Third party officeholders in the United States

Third-party officeholders in the United States have been rare at any point of the country's existence thus-far. Although the current two-party system in the U.S., with the Republican Party and Democratic Party, started in 1856, many of the older parties still existed and had an influence. Therefore, this article includes any politician since the end of Reconstruction or since the 45th United States Congress.

These galleries and lists include anyone who at one time, while in office, was an independent or affiliated with a third party. They are listed from the first year they were in office as something other than a Republican or Democrat.

Since the end of Reconstruction, there have been a total of 30 U.S. Senators, 112 U.S. Representatives, and 28 Governors that weren't affiliated with a major party. There are now two U.S. Senators (King and Sanders), and four major city Mayors. Hundreds of third-party officeholders exist at the local level (including those in nonpartisan positions who are affiliated with a third party), including 144 Libertarian Party members^[1], 26 Constitution Party members,^[2] and 139 Green Party members.^[3]

U.S. Senators

Senator	State	Electoral history	Years in office as an Independent
Waitman T. Willey	Virginia	Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1861	1861–1863
John S. Carlile	Virginia	Elected as a Unionist in 1861	1861–1865
Garrett Davis	Kentucky	Elected as a Unionist in 1861, switched to Democratic by 1867	1861–1872
Robert Wilson	Missouri	Appointed as an Unconditional Unionist in 1862	1862–1863
John B. Henderson	Missouri	Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1862, became a Republican by 1865	1862–1869
Thomas Holliday Hicks	Maryland	Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1862	1862–1865
Lemuel J. Bowden	Virginia	Elected as a Unionist in 1863	1863–1864
Reverdy Johnson	Maryland	Elected as a Unionist in 1863, switched to Democratic by 1865	1863–1868
Peter G. Van Winkle	West Virginia	Elected as a Unionist in 1863, became a Republican by 1867	1863–1869
Benjamin Gratz Brown	Missouri	Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1863, became a Republican by 1865	1863–1867
John Creswell	Maryland	Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1864	1865–1867
Joseph S. Fowler	Tennessee	Elected as an Unconditional Unionist in 1866, became a Republican by 1867	1866–1871
David T. Patterson	Tennessee	Elected as a Unionist in 1866, became a Republican by 1867	1866–1869
Charles Sumner	Massachusetts	Elected as Free Soil Democratic in 1851, became a Republican in 1855, then became a Liberal Republican in 1872	1851–1874
Morgan C. Hamilton	Texas	Switched from Republican to Liberal Republican in 1872, switched back to Republican in 1875	1870–1877
Orris S. Ferry	Connecticut	Elected as a Liberal Republican in 1872	1867–1875
Newton Booth	California	Elected as an Anti-Monopolist, served as an Ind. Republican	1875–1881
David Davis	Illinois	Elected as an Independent	1877–1883
William Mahone	Virginia	Elected as a Readjuster	1881–1887
Harrison H. Riddleberger	Virginia	Elected as a Readjuster	1883–1889
William A. Peffer	Kansas	Elected as a Populist	1891–1897
Marion Butler	North Carolina	Elected as a Populist	1895–1901
James H. Kyle	South Dakota	Elected as a Populist	1891–1901
William V. Allen	Nebraska	Elected as a Populist	1893–1901
William M. Stewart	Nevada	Switched from Republican to Silver in 1893, then back to Republican in 1901	1887–1905
John P. Jones	Nevada	Switched from Republican to Silver in 1895, then back to Republican in 1901	1873–1903
Lee Mantle	Montana	Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896	1895–1899
Richard F. Pettigrew	South Dakota	Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896	1889–1901
Frank J. Cannon	Utah	Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896	1896–1899
Fred Dubois	Idaho	Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896	1891–1897
Henry Moore Teller	Colorado	Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1896, then to Democratic in 1903	1876–1909
William A. Harris	Kansas	Elected as a Populist	1897–1903
Henry Heitfeld	Idaho	Elected as a Populist	1897–1903
Joseph M. Dixon	Montana	Switched from Republican to Progressive in 1912	1907–1913
Miles Poindexter	Washington	Switched from Republican to Progressive in 1912, switched back to Republican in 1915	1911–1923
Henrik Shipstead	Minnesota	Elected as Farmer-Labor, switched to Republican in 1940	1923–1947
Magnus Johnson	Minnesota	Elected as Farmer-Labor	1923–1925
Robert M. La Follette	Wisconsin	Switched from Republican to Progressive in 1934, then back to Republican in 1946	1925–1947
Elmer Austin Benson	Minnesota	Elected as Farmer-Labor	1935–1936
George W. Norris	Nebraska	Switched from Republican to Independent in 1936	1913–1943
Ernest Lundeen	Minnesota	Elected as Farmer-Labor	1937–1940
John E. Miller	Arkansas	Elected as an Independent, served as Democratic	1937–1941
Wayne Morse	Oregon	Switched from Republican to Independent in 1953, then to Democratic in 1955.	1945–1969
Harry F. Byrd Jr.	Virginia	Switched from Democratic to Independent in 1970	1965–1983
James L. Buckley	New York	Elected as a Conservative, lost re-election as a Republican in 1976	1971–1977
Bob Smith	New Hampshire	Switched from Republican to Independent in 1999 but switched back to Republican in 2000	1990–2003
Jim Jeffords	Vermont	Switched from Republican to Independent in 2001	1989–2007
Dean Barkley	Minnesota	Appointed for Independence Party of Minnesota	2002–2003
Bernie Sanders	Vermont	Elected as an Independent, switched to Democratic in 2015 but switched again back to Independent in 2016[4]	2007–Present
Joe Lieberman	Connecticut	Re-elected on the Connecticut for Lieberman ticket after losing the 2006 Democratic nomination.	1989–2013
Angus King	Maine	Elected as an Independent	2013–Present

U.S. Representatives

Representative	State	Electoral history	Years in office as an Independent
Gregorio Sablan	Delegate from Northern Mariana Islands	Elected as an Independent.	2009-Present

Governors

State legislatures

References