List of third-party and independent performances in United States elections


This article contains statistics on third-party and independent performances in US elections and a list of pages containing lists of those elections.

Lists of third-party and independent, performances in United States elections

Notable performances

Presidential elections

The following are third party and independent candidates who received more than 10% of the total popular vote.
YearPartyNomineeRunning mate# Votes% Votes% Votes
On Ballot		Electoral VotesPlaceNotes
1912ProgressiveTheodore RooseveltHiram Johnson4,120,6092nd
1856AmericanMillard FillmoreAndrew J. Donelson872,7033rd
1992IndependentRoss PerotJames Stockdale19,743,8213rd
1860Southern DemocraticJohn C. BreckinridgeJoseph Lane851,8442nd
1924ProgressiveRobert M. La FolletteBurton K. Wheeler4,833,8213rd
1968American IndependentGeorge WallaceCurtis LeMay9,901,1183rd
1860Constitutional UnionJohn BellEdward Everett590,9463rd
1848Free SoilMartin Van BurenCharles F. Adams291,4753rd
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Senate elections

The following are third party and independent candidates who have won senate seats since 1970.
YearStatePartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlaceNotes
2024MaineIndependentAngus King427,279Re-elected
2024VermontIndependentBernie Sanders229,429Re-elected
2018MaineIndependentAngus King344,575Re-elected
2018VermontIndependentBernie Sanders183,649Re-elected
2012MaineIndependentAngus King370,580Elected
2012VermontIndependentBernie Sanders209,053Re-elected
2010AlaskaRepublican (write-in)Lisa Murkowski101,091Re-electedLost Republican primary
2006ConnecticutConnecticut for LiebermanJoe Lieberman564,095Re-electedLost Democratic primary
2006VermontIndependentBernie Sanders171,638Elected
1976VirginiaIndependentHarry F. Byrd Jr.890,778Re-elected
1970VirginiaIndependentHarry F. Byrd Jr.506,237Re-elected
1970New YorkConservativeJames L. Buckley2,288,190Elected

House elections

The following are third party and independent candidates who have received more than 30% of the popular vote since 2008.
YearDistrictPartyCandidate# Votes% VotesPlace
2024Massachusetts 1IndependentNadia Milleron88,8422nd
2024Nevada 2IndependentGreg Kidd139,0952nd
2024Massachusetts 2IndependentCornelius Shea87,8372nd
2024North Carolina 6ConstitutionKevin Hayes103,2472nd
2022North Dakota At-largeIndependentCara Mund89,6442nd
2022Texas 26LibertarianMike Kolls81,2082nd
2020Alaska At-largeIndependent/UndeclaredAlyse Galvin159,8562nd
2018Alaska At-largeIndependent/UndeclaredAlyse Galvin109,6152nd
2016Northern Mariana Islands At-largeIndependentGregorio Sablan10,605Elected
2016Arizona 8GreenMark Salazar93,9542nd
2014Northern Mariana Islands At-largeIndependentGregorio Sablan8,549Elected
2012Puerto Rico At-largeNew ProgressivePedro Pierluisi905,066Elected
2012Puerto Rico At-largePopular DemocraticRafael Cox Alomar881,1812nd
2012California 33IndependentBill Bloomfield146,6602nd
2012Kansas 3IndependentJoel Balam92,6752nd
2008American Samoa At-largeIndependentEni Faleomavaega7,498Elected
2008Puerto Rico At-largeNew ProgressivePedro Pierluisi1,010,285Elected
2008New York 23ConservativeDoug Hoffman69,5532nd
2008Puerto Rico At-largePopular DemocraticAlfredo Salazar Jr.810,0932nd
2008American Samoa At-largeIndependentAmata Coleman Radewagen4,3492nd
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Gubernatorial elections

The following are third party and independent candidates who have won governerships since 1990.
YearStatePartyNomineeRunning mate# Votes% VotesPlace
2014AlaskaIndependentBill WalkerByron Mallott134,658Elected
2014Rhode IslandIndependentLincoln Chafee123,571Elected
1998MaineIndependentAngus King246,772Re-elected
1998MinnesotaReformJesse VenturaMae Schunk773,713Elected
1994MaineIndependentAngus King180,829Elected
1990AlaskaAlaskan IndependenceWally HickelJack Coghill75,721Elected
1990ConnecticutA Connecticut PartyLowell WeickerEunice Groark460,576Elected

Other state constitutional offices

This list includes state constitutional offices apart from governorships. This table shows candidates who have gotten at or more than 5% of the total vote. Candidates must run solely on a third party line to be included.

Lieutenant governors

To be included in the table the candidate must run separately from the governor.
YearStatePartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace
2022AlabamaLibertarianRuth Page-Nelson178,6602nd of 2
2022Rhode IslandIndependentRoss McCurdy19,5073rd of 3

Statistics

Note: Prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment in 1913, most states did not hold direct elections to the Senate.