Most independent and third party friendly states

[bgwah]

I compiled a list of third party, indepenedent, and write-in candidates who got at least 5% of the vote since 1990. There were 106 candidates from 38 states fitting this profile. A majority were independents. (Updated to include 2011-2012)



Most frequent states
13 - Maine
10 - Alaska
8 - Minnesota
7 - Vermont
5 - Arizona
5 - Oklahoma
5 - Rhode Island
5 - Virginia
4 - Connecticut
4 - Massachusetts
3 - Hawaii
3 - Indiana
3 - Kansas
3 - New York
3 - Wyoming
2 - Idaho
2 - Kentucky
2 - Louisiana
2 - New Mexico
2 - Ohio
2 - Oregon
2 - Pennsylvania
2 - Texas
2 - Utah
1 - Arkansas
1 - California
1 - Colorado
1 - Florida
1 - Illinois
1 - Maryland
1 - Mississippi
1 - Missouri
1 - Montana
1 - Nebraska
1 - New Hampshire
1 - New Jersey
1 - South Carolina
1 - South Dakota
1 - Wisconsin
1 - West Virginia

Most frequent parties
64 - Independent
15 - Green
12 - Libertarian
6 - MN Independence
5 - Constitution
5 - Reform
4 - Write-in
2 - A Connecticut Party
2 - AK Independence
2 - NY Independence
1 - Best Party HI
1 - Cool Moose (RI)
1 - CT For Lieberman
1 - Moderate Republican (AK)
1 - Moderate (RI)
1 - NY Conservative
1 - Other Party (LA)
1 - VT Progressive



Here is the master list copied from Excel (it's not as pretty now, I know). Winners in bold, and candidates who didn't face a member of at least one of the major parties are colored purple.

%   Candidate   Party   State   Year   Rank   Race
71.04%   Sanders   Independent   VT   2012   1st   Sen   *No D
65.41%   Sanders   Independent   VT   2006   1st   Sen   *No D
58.61%   King   Independent   ME   1998   1st   Gov   
52.89%   King   Independent   ME   2012   1st   Sen
49.71%   Lieberman   CT for Lieberman   CT   2006   1st   Sen   
48.00%  Walker   Independent   AK   2014   1st   Gov   *No D
42.50%   Orman   Independent   KS   2014   2nd   Sen   *No D
40.36%   Weicker   A Connecticut Party   CT   1990   1st   Gov   
39.49%   Murkowski   Write-in   AK   2010   1st   Sen   
38.88%   Hickell   AK Independence   AK   1990   1st   Gov   
36.99%   Ventura   Reform   MN   1998   1st   Gov   
36.43%   Tancredo   Constitution   CO   2010   2nd   Gov   
36.36%   Cutler   Independent   ME   2010   2nd   Gov   
36.10%   Chafee   Independent   RI   2010   1st   Gov   
35.37%   King   Independent   ME   1994   1st   Gov   
33.58%   Cook   Independent   UT   1992   2nd   Gov   
30.67%   Fasi   Best Party HI   HI   1994   2nd   Gov   
29.71%   Crist   Independent   FL   2010   2nd   Sen   
23.45%   Watkins   Independent   OK   1994   3rd   Gov   
22.10%   Raimondo Independent   RI   2014   3rd   Gov   
21.87%   Polina   Independent   VT   2008   2nd   Gov   
21.55%   Merrill   Independent   ME   2006   3rd   Gov   
20.47%   Kennedy   Green   AR   2008   2nd   Sen   *No R
20.40%   London   NY Conservative   NY   1990   3rd   Gov   
18.88%   Groark   A Connecticut Party   CT   1994   3rd   Gov   
18.43%   Cloud   Libertarian   MA   2002   2nd   Sen   *No R
18.26%   Taylor   Write-in   AK   1998   2nd   Gov   
18.16%   Spannaus   Independent   VA   1990   2nd   Sen   *No D
18.13%   Strayhorn   Independent   TX   2006   3rd   Gov   
17.00%   Pressler   Independent   SD   2014   3rd   Sen
16.37%   Sobhani   Independent   MD   2012   3rd   Sen
16.18%   Penny   MN Independence   MN   2002   3rd   Gov   
15.42%   O'Hara   Reform   MS   2002   2nd   Sen   *No D
15.33%   Galbraith   Reform   KY   1999   3rd   Gov   
15.15%   Barkley   MN Independence   MN   2008   3rd   Sen   
14.79%   Georges   Independent   LA   2007   3rd   Gov   
14.28%   Golisano   NY Independence   NY   2002   3rd   Gov   
14.12%   Richardson   Independent   OK   2002   3rd   Gov   
13.73%   Martin   Green   HI   1992   3rd   Sen   
13.04%   Coghill   AK Independence   AK   1994   3rd   Gov   
12.95%   Mobley   Independent   OR   1992   3rd   Gov   
12.84%   Luksik   Constitution   PA   1994   3rd   Gov   
12.59%   Osborn   Libertarian   IN   2008   2nd   Sen   *No D
12.52%   Whittaker   Green   AK   1996   2nd   Sen   
12.43%   Friedman   Independent   TX   2006   4th   Gov   
11.94%   Horner   MN Independence   MN   2010   3rd   Gov   
11.90%   Hanneman   Independent   HI   2014   3rd   Gov   
11.88%   Howell   Libertarian   MA   2000   3rd   Sen   
11.44%   Coleman   Independent   VA   1994   3rd   Sen   
11.34%   Scott   Independent   CT   1994   4th   Gov   
10.45%   Thompson   Libertarian   WI   2002   3rd   Gov   
10.44%   Luksik   Constitution   PA   1998   3rd   Gov   
10.36%   Whitney   Green   IL   2006   3rd   Gov   
10.26%   Mondragon   Green   NM   1994   3rd   Gov   
9.93%   Ledgerwood   Independent   OK   1990   3rd   Gov   
9.74%   Spannaus   Independent   VA   2002   2nd   Sen   *No D
9.71%   Hogan   Independent   VT   2002   3rd   Gov   
9.58%   Polina   VT Progressive   VT   2000   3rd   Gov   
9.56%   LaMarche   Green   ME   2006   4th   Gov   
9.46%   Halcro   Independent   AK   2006   3rd   Gov   
9.28%   Carter   Green   ME   2002   3rd   Gov   
9.26%   Adam   Independent   ME   1990   3rd   Gov   
9.21%   Clements   Green   SC   2010   3rd   Sen   
9.10%   Rosile   Libertarian   KS   2002   2nd   Sen   *No D
9.08%   Healey   Independent   RI   1994   3rd   Gov   
8.99%   Galbraith   Independent   KY   2011   3rd   Gov
8.87%   Khachuturian   Other Party   LA   1992   3rd   Sen   
8.82%   Campbell-Cline   Independent   NE   1990   3rd   Gov   
8.37%   Cook   Reform   KS   2002   3rd   Sen   *No D
8.40%   Cutler  Independent ME   2014 3rd   Sen   
8.35%   Jordan   Green   AK   1992   3rd   Sen   
8.03%   Cahill   Independent   MA   2010   3rd   Gov   
8.03%   Pritt   Write-in   WV   1992   3rd   Gov   
7.82%   Toel   Independent   AZ   2000   2nd   Sen   *No D
7.80%   Hansen   Green   AZ   2000   3rd   Sen   *No D
8.00%   Gotshall   Independent   WY   2014   3rd   Sen   
7.69%   Golisano   NY Independence   NY   1998   3rd   Gov   
7.33%   Slovenec   Independent   OH   1994   3rd   Sen   
7.32%   Haynes   Write-in   WY   2010   3rd   Gov   
7.24%   Sykes   Green   AK   2002   3rd   Sen   
7.12%   Hornberger, Jr.   Independent   VA   2002   3rd   Sen   *No D
7.07%   Morse   Independent   VT   1994   3rd   Gov   
6.98%   Barkley   Reform   MN   1996   3rd   Sen   
6.97%   Mihos   Independent   MA   2006   3rd   Gov   
6.93%   Mahoney   Independent   AZ   2002   3rd   Gov   
6.89%   Grevatt   Independent   OH   1992   3rd   Sen   
6.82%   LaMarche   Green   ME   1998   4th   Gov   
6.75%   Grainger   Libertarian   AZ   1994   3rd   Sen   
6.56%   Cox   Libertarian   MT   2012   3rd   Sen
6.52%   Sarvis   Libertarian   VA   2013   3rd   Gov   
6.47%   Block   Moderate   RI   2010   4th   Gov   
6.43%   Hutchison   MN Independence   MN   2006   3rd   Gov   
6.39%   Germalic   Independent   OK   2002   3rd   Sen   
6.39%   Carter   Green   ME   1994   4th   Gov   
6.36%   Brown   Independent   NH   2000   3rd   Gov   
6.28%   Healey   Cool Moose   RI   1998   3rd   Gov   
6.15%   Metcalfe   Moderate Republican   AK   1998   4th   Gov   
6.10%   Willis Independent   WY   2014   3rd   Gov   
6.07%   Dine   Libertarian   MO   2012   3rd   Sen
5.99%   Bilyeu   Independent   OK   2004   3rd   Sen   
5.89%   Mills   Independent   VT   1994   3rd   Sen   
5.89%   Kemp   Independent   ID   2010   3rd   Gov   
5.81%   Gibson   MN Independence   MN   2000   3rd   Sen   
5.76%   Daggett   Independent   NJ   2009   3rd   Gov   
5.67%   Bradley   Constitution   UT   2010   3rd   Sen   
5.67%   Horning   Libertarian   IN   2012   3rd   Sen
5.47%   Bacon   Green   ME   2002   3rd   Gov   
5.38%   Barkley   MN Independence   MN   1994   3rd   Sen   
5.37%   Slavick   Independent   ME   2006   3rd   Sen   
5.35%   Rammell   Independent   ID   2008   3rd   Sen   
5.26%   Camejo   Green   CA   2002   3rd   Gov   
5.24%   Brownlow   Constitution   OR   2008   3rd   Sen   
5.21%   Sink-Burris   Libertarian   IN   2010   3rd   Sen   
5.06%   Hess, II   Libertarian   AZ   2000   4th   Sen   *No D
5.02%   Moody   Independent   ME   2010   4th   Gov   

Data last updated for 2014
Map last updated for 2012

[bgwah]

I compiled a list of third party, indepenedent, and write-in candidates who got at least 5% of the vote since 1990

[bgwah]

For Washington, you  have to go back to 1982 for Senate and 1972 for Governor. It's highly unlikely a third party candidate or independent would make it to the general election for a major race under our current top-two system, though if something like that did happen they would probably do quite well in the general.

[bgwah]

For Washington, you  have to go back to 1982 for Senate and 1972 for Governor. It's highly unlikely a third party candidate or independent would make it to the general election for a major race under our current top-two system, though if something like that did happen they would probably do quite well in the general.

Hmm... I always thought that while our system does limit third party access to general elections and thus political prime time that overall the open/top-two system is more or less moot when it comes to actually effecting whether or not third party candidates get elected (obviously should a third party candidate get into the general election they would likely get at least 35-40% of the vote).

Maybe a Cascadian Independence Party should arise...

Any election involving Brad Owen vs. a Republican is proof that we need third parties on the general election ballot...

And sorry, that party name is too long! "Cascadian Ind." Party would work. Personally, I like "Free Cascadia" Party.

[bgwah]

^ I forgot to note that I excluded Presidential elections and only used those for Senate and Governor. Perot got >5% in all 50 states, IIRC.

[bgwah]

I wonder who will join the list this year and next? Looks like Galbraith will get >5% in KY again.

[bgwah]

Updated to include 2011-2012. The new entries are:

5.67%   Horning   Libertarian   IN   2012   3rd   Sen
16.37%   Sobhani   Independent   MD   2012   3rd   Sen
52.89%   King   Independent   ME   2012   1st   Sen
6.07%   Dine   Libertarian   MO   2012   3rd   Sen
6.56%   Cox   Libertarian   MT   2012   3rd   Sen
71.04%   Sanders   Independent   VT   2012   1st   Sen
8.99%   Galbraith   Independent   KY   2011   3rd   Gov