to create positive change for New Jersey residents.

“I'm a fighter. I was born with a heart defect, and at age five, I had open heart surgery. I've always been fighting my whole life,” Pereira said. “Doctors told me, ‘You can't do sports,’ so I said, ‘I'm going to prove you wrong.’ I did track, I did biking, and I played soccer all the way to the college level. I've always fought. I don't take ‘no’ lightly. Even in my profession, I always say it takes one to say yes and two to say no. I'm here to fight for the people of New Jersey.”

New Jersey voters can learn more about Pereira’s campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives on his campaign website.

#4: Michael Simpson for South Carolina’s 6th District

Michael Simpson is a Libertarian candidate to represent South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House. South Carolina’s 6th district includes parts of Columbia, Sumter, Orangeburg, Summerville, Charleston, and Savannah.

Simpson is one of four candidates challenging the incumbent representative, Democrat James Clyburn, who has been in the seat since 1993.

A Navy veteran, Simpson is dedicated to running a grassroots campaign.

“I am not asking for money,” Simpson said. “I don't want people to spend their money on my campaign. I am not spending money. I don't think you should give your money unless you really want to, to anybody's campaign. All I want is a chance to speak, a chance to be heard, and a chance for you to vote for me if you like what you hear.”

Simpson emphasized the importance of representatives focusing on policies that improve citizens’ lives, not just policies that adhere to a certain party line.

“Everything revolves around people and not parties. It's about the people,” Simpson said.

#5: Joe Oddo for South Carolina’s 6th District

Another candidate in the race to represent South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District is Joe Oddo. Oddo is an Alliance Party candidate who is passionate about encouraging more people to run for office and get involved in local politics.

Oddo said the current Republican and Democratic parties leave voters without much real choice in elections.

“We're in our infancy in trying to correct the imbalances and the unholy merger between corporate and state power and bringing it back to the people,” Oddo said. “That's only going to happen by us running outside of that unity party. That's the only way, and that's why we have to be out there pounding the streets, shaking the trees, recruiting, making noise, getting as much free media as we can.”

Oddo said he encourages more voters to pay attention to local elections, not just the race at the top of the ticket.

“Every four years, people pay attention to the presidential election because somebody's getting shot at. But that's not even as important as the local races,” Oddo said. “The local races are who picks the local judges, who then move up to state supreme court, who then move up to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is where it all starts.”

South Carolina voters can learn more about Oddo’s campaign for the U.S. House by visiting his campaign website.

How You Can Support GoodParty.org Certified Candidates

GoodParty.org is proud to empower independent and third-party candidates running for office up and down the ballot. 

The five candidates in this list are just a few of the thousands of GoodParty.org Certified candidates running for office in the November 5, 2024 elections. Each of these candidates has pledged to serve their communities with integrity once elected to office.

Check out more spotlights on GoodParty.org Certified candidates here, or explore our full map of candidates running for office across the country.