Where Independent Candidates Won Elections in 2024

As of the latest reporting, 3,237 Independent, people-powered, and anti-corruption candidates have won elections in 2024 — all after using GoodParty.org’s campaign tools.

In this guide, we’ll explore the states with the most Independent wins. We’ll also spotlight stories of Independent candidates who pulled ahead in the November 5, 2024 elections.

The Top 10 States for Independent Wins in 2024

So far this year, Independent candidates empowered by GoodParty.org have won elections in 47 states and the District of Columbia. 

Here are the top 10 states where Independents pulled off victories this year:

1. Minnesota: 942 winning Independent candidates

2. California: 376 winning Independent candidates

3. Michigan: 328 winning Independent candidates

4. Kentucky: 160 winning Independent candidates

5. Florida: 137 winning Independent candidates

6. Virginia: 133 winning Independent candidates

7. Oregon: 111 winning Independent candidates

8. New Jersey: 104 winning Independent candidates

9. Texas: 92 winning Independent candidates

10. Arizona: 89 winning Independent candidates

The majority of these Independent wins took place at the local level. Candidates for city council and school board led the way. 1,143 Independents won city council seats, and 985 won school board seats.

See our previous announcement for a complete list of the states where Independent candidates won elections this year.

Below, we’ll break down these wins further, exploring the unique dynamics of elections in the top three states for Independent victories: Minnesota, California, and Michigan.

Independent Victories in Minnesota

Minnesota is a state with a high number of non-partisan elected offices. For these offices, candidates’ partisan affiliations do not appear on the ballot. Non-partisan ballots have important pros and cons for Independent candidates. Even so, almost 1,000 Independent candidates won elections this year in Minnesota.

Here is the breakdown of which races Independent candidates won in Minnesota:

1. City Council: 362 winning Independent candidates

2. School Board: 210 winning Independent candidates

3. Mayor: 147 winning Independent candidates

4. Town Council: 98 winning Independent candidates

5. County Supervisor: 46 winning Independent candidates

6. Clerk or Treasurer: 37 winning Independent candidates

7. Other Offices: 42 winning Independent candidates

In total, Independent candidates empowered by GoodParty.org earned over 3.7 million votes in Minnesota. These candidates had a total win rate of 64.7%.

Spotlight on Minnesota: Rochester School Board

On November 5, 2024, voters in Rochester, Minnesota cast their ballots for school board and other local positions. All three candidates elected to Rochester’s school board were empowered by GoodParty.org, having taken our pledge to run Independent, people-powered, and anti-corruption campaigns.

The winners include:

• Karen MacLaughlin

• Don Barlow

• Stephanie Whitehorn

GoodParty.org spoke with one of the winners, Karen MacLaughlin, about her campaign. An attorney by training, MacLaughlin was first elected to Rochester’s school board in 2020.

“After the 2016 election, I started to look at how I can contribute back to my community in a different way,” MacLaughlin said. “Ultimately, as I know that many women are, I was recruited to run for office. I ran somebody's campaign in 2018 to learn how that works, and then in 2020, during the pandemic, I ran for school board and won. Then I ran for reelection this year and won again.”

Out of the two incumbents who ran for school board and won this year, MacLaughlin was the only one to face steep competition. She said that GoodParty.org’s campaign tools and Pro support helped her to chart a path to victory.

“It was important to keep a strong board, so that the community can have both the funding and the policy decisions going in the right direction,” MacLaughlin said.

Independent Victories in California

376 Independent candidates have won elections in California this year. Here are the offices Independents will be filling following the recent elections:

1. School Board: 138 winning Independent candidates

2. City Council: 134 winning Independent candidates

3. Mayor: 10 winning Independent candidates

4. Clerk or Treasurer: 7 winning Independent candidates

5. Town Council: 4 winning Independent candidates

6. County Supervisor: 4 winning Independent candidates

7. Sheriff: 1 winning Independent candidate

8. Other Offices: 78 winning Independent candidates

In total, Independent candidates earned over 4.7 million votes in California. These candidates had a win rate of 37.7%.

Spotlight on California: South Pasadena City Council

In a historic win, Omari Ferguson won his election to represent District 1 on South Pasadena’s city council. He defeated the incumbent officeholder and came away with 64% of the vote. Ferguson used GoodParty.org’s campaign tools, including text messaging support and voter data, to win his election.

Ferguson will be the first Black city council member in South Pasadena’s history.

“You don't plan on making history. You just plan on trying to do the right thing, trying to fix something, and then things fall into place,” Ferguson told GoodParty.org.

As a father to three young children and a former public works commissioner, Ferguson is poised to bring meaningful representation to South Pasadena.

Ferguson said he is grateful for the support he received through GoodParty.org.

“This is a small race, but it's very important. The work that [GoodParty.org is] doing is extremely important,” Ferguson said. “It's extremely important, especially given the nature of what looks like a two-party system, that you folks are there and contributing as much as you are.”

Independent Victories in Michigan

In Michigan, 328 Independent candidates used GoodParty.org’s campaign tools to power their campaigns to victory. School board candidates led the way, accounting for almost half of the Independent winners in Michigan.

Here is the list of public offices that Independent candidates won in Michigan:

1. School Board: 162 winning Independent candidates

2. City Council: 55 winning Independent candidates

3. Town Council: 32 winning Independent candidates

4. Mayor: 28 winning Independent candidates

5. Clerk or Treasurer: 11 winning Independent candidates

6. Judge: 4 winning Independent candidates

7. Sheriff: 1 winning Independent candidate

8. Attorney: 1 winning Independent candidate

9. Other Offices: 31 winning Independent candidates

In total, Michigan voters cast over 3.4 million votes for Independent candidates in 2024. These candidates had a win rate of 61.7%.

Spotlight on Michigan: Detroit School Board

Detroit is home to Michigan’s largest school district. Two Independent candidates empowered by GoodParty.org, Monique Bryant and Ida Simmons Short, won seats on Detroit’s school board.

Bryant placed second in a race with 22 candidates and earned 43,006 votes. This was Bryant’s second time running for office in the competitive district.

“My first candidacy was in 2022. I was very close to winning. However, I still felt that there was a need on the school board for a member to advocate and empower the voices for students, parents, teachers, and the community as a whole,” Bryant said.

During her campaign, Bryant used GoodParty.org’s tools for text messaging, voter data, and campaign management.

“As a non-partisan candidate running for school board or any position, it's very difficult running in a large city. I had to try and reach 100,000 voters and get votes to win, so that was a pretty high bar, yet that didn't deter me. We were able to work through the tools to accomplish the goal,” Bryant said.

Where Independent Candidates Earned the Most Votes

Wondering where else Independent candidates ran and won in major races? 

Here is a list of the Independent winners with the highest vote counts this year:

1. Maricopa County, Arizona: April Tornquist won her election for the Central Arizona Water Conservation Board with 710,796 votes.

2. Broward County, Florida: Woody Clermont won a judicial seat in Broward County with 368,039 votes.

3. Hillsborough County, Florida: Tyler Barrett won a district seat on the Hillsborough County Soil and Water Conservation District Board with 352,638 votes.

4. Las Vegas, Nevada: Kristal Bradford won her election for Las Vegas Township Justice of the Peace with 267,057 votes.

5. Oakland County, Michigan: Traci Richards won a seat as Oakland County Probate Court Judge with 266,790 votes.

Where Incumbent and Uncontested Independents Won Elections

Most of the Independent candidates who ran for office and won in 2024 faced competition on election day. Whether they faced one opponent or as many as 22, these candidates set themselves apart from the competition.

Most of the winning candidates were also non-incumbent challengers, meaning they were not running for reelection.

However, it’s important to celebrate the uncontested and incumbent Independent winners of 2024. These civic leaders are contributing to the Independent movement by running clean campaigns and supporting anti-corruption policies.

In total, 727 Independent candidates won their races in uncontested elections. These candidates stepped up for their communities when few others would.

1,404 incumbent Independent candidates won their elections in 2024. These candidates have been reelected to continue the good work they are already doing for their communities.

Powering More Independent Victories in 2025

With thousands of Independent wins already on the books, momentum is building for more Independent victories going forward.

Explore the full map of Independent victories. Then, learn how you can get involved in the Independent movement in 2025 and beyond.

Here are the best ways to get involved:

• Consider running for office in 2025 or 2026. Book a meeting with our team of political experts to talk about how you can get started. Or encourage someone you trust to run for office to represent you and your community!

• Sign up to volunteer with Independent campaigns. Become part of the nationwide network of Independent voters and volunteers.

• Find Independent candidates near you. Sign up for updates about Independent candidates running for office in your area.