Independent Party of Oregon
The Independent Party of Oregon is a centrist political party in the U.S. state of Oregon with more than 140,000 registrants since its inception in January 2007. The IPO is Oregon's third-largest political party and the first political party other than the Democratic Party and Republican Party to be recognized by the state of Oregon as a major political party.
Since 2009, the party has had multiple city and local officials elected as members. In 2021, State Senator Brian Boquist, a former Republican, became the only Independent member of the state legislature.
Positioned as a public-interest alternative for independent voters, the IPO has mostly cross-nominated candidates of different parties, in addition to nominating their own. As opposed to an ideological stance, the party's platform has advocated campaign finance regulation and elections reforms while also prioritizing issues such as the environment and the economy.
History
The Independent Party was formed by voter petition in 2006, after House Bill 2614, a law that made it more difficult for non-affiliated candidates to run for public office in Oregon, was enacted in 2005 by the Oregon State Legislature. The same Legislature who passed this law also disallowed non-affiliated candidates from being labeled as "independent" on ballots, freeing up the name for use by the Independent Party. IPO co-chair Dan Meek was one of two people to publicly testify in the Oregon legislature against both bills. Meek and Party Secretary Sal Peralta also lobbied in favor of repealing HB 2614, which was repealed at the end of the 2009 legislative session. The party also cited the end of Ben Westlund's campaign for governor as being due to the legal barriers he faced as an independent candidate.The IPO is not to be confused with a previous Independent Party that existed in Oregon during the legislative election in 1874. The party was affiliated with the Granger movement and campaigned on an anti-monopoly platform, receiving support from progressives and the press. For a brief period, the party held a 23-seat plurality in the State House, and formed a coalition with the Democrats before later disbanding.
2007
The IPO was certified by state elections officials on January 24, 2007. The IPO criticized former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury for refusing to print new voter registration cards that would include that party as a choice. A representative of Bradbury's stated the decision was based on the cost of printing new registration cards, rather than any intent to harm a party.2008
The IPO ran eight of its own candidates and cross-nominated four major party candidates in the 2008 election, including Democrats Jeff Merkley and Ben Westlund, and Vicki Berger, a Republican. Merkley was nominated by the party after John Frohnmayer, former Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, withdrew his Independent candidacy. Joel Haugen, a Republican who won the Republican primary in the First Congressional District with more than 70% of the vote was cross-nominated by the Independent Party. The Party asked the Secretary of State to enforce existing Oregon law and allow Haugen to appear on the ballot as a "Republican, Independent." The Secretary of State refused. After the Independent Party, joined by the Working Families Party, lost a circuit court decision that would have allowed Haugen to appear on the ballot as "Republican, Independent," Haugen decided to abandon the Republican nomination so he could appear on the ballot as "Independent". The result was that there was no "Republican" candidate on the ballot for the 1st Congressional District of Oregon. The parties withdrew their appeal of the Secretary of State's decision, after the Oregon legislature passed SB 326, which repealed some earlier restrictions on non-affiliated candidates and allowed for "fusion lite" votingThe party recognized Waldport mayor Herman Welch as the first Independent Party member to hold public office. Other Independents to hold local office are Robert Brundage of Sublimity, Soso Nedjeljko of Butte Falls, and Wayne Rofinot of Warren.
2009
The IPO played a significant role in passing legislation to allow a form of Fusion voting, a reform that allows candidates to list multiple party nominations on the Oregon ballot, and helped repeal the 2006 statute that made it difficult for non-affiliated candidates to run for public office.2010
The IPO became the first political party in the United States to conduct a binding statewide Primary Election entirely over the internet. 86 candidates participated in the election. Former Governor John Kitzhaber, a Democrat, won the party's nomination in a three-person race. 30 Republicans, 28 Democrats, 3 Independents, and a Libertarian were nominated by the party. The election was the largest nominating process ever held by an Oregon minor political party.2011
The Oregon legislature drew condemnation from five Oregon newspaper editorial boards and from two former Secretaries of State for considering legislation that would have forced the Independent Party of Oregon to change its name by the end of the year or disband.2015
Mistaken members controversy
In March, as the Independent Party began meeting the requirements of major party status, the Democratic Party of Oregon sponsored a survey of 400 IPO members questioning if they originally intended to register with the party. The results found 46% did not know they were affiliated with the party, with 24% believing they were registered as an unaffiliated voter. When asked if they were to register again, only 47% said they would remain IPO members. The Oregon Democrat and Republican parties issued a joint press release on the poll, questioning about the party's status.IPO officials rejected the poll, with party secretary Sal Peralta claiming the Democrats and Republicans feeling threatened by their growth. Co-chairman Dan Meek accused the DPO as "quite ready to attack and destroy any new party that seeks to compete with them", pointing to the poll as the most recent attack against the party, 4 years after a bill was introduced threatening them to disassemble. In response, the Independent Party released its own poll showing 11% of Oregon voters self-affiliate with the party, and 80% stating they would join or consider voting for candidates of the party. 5 months later, the Secretary of State announced the IPO had qualified as a major party in Oregon.
2021
In 2021, Oregon State Senator Brian Boquist left the Republican Party and joined the Independent Party. Sen. Boquist had previously described himself a 'Constitutional Republican' before leaving the party in mid-January. He has said other legislators have expressed a similar desire to switch parties in order to reach common ground. Following this, Sen. Art Robinson announced he would cease caucusing with the Senate GOP, and instead meet to strategize with Sen. Boquist. However in September 2023, Boquist would register as a Republican in his state senate race, leaving the Independent party without any state-level representation.Growth
The Independent Party of Oregon is one of the largest minor political parties in the United States. From its inception in January 2007 through September 2011, the party added more than 90,000 members, making it the third largest political party in Oregon. From January 2007 to December 2010, its members accounted for approximately 40 percent of the net growth in the Oregon electorate.In August 2015, the IPO qualified under Oregon law as a major party with 109,300 members. As a major party, they were provided state-funding for primaries. In 2019, the party returned to minor party status reportedly due to the automatic voter registration law increasing the unaffiliated voter count. This subsequently decreased the party's share of the voter population to below the 5% major party threshold. Despite this, the party has continued to grow since it was qualified as a major party.
Briefly during 2023, the Independent Party was one of a few third-parties in the U.S. to have an incumbent party member in a state legislature. Among city councilors, county commissioners, and mayors in the state, 6.5% as of 2020 are IPO members. In August 2015, The Portland Tribune identified 34 non-partisan local office holders as IPO members.
| County | Registered Independent Voters |
| Baker | 5.45% |
| Benton | 4.94% |
| Clackamas | 5.12% |
| Clatsop | 5.02% |
| Columbia | 4.7% |
| Coos | 5.19% |
| Crook | 5.34% |
| Curry | 5.97% |
| Deschutes | 5.96% |
| Douglas | 5.12% |
| Gilliam | 4.81% |
| Grant | 5.16% |
| Harney | 4.71% |
| Hood River | 4.49% |
| Jackson | 5.2% |
| Jefferson | 5.03% |
| Josephine | 5.08% |
| Klamath | 5.09% |
| Lake | 4.56% |
| Lane | 4.81% |
| Lincoln | 5.23% |
| Linn | 5.14% |
| Malhuer | 3.29% |
| Marion | 4.63% |
| Morrow | 4.41% |
| Multnomah | 3.62% |
| Polk | 5.11% |
| Sherman | 4.19% |
| Tillamook | 4.71% |
| Umatilla | 4.23% |
| Union | 4.93% |
| Wallowa | 4.5% |
| Wasco | 4.63% |
| Washington | 4.55% |
| Wheeler | 4.56% |
| Yamhill | 5.18% |
Platform
The Independent Party of Oregon describes their party as a platform for independent voters to have a voice in government as an informed, non-tribalistic voting block promoting a public-interest alternative. The party does not adhere to an ideology, instead they support candidates of a variety of positions who support their values. To assemble a platform, the Independent Party surveys their members on their priorities for the state, using public opinion information and academic research. In the party's 2020-21 platform introduction, they state:"Our party’s growth is driven by a widespread belief that our government, and especially our legislative process, primarily serve the interests of self-interested, non-representative groups of special interests...Our intent and hope is to serve as a source of gravity for policies that serve the public interest and as a counter to the polarization, cynicism and anger that are becoming resonant in our current political culture."
According to its bylaws, the Independent Party of Oregon holds a number of initiatives. The party wants to increase voter participation and involvement. It advocates reform in specific areas of government, wanting to reduce the advantage of incumbency and the influence of campaign contributions on politicians and policy decisions. As of 2021, they have emphasized the environment, public health, the economy, and governmental reform as policy areas to address. The party hopes to achieve this through fiscally sound transparent decisions that create a taxation system that benefits all Oregonians.