Third-party members of state legislatures of the United States

This is a list of persons who have served as members of U.S. state legislatures while enrolled in third parties. For purposes of this list, a third party is defined as any party other than the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. This list spans the period from 1856 to the present. The time period listed beside each elected official's name is the time period when that elected official has served as a state legislator while enrolled as a member of a third party. State legislators who are independent (in other words, not enrolled in a political party) are not included in this list.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Alaska

Current

Alaska House of Representatives:

Historical

Alaska House of Representatives:
  • Jay Hammond (1958-1960). Future governor Hammond served in the 1st Alaska State Legislature as an independent, and later served as a Republican.
  • Robert Ditman (1960-1962). Originally elected as an independent, Ditman later served as a Democrat.
  • Frank R. Ferguson (1972-1974). Ferguson was elected as a write-in after losing the Democratic primary as an incumbent. He served in the previous and following legislatures as a Democrat.
  • Ken Fanning (1980–1982). The second Libertarian elected to partisan office in the United States, he served one term in the Alaska House of Representatives.[2]
  • Andre Marrou (1984-1986). Elected as a Libertarian for one term. He was Ron Paul's running mate in 1988 and the Libertarian nominee for president in 1992.
  • Dick Randolph (1978–1982). Previously elected as a Republican, Randolph switched parties and became the first Libertarian elected to a partisan office in the United States in 1978. Randolph ran as the Libertarian nominee for governor in 1982.


Alaska Territorial Legislature[3]:
  • Elwood Bruner (1913). Bruner served as a Republican in the California State Assembly, but served in the Alaska Territorial Senate as an Independent.
  • Dan Sutherland (1913-1919). Sutherland served in the Alaska Territorial Senate as an Independent, but served in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican.
  • B.F. Millard (1913-1915)
  • L.V. Ray
  • J.M. Tanner (1913). Tanner would serve in future territorial senates as a Democrat.

Arkansas

Historical

  • Nate Bell (2015-2017). Originally elected in 2011 as a Republican, Bell switched his affiliation in 2015.
  • Richard Carroll (2009-2011). Initially elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives as a Green in 2008, he switched to the Democratic Party in 2009.[4][5]
  • Fred Smith (2013-2015). Smith was originally elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2010, but was forced to give up his seat after a conviction. The conviction was expunged, but the Democrats refused to have him as their candidate in 2012. He ran for re-election as a Green in 2013 and won.[6]

California
  • Audie Bock (1999-2000). Bock was elected to the California State Assembly as a Green in a special election.[7]

Connecticut
  • Edwin Gomes (2015–2019). Gomes, a former Democratic member of the Connecticut Senate, was elected to the office for a second time as a member of the Working Families Party. He is the first member of the Working Families Party to win a legislative seat outside of New York and one of the first to win a seat without electoral fusion.[8] Gomes made efforts to regain the Democratic Party's backing in the 2016 primary elections.[9]

Maine

Maine House of Representatives:

Massachusetts

Massachusetts House of Representatives:

  • Susannah Whipps (2017-Present) Elected as a Republican in 2014, she changed her affiliation to Independent in August 2017, stating that serving as an unenrolled member would help her to reach out to both Democrats and Republicans. She won her re-election in 2018 with just 70% of the vote within her constituency.

Montana

Nebraska

(Note: While Nebraska's unicameral legislature is nominally nonpartisan, most members belong to and are supported by one of the two major political parties.)[11]

  • Laura Ebke (2016-2019). Elected as a Republican-endorsed candidate, she joined the Libertarian Party in 2016.[12]

Nevada
  • John Moore (2016). Elected to the Nevada Assembly as a Republican, Moore switched to Libertarian Party in 2016.[12]

New Hampshire

New Hampshire House of Representatives:

  • Max Abramson. Abramson has held office as a Republican, a Libertarian and an independent.[13][14]
  • Andy Borsa. Elected in 1992 as a Libertarian.[15]
  • Caleb Q. Dyer. Libertarian member since 2016.
  • Don Gorman (1992-2000). Elected in 1992 as a Libertarian. He ran for the Libertarian presidential nomination in 2000, losing to Harry Browne.[15][16]
  • Jim McClarin (1994-1996). Elected as a Libertarian.[17]
  • Brandon Phinney. Libertarian member since 2016.
  • Finlay Rothhaus (1991-1995). Originally a member of the Reform Party, Rothhaus joined the Libertarian Party in 1991.[15]
  • Joseph Stallcop. Elected in 2016, he became a Libertarian in 2017.
  • Steve Vaillancourt (1996-2002, 2006-2014). Originally elected as a Democrat, he was re-elected on the Libertarian ticket in 2000 before choosing to retire. He ran again for state house in 2006 as a Republican.
  • Calvin Warburton (1992-1995). Elected as a Libertarian.[15]

New York

New York State Assembly:

  • Timothy P. Gordon (2007-2010). Served two terms in the Assembly as a member of the Independence Party.[18][19]
  • Diana Richardson (2015-present). Was elected as a member of the Working Families Party in a 2015 special election in which no Democratic candidate was on the ballot. She is the first member of the New York Working Families Party to be elected only on the Working Families ballot line.[20]
  • Fred Thiele (2009-present). Initially elected to the New York State Assembly in 1995 as a Republican, he switched to the Independence Party in 2009 and caucuses with the Democrats.
  • Angela Wozniak (2015-2016). A member of the Conservative Party, Wozniak was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2014. She caucused with the Republicans.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island House of Representatives:

  • Daniel P. Gordon (2011-2012). After being expelled from the Republican Party, Gordon joined the Libertarian Party, becoming the party's sole legislator during his tenure.

Utah
  • Mark B. Madsen (2016). Chose in July 2016 to be a Libertarian for the remainder of his final term in the Utah Senate.[21]

Vermont

Vermont House of Representatives:

  • Terry Bouricius. Served as a Progressive member from 1991 to 2001.[22]
  • Mollie S. Burke. Progressive member representing Windham-2-2.[23]
  • Robin Chesnut-Tangerman. Progressive member representing Rutland-Bennington.[23]
  • Dean Corren. Served as a Progressive member from 1992 to 2000. He was the nominee of both the Progressive Party and the Democratic Party for lieutenant governor in 2014.[24]
  • Susan Davis. Progressive member representing Orange-1.[23]
  • Winston Dowland. Served as a Progressive member from 2003 to 2007.[25]
  • Carina Driscoll. Served as a Progressive member. She is the step-daughter of Independent U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.[26][27]
  • Sarah Edwards. Served as a Progressive member from 2003 to 2013.[28]
  • Diana Gonzalez. Progressive member representing Chittenden-6-7.[23]
  • Sandy Haas. Progressive member representing Windsor-Rutland.[23]
  • Bob Kiss. Progressive member representing Chittenden-3-4 from 2001 to 2006. He later ran for Senate as an Independent, finishing eighth of fourteen candidates running for six seats.[29][30]
  • Christopher Pearson. Progressive member representing Chittenden-6-4.[23]
  • Dexter Randall. Served as a Progressive.[25]
  • Neil Randall. Served as a Libertarian from 1998 to 2002.
  • Tom Smith. Served as a Progressive member.[22]

Vermont Senate:

References
  1. "2014 GENERAL ELECTION Official Results". Alaska Division of Elections. November 25, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  2. http://100years.akleg.gov/bio.php?id=1077
  3. (PDF) http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/docs/pdf/ROSTERALL.pdf. Retrieved 9 June 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. Koon, David (January 29, 2009). "Mr. Carroll goes to Little Rock: NLR Rep. is America's highest ranking Green". Arkansas Times. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  5. Press Release (April 29, 2009). "Nation's highest-ranking Green switching parties". The Victoria Advocate. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  6. Zinser, Lynn (November 7, 2012). "A Former Globetrotter Wins Election by Globetrotter-Like Margin". New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  7. Staggs, Bill (April 4, 1999). "Victory by California Assembly Candidate Is First for Greens". New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  8. Pazniokas, Mark (February 24, 2015). "Ed Gomes wins big, will resume state Senate career at 79". The Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  9. Constable, Kyle (July 22, 2016). "Democrats face legislative primaries in Bridgeport, New Britain". The Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  10. Press Release (February 25, 2000). "Montana Legislator Abandons GOP for Constitution Party". Missoulian. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  11. "Is There A Partisan or Non-Partisan Legislature in NE?". WOT. 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
  12. "Another state legislator quits GOP, joins Libertarian Party". Libertarian Party Press Release. 2016-06-01. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
  13. Holroyd, Corinne (April 25, 2014). "Convicted Seabrook resident running for governor". Sea Coast Online. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  14. "Representative Max Abramson (L)". New Hampshire General Court. January 6, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  15. "Libertarians maintain ballot status". Sun Journal. November 6, 1992. p. 13. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  16. "Libertarian Party again picks Browne to run for president". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. July 3, 2000. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  17. http://www.boogieonline.com/revolution/politics/lpus/election/1994/
  18. http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Lame-duck-targets-the-unblinking-eye-877318.php Lame duck targets the unblinking eye. Jimmy Vielkind, Albany Times-Union, December 13, 2010.
  19. Odato, James M. (August 1, 2012). "Gordon fired as breeding fund boss". Times Union.
  20. Yee, Vivian (May 5, 2015). "Working Families Candidate Diana Richardson Wins Brooklyn Assembly Post". New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  21. Piper, Matthew (July 25, 2016). "Utah state senator bolts Republican Party for Libertarian camp". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  22. Reynolds, David (1997). Democracy Unbound: Progressive Challenges to the Two Party System. South End Press. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  23. Staff (2016-01-01). "All Legislators". Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved 2016-07-31.
  24. O'Gorman, Josh (October 19, 2014). "Scott, Corren make their case for No. 2 post". Barre Montpelier Times Argus. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  25. Resmer, Cathy (January 13, 2005). "No Stranger in the Kingdom". Seven Days. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  26. "VT House Roster 2002".
  27. Kelly, Kevin (October 3, 2007). "Three Entrepreneurial Vermont Crafters 'Knock on Wood'". Seven Days. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
  28. Audette, Bob (April 10, 2012). "Sarah Edwards won't seek re-election". Battleboro Reformer. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  29. Bromage, Andy (2012-05-24). "Bob Kiss: I'm Running for State Senate as an Independent". Seven Days. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
  30. Machado, Tyler (2012-11-07). "More Election Results: Statehouse Races and Burlington Ballot Items". Seven Days. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
  31. Hallenbeck, Terri (November 10, 2015). "David Zuckerman to Run for Lieutenant Governor". Seven Days. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
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