3,396 Local Wins, National Impact: How the Independent Movement Is Growing

2024 was a groundbreaking year for Independent candidates.

GoodParty.org empowered 3,396 Civic Heroes across 49 states to run, win, and serve their communities. These results prove the Independent movement finally has real momentum. We’re not just imagining a truly representative democracy — we’re building it!

We believe that our mission of making people matter more than money in our democracy starts with more competition and better choices for voters in our elections. 

So, empowering Independent candidates to run, win, and serve is essential.

As we wrap up 2024, we're reflecting on how our movement has grown this year and looking ahead to how we’ll accelerate it in 2025. 

A Year of Historic Wins for Independents

This year’s wins have proven that Independent and non-partisan candidates can win against the odds. 

In 2024, 3,396 Independents, empowered by GoodParty.org, rejected the status quo of party politics and division. 

These candidates pledged to be: 

• Independent: Free from the political agendas of the two major parties and focused on doing what’s best for their communities.

• People-Powered: Supported, funded, and beholden to the people of their community, not the donations of corporations and other special interest PACs.

• Anti-Corruption: Open, accountable, and transparent about their positions and progress on issues; and supportive of anti-corruption measures like ranked choice voting,  open primaries, and other electoral reforms. 

• Civility: Focused on solving problems and collaboration, instead of division and hate.

Independent candidates empowered by GoodParty.org achieved unprecedented success in 2024, with thousands winning elections at the local level. 

From city councils to school boards, Independent and non-partisan leaders are stepping up to represent their communities without the influence of partisan agendas. Independent mayors, county supervisors, and other local officials are now setting the stage for a new era of accountable leadership.

Curious about which offices Independent candidates won in 2024? Explore a full break-down of which races Independents won across the country.

These wins aren’t just numbers — they’re a movement!

Candidates like Omari Ferguson exemplify the courage and conviction it takes to lead as an Independent. 

After winning his race for city council in South Pasadena, California, Ferguson reflected:

“I'm Independent. I had advice like, ‘You should join the Democrats and you’ll get more money. It’ll make it easier.’ I was like, ‘No. If we can't even get Independents at this local, municipal level, then what hope do we have nationally?’ I want to say thank you and let you know how much I appreciate the effort that you provided as well as the tools that GoodParty.org had available for me.”

GoodParty.org’s campaign tools are leveling the playing field for grassroots candidates everywhere, even when their opponents are heavily financed.

Take Jennifer Hutchinson as proof. Running for a school board seat in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she faced a heavily financed opponent backed by major donors. But thanks to GoodParty.org’s affordable, people-powered tools, she triumphed:

“I really couldn't have done it without y'all. The affordability of [GoodParty.org’s tools was huge], because I was actually running against someone who was heavily financed," Hutchinson said. "Our congressman helped finance him. A big business owner here in Rock Hill who owns a couple car dealerships financed him. Mine was purely grassroots, only taking small donations. I'm glad I used you when I did, and I'm so happy and thankful.”

Hutchinson's victory is a testament to the power of grassroots campaigning and affordable campaign resources.

As we move into 2025, we’re building on this momentum and launching more tools. Many of the candidates who won using GoodParty.org’s Win tools are now helping test Serve. 

Serve is a new suite of tools designed to keep elected leaders accountable, connected to their communities, and effective while in office. So you can vote based on results, not broken promises. 

This new set of tools will  extend our impact beyond election day and toward our ultimate vision of a truly representative democracy.

Empowering More Independent Victories and Scaling for 2025

While it’s not a presidential election year (thankfully), there are over 90,000 local elections taking place in 2025! 

These races may not dominate national headlines, but they have a profound impact on Americans’ day-to-day lives. From school boards to city councils, these local offices are where real change happens.

Our ambitious goal for 2025: empower 15,000 Independent victories. 

To achieve this, we’re scaling our proven campaign tools, expanding our Candidate Community, and launching innovations like GoodParty.org Serve. 

These resources will help Independents not only win elections but serve effectively, creating lasting change in their communities.

Want to get involved in the growing Independent movement? There are many ways to join the cause, whether as a candidate, voter, or volunteer:

• First, follow GoodParty.org on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). You can also sign up for our newsletter, to get the latest updates delivered straight to your inbox.

• If you’re running for office, schedule a meeting with our team today to talk about how GoodParty.org can provide free resources for your campaign.

• If there’s someone you trust who should run for office, share this article with them, or encourage them to book a meeting to talk about launching their campaign.

As we head into 2025, let’s build on this year’s successes and continue to empower Independent candidates across the country.