Independent (politician)
Encyclopedia
In politics
, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliate
d to any political party
. Independents may hold a centrist
viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do not feel that any major party addresses. Other independent politician
s are associated with a political party and may be former members of it, but choose not to stand under its label. A third category of independents are those who may belong to or support a political party but believe they should not formally represent it and thus be subject to its policies. Finally, some independent candidates may form a political party for the purposes of running for public office.
, although they are more commonly elected to state parliaments. A large number of independents are former members of one of Australia's main parties, the Australian Labor Party
, the Liberal Party of Australia
, Australian Greens Party or the National Party of Australia
.
Currently, four independents sit in the Australian House of Representatives
. Andrew Wilkie
from Tasmania
is a former Greens
candidate, while both Rob Oakeshott
and Tony Windsor
from New South Wales
are both former members of the National Party. All three support the current Gillard
Labor
government in confidence and supply
votes. Bob Katter
is from Queensland
and a former member of the National Party.
Independent Senators
are quite rare. In modern politics, independent Brian Harradine
served from 1975 to 2005 with considerable influence at times. Nick Xenophon
has been the only independent Senator since his election to the Senate at the 2007 federal election. With Senators elected for 6-year terms, Xenophon will be required to recontest his South Australia
n seat at the next Australian federal election
due by 2013.
Peter Slipper
of the Liberal National Party of Queensland became an independent and became Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
, taking the Labor government's parliamentary majority from 75-74 to 76-73.
in recent years as Canada has been governed by successive minority government
s with independent Members of Parliament
(MPs) sometimes sharing in the balance of power
.
In the 2004 federal election
, Chuck Cadman
was elected to federal parliament as an independent MP representing the British Columbia
riding of Surrey North
. Cadman had previously represented that riding on behalf of the Reform Party of Canada
and Canadian Alliance
, but after the Canadian Alliance merged with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
to form the new Conservative Party of Canada
in 2003, Cadman lost the nomination to represent the Conservative Party in that riding to Jasbir Singh Cheema
. Cadman then stood in the subsequent election as an independent and defeated Cheema, as well as the candidates of other Canadian parties, by a significant margin.
In the spring of 2005, Cadman cast the tying vote in favour of a budget supported by the Liberal Party
government of Paul Martin
as well as the New Democratic Party
(NDP), but opposed by the opposition Conservatives and Bloc Québécois
. Two other independents also voted on that budget. Carolyn Parrish, independent MP for Mississauga—Erindale
, had recently been kicked out of the Liberal Party for criticizing US president George W Bush, but nonetheless sided with the Liberals on the budget vote. David Kilgour
independent MP for Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont
, had previously quit the Liberal caucus and voted with the opposition parties against the budget. The tie vote required the Speaker of the House
Peter Milliken
to cast the deciding vote, and he did so in favor of the budget, allowing the government to survive.
Cadman was terminally ill with cancer
at the time he cast his crucial vote, and he died later in 2005. In the 2006 federal election
, his riding was won by NDP candidate Penny Priddy
. Neither Parrish nor Kilgour (nor Pat O'Brien
, MP for London—Fanshawe
, who quit the Liberal Party to sit as an independent after the 2005 budget vote) stood for re-election in 2006.
Another independent candidate, André Arthur
, was elected in the Quebec
riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier
in 2006, and was the only independent to win a seat in that election. He was re-elected in the October 14, 2008 federal election
. Former Progressive Conservative
and Conservative
MP Bill Casey
, who was expelled from the Conservative Party for voting against the 2007 Federal Budget, also ran as an independent in the 2008 election, easily retaining his seat.
Candidates in federal elections who are not affiliated with a party have two options: independent or no affiliation. In the former case, they appear on the ballot with "Independent" following their name; in the second case, they appear with their name only. The two options are otherwise equivalent.
The territorial legislatures of the Northwest Territories
and Nunavut
are consensus government
s with no political parties, so that all members sit as independents. There are a few independent members of the other subnational legislatures, which are similar in principle to the federal House of Commons; for example, in the 2009 election
in British Columbia
, independent candidate Vicki Huntington
narrowly defeated incumbent Attorney General
Wally Oppal
as MLA for Delta South
.
True independents should not be confused with members of parties without official party status
in a legislature. Most legislatures provide that a party must hold a certain number of seats to enjoy certain advantages in staffing, budget, ability to ask questions in Question Period
, and the like. Although members whose parties do not hold this status may have no more privileges than independent members, they remain representatives of political parties.
Also, members who are expelled from or choose to leave their party caucus may sit as "Independent" with some designation, e.g. "Independent Liberal" or "Independent Conservative," to indicate their affiliation to that party even if it is not officially recognized.
Election as an independent is far more common at the municipal level. Many municipalities have no tradition of political parties.
' camp.
of Iceland
, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
, is independent. The 9th prime minister of Iceland, Björn Þórðarson
, was also independent.
. Independent candidates are sometimes also rebel candidates from a party contesting the election, who were unable to secure their party's nomination.
Dummy candidates running as independents who bear the same or a similar name to a party candidate have also been put forward by political parties to confuse voters. For example, in the 2009 general election
an independent named Bhakti Adhikary contested the Tamluk constituency, allegedly to confuse voters; the eventually elected contestant was Suvendu Adhikary of the All India Trinamool Congress
.
(the lower house of the Irish parliament), representing 10% of the total, excluding the three members of the United Left Alliance
are also members of the Dáil Technical Group of Independent TDs
There are twelve independent senators in the 24th
Seanad
(the upper house of the Irish parliament), representing 20% of the total. Three of these are elected by the graduates of the National University of Ireland
and two from Dublin University. There are also seven senators who are nominated by the Taoiseach
who have also formed an independent technical grouping.
president Atifete Jahjaga
was elected the first female and Independent President
not just for Kosovo
but for the whole Balkans
as of March 2010. In the 2008 general election
, Ibrahim Ali
, Zahrain Mohamed Hashim
, Tan Tee Beng
and Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri
were each elected on the tickets of parties in the Pakatan Rakyat
opposition coalition. Each since left their parties to sit as independents.
The last person to be directly elected to Parliament as an independent in New Zealand was Winston Peters
, who won a 1993 by-election in Tauranga. By the time of the next general election, he had formed his own party, and thus was no longer standing as an independent. Since that time, all independents in Parliament have been those originally elected under a party banner. Some, like Peters, have gone on to found or co-found their own parties, with varying levels of success — examples include Peter Dunne
, Taito Phillip Field
, Gordon Copeland
, Tau Henare
, and Alamein Kopu
. Others have joined parties which were then outside Parliament, such as Frank Grover
and Tuariki Delamere
.
There is one independent MP in the current Parliament
, Hone Harawira
, who was elected as a Māori Party
candidate but has now been re-elected as representative of his new political party, Mana, in a by-election. This followed his leaving the Maori party in the course of the current term due to a dispute with his party organisation. There are also two parties which have only a single MP — the Progressives
with Jim Anderton
and United Future with Peter Dunne
. Neither Anderton nor Dunne are classed as independents, but their presence in Parliament is due not to votes for their respective parties but to personal votes in their home electorates, and their status may change if their respective party infrastructures ceased to exist.
, there have been no political parties since 2003
, and all politicians are de facto independents. The government depends on an informal coalition.
Sejm
election ordination in practice does not allow lone candidates to run. Tickets always have multiple candidates as every district is represented by multiple Sejm Members. Hence, almost all tickets are partisan. However, during a Sejm term many Sejm Members switch parties or become independents.
Tickets like Civic Platform
during the 2001 election
were formally non-partisan, Civic Platform was widely viewed as a de facto political party, as it is now.
The situation in the Senate
is different, as the voting system allows independents to run as single candidates and some are elected in their own right. However, only Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz is independent.
Three Presidents since 1990 have technically been independents. Lech Wałęsa
was not an endorsed candidate of any party, but the chairman of the Solidarity and he was elected without full support of this union (Solidarity votes split between him and Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki
). Aleksander Kwaśniewski
was a leader of the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland
, but formally resigned from the party after he was elected, as did Lech Kaczyński
, who was the first leader of Law and Justice
, but also resigned from the party on getting elected.
, the Philippines
' former vice president
, ran as senator
in 2001 with no political party affiliation. He was a guest candidate of the opposition Pwersa ng Masa coalition but he never joined their campaign rallies. He won in the senate race with the highest votes (then) in Philippine history. In 2004, he ran as vice president
as a guest candidate of the administration K-4 coalition
and won with just under majority of the vote.
Starting in 2001, senators
had also resigned from their respective parties to become independents; currently there are more independent senators than any other single political party. However, in contesting elections, all elected independents had been members of either the administration or the opposition coalition, until in the 2007 Senate election
when Gregorio Honasan (a former senator) was elected as an independent while not a being member of any coalition. Honasan was earlier elected in 1995 as an independent as a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition
-led coalition to become the first elected independent senator since Magnolia Antonino
in 1967, although Antonino was a guest candidate of the Liberal Party
then.
In the local level, former priest Eddie Panlilio
was elected as governor of Pampanga
in 2007, defeating two administration candidates. When Panlilio eventually transferred to the Liberal Party in time for the 2010 election, it was ruled that he was beaten in the 2007 election; in 2010, he was defeated.
In the 2010 House of Representatives elections
, seven independents were elected, although all but two joined a political party after the elections.
In contesting elections, independent candidates are required by law to spend less than candidates nominated by a party.
was offered to join United Russia
but politely declined, saying that he believes the President should be an independent so that he serves the interests of the country rather than his political party.
Vladimir Putin
, the current prime minister of Russia, is the head of the United Russia
party, but is not its member, thus formally is independent.
One independent MP was elected in the 2010 election:
Two independent or local party MPs were elected in the 2005 election
:
There have also been several instances of MPs being elected under the auspices of a particular party, then resigning the party whip, or having it withdrawn: examples in the 2005-2010 parliament included Clare Short
and Robert Wareing (formerly Labour) and Derek Conway
(formerly Conservative).
News reporter Martin Bell
was elected as an Independent MP for Tatton
from 1997 to 2001 having stood on an anti-corruption platform.
The House of Lords
includes a large number of independent peers, who are usually known as crossbenchers.
The introduction of directly elected mayors in several parts of England has witnessed the election of independent candidates to run councils in Stoke-on-Trent
, Middlesbrough
, Bedford
, Hartlepool
and Mansfield
. The first Mayor of London
, Ken Livingstone
, was originally elected as an independent, having run against the official Labour candidate Frank Dobson
. He was subsequently re-admitted to the Labour Party
before his first re-election campaign.
Independent candidates frequently stand and are elected to local councils. There is a special Independent group of the Local Government Association
to cater for them.
Independent candidates frequently stand in parliamentary elections, often with platforms about specific local issues, but usually with little success. A typical example from the 2001 general election
was when Aston Villa supporter Ian Robinson stood as an independent candidate in the Sutton Coldfield constituency
, in protest at the way chairman Doug Ellis
ran the club. Another example, in the Salisbury constituency
, of an independent candidate is Arthur Uther Pendragon
- British activist and self-declared reincarnation of King Arthur.
At the 2003 Scottish Parliamentary elections
, three MSPs were elected as Independents: Dennis Canavan
(Falkirk West
), Dr Jean Turner
(Strathkelvin and Bearsden
) and Margo MacDonald
(Lothians). In 2004 Campbell Martin (West of Scotland region) left the Scottish National Party
to become an independent and in 2005 Brian Monteith
(Mid Scotland and Fife) left the Conservative Party
to become an independent. At the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections
Margo MacDonald was again returned as an independent MSP.
Other independent candidates are associated with a political party and may be former members of it, but are not able to stand under its label. For instance, after being expelled from the Labour Party
but before joining the Respect Coalition
, British Member of Parliament
(MP) George Galloway
described himself as "Independent Labour".
A third category of independents are those who may belong to or support a political party but believe they should not formally represent it and thus be subject to its policies. This was common among members of most political parties for the purpose of British local government
elections until the last quarter of the twentieth century.
Some independents in the United Kingdom
have registered locality-based political parties. British examples include Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern
, Epsom and Ewell Residents Association, Loughton Residents Association, Derwentside Independents
, East Yorkshire Independents ; many are local residents' or ratepayers' associations that contest elections. They are usually considered independent as they have no alignment in national politics.
On 23 March 2005 the Independent Network
was set up to support independent candidates in the General Election. The Independent Network still supports Independent candidates in local, regional, national and European elections. It has an organic set of principles known as the Bell Principles and are very closely related to Lord Nolan's Standards of Public Life
. The Independent Network does not impose any ideology
or political influence on their candidates.
In March 2009, Sir Paul Judge
established the Jury Team, an umbrella organisation dedicated to increasing the number of Independent candidates standing in the UK, both in domestic and European elections.
was the only president elected as an independent, as he was not formally affiliated with any party during his two terms.
John Tyler
was expelled from the Whig Party
in September 1841, and remained effectively an independent for the remainder of his presidency, later returning to the Democrats
. He briefly sought re-election in 1844
as a National Democrat, but withdrew as he feared to split the Democratic vote.
Recent prominent independent candidates for president of the United States
include John Anderson in 1980, Ross Perot
in 1992
, and Ralph Nader
in the 2004
and 2008
elections. In 2008, independent Presidential candidate, Ralph Nader formed Independent Parties in New Mexico, Delaware, and elsewhere to gain ballot access in several states. This strategy has been pursued by several 'independent' candidates for Federal races, including Joe Lieberman
(Connecticut for Lieberman
), because in some states it is easier to gain ballot access by creating a new political party than to gather signatures for a nominating petition.
, Maine
, Oregon
, Rhode Island
, Texas
and Minnesota
are the only states to have elected formally independent candidates as governor: Illinois' first two governors, Shadrach Bond
and Edward Coles
; James B. Longley
in 1974 as well as Angus King
in 1994 and 1998 from Maine; Lincoln Chafee
in 2010 from Rhode Island; Julius Meier
in 1930 from Oregon; and Sam Houston
in 1859 from Texas. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
is sometimes mentioned as an independent governor, though this is not technically correct; he ran as A Connecticut Party
candidate (which gave him better ballot placement than an unaffiliated candidate would receive), defeating the Democratic and Republican party nominees. Another former governor who is sometimes mentioned as an independent is Jesse Ventura
, who actually ran as a member of the Reform Party's
Minnesota affiliate, which later disaffiliated from the party and reverted to their original name the Independence Party of Minnesota
.
In 1971, State Senator Henry Howell
of Virginia
, a former Democrat, was elected lieutenant governor
as an independent. Two years later, he campaigned for governor
as an independent, losing the election by only 15,000 votes.
There were several unsuccessful independent gubernatorial candidates in 2006 who impacted their electoral races. In Maine, state legislator Barbara Merrill
(formerly a Democrat) received 21% of the vote in Maine
. In Texas
, country music
singer and mystery novelist
Kinky Friedman
received 12.43% of the vote, and State Comptroller
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
received 18.13%. Strayhorn and Friedman's presence in the race resulted in a splitting of the ballot four ways between themselves and the two major parties.
In 2010, Florida
governor Charlie Crist
left the Republican party and became Independent rather than face former state house
Speaker
Marco Rubio
in the Republican primary (Rubio won, though Crist came in ahead of Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek
).
throughout history. Notable examples include David Davis
of Illinois
(a former Republican
) in the nineteenth century, and Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
of Virginia
(who had been elected to his first term as a Democrat) in the twentieth century. Some officials have been elected as members of a party but became independent while in office (without being elected as such), such as Wayne Morse
of Oregon
or Virgil Goode
of Virginia
. Vermont
senator Jim Jeffords
left the Republican Party
to become an independent in 2001. Jeffords's change of party status
was especially significant because it shifted the Senate composition from 50-50 between the Republicans and Democrats
(with a Republican Vice President
, Dick Cheney
, who would presumably break all ties in favor of the Republicans), to 49 Republicans, 50 Democrats, and one Independent. Jeffords agreed to vote for Democratic control of the Senate in exchange for being appointed chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Democrats held control of the Senate until the Congressional elections in 2002, when the Republicans regained their majority. Jeffords retired at the end of his term in 2007. Wayne Morse after two years as an independent became Democrat, while Goode switched to Republican.
Representative Bernie Sanders
was an independent member of the United States House of Representatives
for Vermont-at-large from 1991 to 2007. Sanders later won the open Senate seat of Jim Jeffords
as an independent. Joe Lieberman
a former Democrat
who ran, like Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., under a third party (Connecticut for Lieberman Party
) in the 2006 election
. Though both representatives are technically independent politicians, they caucus with the Democrats. In 2006, Sanders and Lieberman were the only two victorious independent candidates for Congress.
, one from Oregon, one from Tennessee
, and one from New Mexico
. The representatives came from the states of Louisiana
(two), Maine
(two), Vermont
(two), and Virginia
(two). In the 2008 general elections, Wisconsin State Assemblyman Jeffrey Wood left the Republican Party and won reelection as an independent. After the 2008 primary election, New Mexico State Senator Joseph Carraro
left the Republican Party and registered as an Independent. He did not run for reelection.
In November 2005 Manny Diaz
was elected Mayor of Miami, Florida
as an independent. On June 19, 2007, New York Mayor
Michael Bloomberg
switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent. Oscar Goodman
, Mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada
switched his affiliation to Independent from Democrat in December 2009.
was elected Federal President as first non-partisan head of state in Yugoslav
history. Ćosić held the position until 1 June 1993, when he was removed from the position.
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliate
Affiliate
An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...
d to any political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. Independents may hold a centrist
Centrism
In politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do not feel that any major party addresses. Other independent politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s are associated with a political party and may be former members of it, but choose not to stand under its label. A third category of independents are those who may belong to or support a political party but believe they should not formally represent it and thus be subject to its policies. Finally, some independent candidates may form a political party for the purposes of running for public office.
Australia
Independents have rarely been elected to the federal Parliament of AustraliaParliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
, although they are more commonly elected to state parliaments. A large number of independents are former members of one of Australia's main parties, the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, Australian Greens Party or the National Party of Australia
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
.
Currently, four independents sit in the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
. Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Wilkie
Andrew Damien Wilkie is an Australian politician and independent federal member for Denison...
from Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
is a former Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
candidate, while both Rob Oakeshott
Rob Oakeshott
Robert James Murray "Rob" Oakeshott is an Australian politician. He is the independent Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Lyne in New South Wales, which he won in the 2008 by-election following the resignation of former Nationals leader and Howard minister Mark Vaile...
and Tony Windsor
Tony Windsor
Antony Harold Curties "Tony" Windsor , an Australian politician, is an independent member of the House of Representatives since 2001, representing the Division of New England, New South Wales...
from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
are both former members of the National Party. All three support the current Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government in confidence and supply
Confidence and supply
In a parliamentary democracy confidence and supply are required for a government to hold power. A confidence and supply agreement is an agreement that a minor party or independent member of parliament will support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation votes by voting in favour...
votes. Bob Katter
Bob Katter
Robert Carl "Bob" Katter is an Australian federal politician, a member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1993 for the Division of Kennedy, and the leader of Katter's Australian Party...
is from Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and a former member of the National Party.
Independent Senators
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
are quite rare. In modern politics, independent Brian Harradine
Brian Harradine
Richard William Brian Harradine , Australian politician, was an independent member of the Australian Senate from 1975 to 2005, representing the state of Tasmania. He was the longest-serving independent federal politician in Australian history, and a Father of the Senate.He was born in Quorn, South...
served from 1975 to 2005 with considerable influence at times. Nick Xenophon
Nick Xenophon
Nicholas "Nick" Xenophon is a South Australian barrister, anti-gambling campaigner and politician. He attended Prince Alfred College, and studied law at the University of Adelaide, attaining his Bachelor of Laws in 1981. Xenophon established and became principal of his own law firm, Xenophon & Co....
has been the only independent Senator since his election to the Senate at the 2007 federal election. With Senators elected for 6-year terms, Xenophon will be required to recontest his South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n seat at the next Australian federal election
Next Australian federal election
A federal election was held on Saturday, 21 August 2010 for members of the 43rd Parliament of Australia. The incumbent centre-left Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard won a second term against the opposition centre-right Liberal/National Coalition led by Opposition Leader...
due by 2013.
Peter Slipper
Peter Slipper
Peter Neil Slipper , Australian politician, has served as the 27th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2011, after serving as Deputy Speaker following the 2010 election...
of the Liberal National Party of Queensland became an independent and became Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer in the upper house is the President of the Senate....
, taking the Labor government's parliamentary majority from 75-74 to 76-73.
Canada
Independent politicians have held considerable sway in the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in recent years as Canada has been governed by successive minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
s with independent Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) sometimes sharing in the balance of power
Balance of power (parliament)
In parliamentary politics, the term balance of power sometimes describes the pragmatic mechanism exercised by a minor political party or other grouping whose guaranteed support may enable an otherwise minority government to obtain and hold office...
.
In the 2004 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
, Chuck Cadman
Chuck Cadman
Charles "Chuck" Cadman was a Canadian politician and Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2005, representing the riding of Surrey North in Surrey, British Columbia.- Early life :...
was elected to federal parliament as an independent MP representing the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
riding of Surrey North
Surrey North
Surrey North is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. It covers the northern part of Surrey....
. Cadman had previously represented that riding on behalf of the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
and Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
, but after the Canadian Alliance merged with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
to form the new Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
in 2003, Cadman lost the nomination to represent the Conservative Party in that riding to Jasbir Singh Cheema
Jasbir Singh Cheema
Jasbir Singh Cheema is a Canadian television personality and politician.In the 2004 federal election, he ran for and won the Conservative Party of Canada nomination against Chuck Cadman, the sitting Member of Parliament for the riding of Surrey North...
. Cadman then stood in the subsequent election as an independent and defeated Cheema, as well as the candidates of other Canadian parties, by a significant margin.
In the spring of 2005, Cadman cast the tying vote in favour of a budget supported by the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
government of Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
as well as the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP), but opposed by the opposition Conservatives and Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
. Two other independents also voted on that budget. Carolyn Parrish, independent MP for Mississauga—Erindale
Mississauga—Erindale
Mississauga—Erindale is a federalelectoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.It was created in 2003 from parts of Mississauga Centre and Mississauga West ridings....
, had recently been kicked out of the Liberal Party for criticizing US president George W Bush, but nonetheless sided with the Liberals on the budget vote. David Kilgour
David Kilgour
David Kilgour, PC is a former Canadian politician.Kilgour graduated from the University of Manitoba in economics in 1962 and the University of Toronto law school in 1966. From crown attorney in northern Alberta to Canadian Cabinet minister, Kilgour ended his 27 year tenure in the Canadian House of...
independent MP for Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont
Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont
Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:...
, had previously quit the Liberal caucus and voted with the opposition parties against the budget. The tie vote required the Speaker of the House
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
Peter Milliken
Peter Milliken
Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken, UE is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until his retirement in 2011 and served as Speaker of the House for 10 years beginning in 2001. Milliken represented the Ontario riding of Kingston and the Islands as a...
to cast the deciding vote, and he did so in favor of the budget, allowing the government to survive.
Cadman was terminally ill with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at the time he cast his crucial vote, and he died later in 2005. In the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
, his riding was won by NDP candidate Penny Priddy
Penny Priddy
Penny Priddy is a politician from British Columbia, Canada. Originally a nurse, she moved from Ontario to Surrey in 1981 where she worked as a nursing educator...
. Neither Parrish nor Kilgour (nor Pat O'Brien
Pat O'Brien (politician)
Patrick Wayne "Pat" O'Brien, is a former member of the Canadian House of Commons. Elected as a Liberal, he ended his career in 2005 as the independent Member of Parliament for London—Fanshawe in London, Ontario....
, MP for London—Fanshawe
London—Fanshawe
London—Fanshawe is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:The district consists of the southeast part of the City of London....
, who quit the Liberal Party to sit as an independent after the 2005 budget vote) stood for re-election in 2006.
Another independent candidate, André Arthur
André Arthur
André Arthur is a Canadian radio host and politician. He was the independent Member of Parliament for the riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier from 2006 to 2011...
, was elected in the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier
Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier
Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1867...
in 2006, and was the only independent to win a seat in that election. He was re-elected in the October 14, 2008 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
. Former Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
and Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
MP Bill Casey
Bill Casey
William D. "Bill" Casey is a Canadian politician. He is a former Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons.-Life and career:...
, who was expelled from the Conservative Party for voting against the 2007 Federal Budget, also ran as an independent in the 2008 election, easily retaining his seat.
Candidates in federal elections who are not affiliated with a party have two options: independent or no affiliation. In the former case, they appear on the ballot with "Independent" following their name; in the second case, they appear with their name only. The two options are otherwise equivalent.
The territorial legislatures of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
and Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
are consensus government
Consensus government
Consensus government is a form of consensus democracy government in Canada in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, as well as Nunatsiavut, an autonomous area in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
s with no political parties, so that all members sit as independents. There are a few independent members of the other subnational legislatures, which are similar in principle to the federal House of Commons; for example, in the 2009 election
British Columbia general election, 2009
The 39th British Columbia general election was held on May 12, 2009 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, independent candidate Vicki Huntington
Vicki Huntington
Victoria Huntington is a Canadian politician who was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 2009 as an Independent candidate for Delta South.-Political career:...
narrowly defeated incumbent Attorney General
Attorney General of British Columbia
The Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia is a provincial government department responsible for the oversight of the justice system within the province of British Columbia, Canada...
Wally Oppal
Wally Oppal
Wallace Oppal, Q.C. is a Canadian lawyer, former judge and provincial politician, who is currently serving as the Chancellor of the Thompson Rivers University...
as MLA for Delta South
Delta South
Delta South is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Member of Legislative Assembly :The current MLA for this riding is Vicki Huntington, the only Independent elected to the Assembly in the 2009 election....
.
True independents should not be confused with members of parties without official party status
Official party status
Official party status refers to the Canadian practice of recognizing political parties in the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures. The type of recognition and threshold needed to obtain it varies...
in a legislature. Most legislatures provide that a party must hold a certain number of seats to enjoy certain advantages in staffing, budget, ability to ask questions in Question Period
Question Period
Question Period, known officially as Oral Questions occurs each sitting day in the Canadian House of Commons. According to the House of Commons Compendium, “The primary purpose of Question Period is to seek information from the Government and to call it to account for its actions.”-History:The...
, and the like. Although members whose parties do not hold this status may have no more privileges than independent members, they remain representatives of political parties.
Also, members who are expelled from or choose to leave their party caucus may sit as "Independent" with some designation, e.g. "Independent Liberal" or "Independent Conservative," to indicate their affiliation to that party even if it is not officially recognized.
Election as an independent is far more common at the municipal level. Many municipalities have no tradition of political parties.
Hong Kong
More than half of Hong Kong's Legislative Council is made up of independents, or members whose political groups are represented by one sole member in the legislature. They are common in functional constituencies, and are not rare among geographical constituencies. All of them are nevertheless belonging either to the 'Pro-democracy' camp or the 'Pro-BeijingCommunist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
' camp.
Iceland
The current presidentPresident
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is the fifth and current President of Iceland. He has served as President since 1996; he was unopposed in 2000, re-elected for a third term in 2004, and re-elected unopposed for a fourth term in 2008. He is the longest-serving left-wing president in the history of...
, is independent. The 9th prime minister of Iceland, Björn Þórðarson
Björn Þórðarson
Björn Þórðarson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 16 December 1942 to 21 October 1944, in the only government that did not rely on parliamentary support. He was prime minister when Iceland became a republic. His cabinet was named the Coca-Cola rule because two of its ministers started franchises...
, was also independent.
India
Independents are often criticized in India as being dummy candidates put forward by political parties to get around the spending ceiling imposed by the Election CommissionElection Commission of India
The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India. Its mission is to conduct free and fair elections in India...
. Independent candidates are sometimes also rebel candidates from a party contesting the election, who were unable to secure their party's nomination.
Dummy candidates running as independents who bear the same or a similar name to a party candidate have also been put forward by political parties to confuse voters. For example, in the 2009 general election
Indian general election, 2009
India held general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009. With an electorate of 714 million , it was the largest democratic election in the world to date.By constitutional requirement, elections to the Lok Sabha must be...
an independent named Bhakti Adhikary contested the Tamluk constituency, allegedly to confuse voters; the eventually elected contestant was Suvendu Adhikary of the All India Trinamool Congress
All India Trinamool Congress
The All India Trinamool Congress is a state political party in West Bengal. Founded in 1 January 1998, the party is led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Trinamool Congress is currently the second largest member of the ruling United Progressive Alliance coalition...
.
Ireland
After the Irish general election in 2011, there were 16 independent TDs (Members of Parliament) in the DáilDáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
(the lower house of the Irish parliament), representing 10% of the total, excluding the three members of the United Left Alliance
United Left Alliance
The United Left Alliance is an electoral alliance of left-wing political parties and independent politicians in the Republic of Ireland, formed to contest the 2011 general election...
are also members of the Dáil Technical Group of Independent TDs
There are twelve independent senators in the 24th
Members of the 24th Seanad
This is a list of the members of the 24th Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These Senators were elected on 27 April 2011 after postal voting closed. The Taoiseach's nominees were announced on 20 May 2011. The Seanad election took place 60 days after the 2011 general...
Seanad
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
(the upper house of the Irish parliament), representing 20% of the total. Three of these are elected by the graduates of the National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
and two from Dublin University. There are also seven senators who are nominated by the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
who have also formed an independent technical grouping.
Kosovo
KosovoKosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
president Atifete Jahjaga
Atifete Jahjaga
Atifete Jahjaga is the fourth and current President of Kosovo. She is the first female, the first non-partisan candidate, and the youngest to be elected to the office. She is also the first female head of state in modern Balkans...
was elected the first female and Independent President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
not just for Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
but for the whole Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
Malaysia
There are four independent Members of Parliament in the Dewan RakyatDewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat is the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia. All bills must usually be passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara , before they are given Royal Assent by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong...
as of March 2010. In the 2008 general election
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
, Ibrahim Ali
Ibrahim Ali (Malaysia)
Dato' Ibrahim bin Ali is a Malaysian politician and is currently the member of parliament for Pasir Mas. He is also the founder and president of Malay rights group Perkasa.-Political career:...
, Zahrain Mohamed Hashim
Zahrain Mohamed Hashim
Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim is a Malaysian politician and is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Bayan Baru constituency in Penang, Malaysia. He holds the seat as an Independent.-Politics:...
, Tan Tee Beng
Tan Tee Beng
Tan Tee Beng is a Malaysian politician and is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Nibong Tebal constituency in Penang, Malaysia. He holds the seat as an Independent....
and Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri
Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri
Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri is a Malaysian politician and is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Bagan Serai constituency in Perak. He sits in Parliament as an independent....
were each elected on the tickets of parties in the Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat or PR is an informal Malaysian political coalition. It currently controls four state governments while in opposition to the ruling Barisan Nasional at the federal level....
opposition coalition. Each since left their parties to sit as independents.
New Zealand
Originally, all members of the New Zealand parliament were officially non-partisan, although loose groupings did exist informally (initially between supporters of central government versus provincial governments, and later between liberals and conservatives). The foundation of formal political parties around the beginning of the 20th Century considerably diminished the number of unaffiliated politicians, although a smaller number of independent candidates continued to be elected up until the 1940s. Since then, however, there have been relatively few independent politicians in Parliament, none of whom gained their seats in general elections — all either won by-elections or became independents after having been elected as a member of a party.The last person to be directly elected to Parliament as an independent in New Zealand was Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
, who won a 1993 by-election in Tauranga. By the time of the next general election, he had formed his own party, and thus was no longer standing as an independent. Since that time, all independents in Parliament have been those originally elected under a party banner. Some, like Peters, have gone on to found or co-found their own parties, with varying levels of success — examples include Peter Dunne
Peter Dunne
Peter Dunne is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament who leads the United Future political party. He has served as a Cabinet minister in governments dominated by the centre-left Labour Party as well as by the centre-right National Party...
, Taito Phillip Field
Taito Phillip Field
Taito Phillip Hans Field is a Samoan New Zealand politician. He was a Member of Parliament for south Auckland electorates from 1993 to 2008. Field was a minister outside Cabinet in a Labour-led government from 2003 to 2005. Following charges of bribery and perverting the course of justice, he was...
, Gordon Copeland
Gordon Copeland
Gordon Copeland is a New Zealand politician who was a Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2008. He was a list MP for the United Future New Zealand party from 2002 until he resigned from the party in 2007. He is now Party President of The Kiwi Party, which he co-founded with another former United...
, Tau Henare
Tau Henare
Tau Henare is a New Zealand Māori parliamentarian. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1993 to 1999 and returned to Parliament in 2005. He has been involved with four political parties: Mana Motuhake, New Zealand First, Mauri Pacific and the National Party - representing three in...
, and Alamein Kopu
Alamein Kopu
- Birth and early life :Kopu was raised in Opotiki. Her family was not wealthy, and Kopu characterises her youth as containing "much hardship". In 1978, her family moved to Sydney, Australia. In Australia, Kopu became involved with community programs aimed at drug users and prostitutes, something...
. Others have joined parties which were then outside Parliament, such as Frank Grover
Frank Grover
Frank Grover is a former New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1996 to 1999, representing first the Alliance and then the Christian Heritage Party in the House of Representatives.-The Liberals:...
and Tuariki Delamere
Tuariki Delamere
Tuariki John Delamere is a former New Zealand politician. He served as an MP from 1996 to 1999, and was a member of Cabinet for the duration of his term.-Before politics:...
.
There is one independent MP in the current Parliament
49th New Zealand Parliament
The 49th New Zealand Parliament was elected at the 2008 election. It consists of 122 members, including an overhang of two seats caused by the Māori Party having won two more electorate seats than its share of the party vote would otherwise have given it. The Parliament will serve from 2008 until...
, Hone Harawira
Hone Harawira
Hone Pani Tamati Waka Nene Harawira is a New Zealand Māori activist and parliamentarian. He was elected to the Parliament of New Zealand for the Māori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau in the 2005 general election as the Māori Party candidate. His resignation caused the Te Tai Tokerau by-election, held...
, who was elected as a Māori Party
Maori Party
The Māori Party, a political party in New Zealand, was formed on 7 July 2004. The Party is guided by eight constitutional "kaupapa", or Party objectives. Tariana Turia formed the Māori Party after resigning from the Labour Party where she had been a Cabinet Minister in the Fifth Labour-led...
candidate but has now been re-elected as representative of his new political party, Mana, in a by-election. This followed his leaving the Maori party in the course of the current term due to a dispute with his party organisation. There are also two parties which have only a single MP — the Progressives
New Zealand Progressive Party
Jim Anderton's Progressive Party , is a New Zealand political party generally somewhat to the left of its ally, the Labour Party....
with Jim Anderton
Jim Anderton
James Patrick Anderton, usually known as Jim Anderton , is the leader of the Progressive Party, a New Zealand political party. He has served in Parliament since 1984. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 and is currently also the sitting Father of the House, the longest...
and United Future with Peter Dunne
Peter Dunne
Peter Dunne is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament who leads the United Future political party. He has served as a Cabinet minister in governments dominated by the centre-left Labour Party as well as by the centre-right National Party...
. Neither Anderton nor Dunne are classed as independents, but their presence in Parliament is due not to votes for their respective parties but to personal votes in their home electorates, and their status may change if their respective party infrastructures ceased to exist.
Niue
In NiueNiue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
, there have been no political parties since 2003
Niue People's Party
The Niue People's Party was a political party in Niue. Founded in 1977, it was disbanded in 2005. It was, during that time, the country's only political party....
, and all politicians are de facto independents. The government depends on an informal coalition.
Poland
PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
election ordination in practice does not allow lone candidates to run. Tickets always have multiple candidates as every district is represented by multiple Sejm Members. Hence, almost all tickets are partisan. However, during a Sejm term many Sejm Members switch parties or become independents.
Tickets like Civic Platform
Civic Platform
Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...
during the 2001 election
Polish parliamentary election, 2001
Polish parliamentary election in 2001 to Sejm and Senate of Poland were held on the 23rd September. In Sejm elections, 46.29% of citizens cast their votes, 96.01% of those were counted as valid...
were formally non-partisan, Civic Platform was widely viewed as a de facto political party, as it is now.
The situation in the Senate
Senate of Poland
The Senate is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the 'Sejm'. The history of the Polish Senate is rich in tradition and stretches back over 500 years, it was one of the first constituent bodies of a bicameral parliament in Europe and existed without hiatus until the...
is different, as the voting system allows independents to run as single candidates and some are elected in their own right. However, only Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz is independent.
Three Presidents since 1990 have technically been independents. Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
was not an endorsed candidate of any party, but the chairman of the Solidarity and he was elected without full support of this union (Solidarity votes split between him and Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki is a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.-Biography:Mazowiecki comes from a Polish...
). Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Aleksander Kwasniewski
Aleksander Kwaśniewski is a Polish politician who served as the President of Poland from 1995 to 2005. He was born in Białogard, and during communist rule he was active in the Socialist Union of Polish Students and was the Minister for Sport in the communist government in the 1980s...
was a leader of the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland
Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland
Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland was a social-democratic political party in Poland created in 1990, shortly after the Revolutions of 1989. The party was one of two successor parties to the Polish United Workers Party, the other being the Social Democratic Union. SdRP was the leading...
, but formally resigned from the party after he was elected, as did Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
, who was the first leader of Law and Justice
Law and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
, but also resigned from the party on getting elected.
Philippines
Noli de CastroNoli de Castro
Manuel Leuterio de Castro, Jr. , better known as Noli de Castro or "Kabayan" Noli de Castro, was Vice President of the Philippines ....
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
' former vice president
Vice President of the Philippines
-Description:The Vice-President is the first in the Philippine line of succession, assuming the Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal by impeachment and subsequent conviction of the incumbent. The position was abolished by Martial Law in 1972, and was not included in the original text...
, ran as senator
Philippine general election, 2001
The senatorial election was held in the Philippines on May 14, 2001. Independent candidate Noli de Castro, a former television anchor of TV Patrol of ABS-CBN was announced as the topnotcher...
in 2001 with no political party affiliation. He was a guest candidate of the opposition Pwersa ng Masa coalition but he never joined their campaign rallies. He won in the senate race with the highest votes (then) in Philippine history. In 2004, he ran as vice president
Philippine presidential election, 2004
The Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections of 2004 was held on Monday, May 10, 2004. In the presidential election, incumbent president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo successfully won a full six-year term as President, with a margin of just over one million votes over her leading opponent,...
as a guest candidate of the administration K-4 coalition
Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan
The Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan is the political coalition that supported president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who won the 2004 Philippine presidential elections. It is the remnant of the People Power Coalition that was formed following the ascendancy of president Gloria...
and won with just under majority of the vote.
Starting in 2001, senators
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
had also resigned from their respective parties to become independents; currently there are more independent senators than any other single political party. However, in contesting elections, all elected independents had been members of either the administration or the opposition coalition, until in the 2007 Senate election
Philippine Senate election, 2007
Election to the Senate of the Philippines was held on Monday, May 14, 2007. This is to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate. Together with those elected in 2004, they will comprise the 14th Congress via plurality-at-large voting. The senators elected in 2004 will serve until June 30, 2010, while...
when Gregorio Honasan (a former senator) was elected as an independent while not a being member of any coalition. Honasan was earlier elected in 1995 as an independent as a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition
Nationalist People's Coalition
The Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC is a political party in the Philippines.-History:The Party was founded in 1991 after some members of the Nacionalista Party led by then Rizal Governor Isidro Rodriguez bolted from the Nacionalista Party after some disagreements with Nacionalista party...
-led coalition to become the first elected independent senator since Magnolia Antonino
Magnolia Antonino
Magnolia Welborn-Antonino was a Senator of the Philippines. The daughter of George Welborn and Hipolita Rodriguez, she was married to Gaudencio Antonino, also a Senator. She was born in Balaoan, La Union.-Early life:...
in 1967, although Antonino was a guest candidate of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Philippines)
The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...
then.
In the local level, former priest Eddie Panlilio
Eddie Panlilio
Eduardo "Among Ed" Tongol Panlilio was a Kapampangan Filipino Roman Catholic priest and governor of the province of Pampanga. He was suspended from his priestly ministry upon announcing his intention to run as governor...
was elected as governor of Pampanga
Pampanga
Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast...
in 2007, defeating two administration candidates. When Panlilio eventually transferred to the Liberal Party in time for the 2010 election, it was ruled that he was beaten in the 2007 election; in 2010, he was defeated.
In the 2010 House of Representatives elections
Philippine House of Representatives elections, 2010
The 2010 Philippine House of Representatives elections were held on May 10, 2010 to elect members to the House of Representatives of the Philippines to serve in the 15th Congress of the Philippines from June 30, 2010 to June 30, 2013...
, seven independents were elected, although all but two joined a political party after the elections.
In contesting elections, independent candidates are required by law to spend less than candidates nominated by a party.
Russia
All of Russia's Presidents have been independents. Current President Dmitry MedvedevDmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
was offered to join United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
but politely declined, saying that he believes the President should be an independent so that he serves the interests of the country rather than his political party.
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
, the current prime minister of Russia, is the head of the United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
party, but is not its member, thus formally is independent.
United Kingdom
Independent Members of Parliament were once frequently elected in the United Kingdom, but they have been much less successful in the last half-century. (See List of UK minor party and independent MPs elected.)One independent MP was elected in the 2010 election:
- Sylvia HermonSylvia HermonSylvia Eileen Hermon, Lady Hermon is a Northern Irish politician. Since 2001, she has been the Member of Parliament for the constituency of North Down, first elected for the Ulster Unionist Party , but now an independent...
(MP for North DownNorth Down (UK Parliament constituency)North Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Sylvia Hermon, elected as an Independent in the 2010 General Election. -Boundaries:The county constituency was first created in 1885 from the northern part of Down...
), having left the Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
over its link with the toriesConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
Two independent or local party MPs were elected in the 2005 election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
:
- Peter LawPeter LawPeter John Law was a Welsh politician.- Labour Co-operative AM and Independent MP :For most of his career Law sat as a Labour Councillor and subsequently Labour Co-operative Assembly Member for Blaenau Gwent...
(MP for Blaenau GwentBlaenau Gwent (UK Parliament constituency)Blaenau Gwent is a county constituency in South Wales, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- History :...
), who died on April 25, 2006 - after which the by-electionBlaenau Gwent by-elections, 2006Two by-elections were held for the constituency of Blaenau Gwent in Wales following the death of Member of Parliament and Assembly Member Peter Law on 25 April 2006. As Law was the MP and Assembly Member , his death required by-elections in both the parliamentary seat and the equivalent Welsh...
yielded another independent MP - Dai DaviesDai Davies (politician)David Clifford Davies, commonly known as Dai Davies, was the Blaenau Gwent People's Voice Member of Parliament for the Blaenau Gwent constituency in South Wales from 2006 to 2010...
. - Dr. Richard TaylorRichard Taylor (UK politician)Richard Thomas Taylor FRCP is an English doctor and former politician. He served as an Independent Member of Parliament for Wyre Forest between 2001 and 2010...
, sole MP of the Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health ConcernIndependent Kidderminster Hospital and Health ConcernIndependent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern is a political party based in Kidderminster, United Kingdom...
party (for the constituency of Wyre ForestWyre Forest (UK Parliament constituency)Wyre Forest is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
). Taylor's election to Parliament was most notable for the fact that he was the only independent in recent times to have been re-elected for a second term.
There have also been several instances of MPs being elected under the auspices of a particular party, then resigning the party whip, or having it withdrawn: examples in the 2005-2010 parliament included Clare Short
Clare Short
Clare Short is a British politician, and a member of the Labour Party. She was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood from 1983 to 2010; for most of this period she was a Labour Party MP, but she resigned the party whip in 2006 and served the remainder of her term as an Independent. She...
and Robert Wareing (formerly Labour) and Derek Conway
Derek Conway
Derek Leslie Conway TD is an English politician and television presenter. A member of the centre-right Conservative Party, Conway served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup from 2001 to 2010....
(formerly Conservative).
News reporter Martin Bell
Martin Bell
Martin Bell, OBE, is a British UNICEF Ambassador, a former broadcast war reporter and former independent politician...
was elected as an Independent MP for Tatton
Tatton (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1980s :- Sources :* Data for the 2005 election are from the .* Data for the 2001 election are from http://www.election.demon.co.uk/....
from 1997 to 2001 having stood on an anti-corruption platform.
The House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
includes a large number of independent peers, who are usually known as crossbenchers.
The introduction of directly elected mayors in several parts of England has witnessed the election of independent candidates to run councils in Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough (borough)
-External links:*...
, Bedford
Bedford (borough)
Bedford is a unitary authority with the status of a borough in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. Its council is based at Bedford, which is also the county town of Bedfordshire. The borough contains a single urban area, the 69th largest in the United Kingdom that comprises Bedford and...
, Hartlepool
Hartlepool (borough)
Hartlepool is a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of County Durham, north east England. In 2003 it had a resident population of 90,161. It borders the non-metropolitan county of County Durham to the north, Stockton-on-Tees to the south and Redcar and Cleveland to the south-east along the...
and Mansfield
Mansfield (district)
Mansfield is a local government district in Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 UK census, its population was 98,181.Unlike most English districts, its council is led by a directly elected mayor, currently Tony Egginton, an independent...
. The first Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
, Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, was originally elected as an independent, having run against the official Labour candidate Frank Dobson
Frank Dobson
Frank Gordon Dobson, is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras since 1979...
. He was subsequently re-admitted to the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
before his first re-election campaign.
Independent candidates frequently stand and are elected to local councils. There is a special Independent group of the Local Government Association
Local Government Association
The Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
to cater for them.
Independent candidates frequently stand in parliamentary elections, often with platforms about specific local issues, but usually with little success. A typical example from the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
was when Aston Villa supporter Ian Robinson stood as an independent candidate in the Sutton Coldfield constituency
Sutton Coldfield (UK Parliament constituency)
Sutton Coldfield is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
, in protest at the way chairman Doug Ellis
Doug Ellis
Herbert Douglas Ellis, OBE , is an entrepreneur, best known as the former chairman of Aston Villa Football Club.-Early life:...
ran the club. Another example, in the Salisbury constituency
Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Salisbury is a county constituency centred on the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system....
, of an independent candidate is Arthur Uther Pendragon
Arthur Uther Pendragon
Arthur Uther Pendragon is an English eco-campaigner, neo-druid leader, media personality, and self-declared reincarnation of King Arthur, a name by which he is also known.-Early years:...
- British activist and self-declared reincarnation of King Arthur.
At the 2003 Scottish Parliamentary elections
Scottish Parliament election, 2003
The Scottish Parliament election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive...
, three MSPs were elected as Independents: Dennis Canavan
Dennis Canavan
Dennis Andrew Canavan is a Scottish politician, and was an Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament for Falkirk West.-Early life:He was born in Cowdenbeath....
(Falkirk West
Falkirk West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Falkirk West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
), Dr Jean Turner
Jean Turner
Dr. Jean McGivern Turner is a former Independent Member of the Scottish Parliament for Strathkelvin and Bearsden....
(Strathkelvin and Bearsden
Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Strathkelvin and Bearsden is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
) and Margo MacDonald
Margo MacDonald
Margo MacDonald MSP is a Scottish politician and former Scottish National Party MP and Deputy Leader...
(Lothians). In 2004 Campbell Martin (West of Scotland region) left the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
to become an independent and in 2005 Brian Monteith
Brian Monteith
Brian Monteith is a Scottish public relations consultant, politician and commentator, who was a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament between 1999 and 2007.-Education:...
(Mid Scotland and Fife) left the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
to become an independent. At the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
Margo MacDonald was again returned as an independent MSP.
Other independent candidates are associated with a political party and may be former members of it, but are not able to stand under its label. For instance, after being expelled from the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
but before joining the Respect Coalition
RESPECT The Unity Coalition
Respect is a socialist political party in England and Wales founded in 2004. Its name is a contrived acronym standing for Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environmentalism, Community and Trade Unionism.-Policies:...
, British Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
described himself as "Independent Labour".
A third category of independents are those who may belong to or support a political party but believe they should not formally represent it and thus be subject to its policies. This was common among members of most political parties for the purpose of British local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
elections until the last quarter of the twentieth century.
Some independents in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
have registered locality-based political parties. British examples include Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern
Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern
Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern is a political party based in Kidderminster, United Kingdom...
, Epsom and Ewell Residents Association, Loughton Residents Association, Derwentside Independents
Derwentside Independents
Derwentside Independents are a political party in the United Kingdom registered in 2001. They contest elections in County Durham.The party has 10 councillors on the unitary Durham County Council. The party is one of two groups of independents on the county council, and forms part of the opposition...
, East Yorkshire Independents ; many are local residents' or ratepayers' associations that contest elections. They are usually considered independent as they have no alignment in national politics.
On 23 March 2005 the Independent Network
Independent Network
The Independent Network is a United Kingdom-based non-profit organisation supporting independent politicians and political candidates.Founded in 2005, the IN consists of supporters and volunteers who advocate non-partisan politics. Martin Bell and Richard Taylor have been involved...
was set up to support independent candidates in the General Election. The Independent Network still supports Independent candidates in local, regional, national and European elections. It has an organic set of principles known as the Bell Principles and are very closely related to Lord Nolan's Standards of Public Life
Committee on Standards in Public Life
The Committee on Standards in Public Life is an advisory non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom Government.The Committee on Standards in Public Life is constituted as a standing body with its members appointed for up to three years.-History:...
. The Independent Network does not impose any ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
or political influence on their candidates.
In March 2009, Sir Paul Judge
Paul Judge
Sir Paul Judge is a British businessman and politician. He is Chairman of plc, a director of ENRC plc, of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, of Standard Bank Group Ltd of Johannesburg and of Tempur-Pedic International Inc...
established the Jury Team, an umbrella organisation dedicated to increasing the number of Independent candidates standing in the UK, both in domestic and European elections.
President
Historically, George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
was the only president elected as an independent, as he was not formally affiliated with any party during his two terms.
John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
was expelled from the Whig Party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
in September 1841, and remained effectively an independent for the remainder of his presidency, later returning to the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He briefly sought re-election in 1844
United States presidential election, 1844
In the United States presidential election of 1844, Democrat James K. Polk defeated Whig Henry Clay in a close contest that turned on foreign policy, with Polk favoring the annexation of Texas and Clay opposed....
as a National Democrat, but withdrew as he feared to split the Democratic vote.
Recent prominent independent candidates for president of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
include John Anderson in 1980, Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
in 1992
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
, and Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
in the 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
and 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
elections. In 2008, independent Presidential candidate, Ralph Nader formed Independent Parties in New Mexico, Delaware, and elsewhere to gain ballot access in several states. This strategy has been pursued by several 'independent' candidates for Federal races, including Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
(Connecticut for Lieberman
Connecticut for Lieberman
Connecticut for Lieberman is a Connecticut political party created by twenty-five supporters of Senator Joe Lieberman. The party was created to enable Lieberman to run for re-election following his defeat in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary...
), because in some states it is easier to gain ballot access by creating a new political party than to gather signatures for a nominating petition.
Governor
IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
are the only states to have elected formally independent candidates as governor: Illinois' first two governors, Shadrach Bond
Shadrach Bond
Shadrach Bond was a representative from Illinois Territory to the United States Congress. In 1818, he was elected the first Governor of Illinois, becoming the new state's first chief executive...
and Edward Coles
Edward Coles
Edward Coles manumitted his slaves in 1819, was secretary to James Madison , neighbor and anti-slavery associate of Thomas Jefferson and was the second Governor of Illinois, serving from 1822 to 1826...
; James B. Longley
James B. Longley
James Bernard Longley, Sr. was an American politician. He served as the 69th Governor of Maine from 1975 to 1979, and was the first Independent to hold the office. In 1949, he married the former Helen Angela Walsh, who died on September 13, 2005. They had five children, including former Republican...
in 1974 as well as Angus King
Angus King
Angus S. King, Jr. served two terms as the 72nd Governor of Maine from 1995 to 2003. Since 2004, King has been a distinguished lecturer at Bowdoin College teaching a course called "Leaders and Leadership"; in the fall of 2009, he also taught a similar course at Bates College...
in 1994 and 1998 from Maine; Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician who has been the 74th Governor of Rhode Island since January 2011. Prior to his election as governor, Chafee served in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1999 until losing his Senate re-election bid in 2006 to Democrat Sheldon...
in 2010 from Rhode Island; Julius Meier
Julius Meier
Julius L. Meier was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of the Meier & Frank department store founder, he would become a lawyer before entering the family business in Portland...
in 1930 from Oregon; and Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
in 1859 from Texas. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
Lowell Palmer Weicker, Jr. is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the 85th Governor of Connecticut, and unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for President in 1980...
is sometimes mentioned as an independent governor, though this is not technically correct; he ran as A Connecticut Party
A Connecticut Party
A Connecticut Party was a political party formed by former Republican Senator and gubernatorial candidate Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. in 1990. Weicker subsequently won the election and served a single term as Governor of Connecticut...
candidate (which gave him better ballot placement than an unaffiliated candidate would receive), defeating the Democratic and Republican party nominees. Another former governor who is sometimes mentioned as an independent is Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura
James George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
, who actually ran as a member of the Reform Party's
Reform Party of the United States of America
The Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
Minnesota affiliate, which later disaffiliated from the party and reverted to their original name the Independence Party of Minnesota
Independence Party of Minnesota
The Independence Party of Minnesota , formerly the Reform Party of Minnesota, is the third largest political party in Minnesota, behind the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Republican Party . It is the political party of former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura , and endorsed former U.S...
.
In 1971, State Senator Henry Howell
Henry Howell
Henry Evans Howell, Jr. , nicknamed "Howlin'" Henry Howell, was an American politician from the U.S. state of Virginia...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, a former Democrat, was elected lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
as an independent. Two years later, he campaigned for governor
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
as an independent, losing the election by only 15,000 votes.
There were several unsuccessful independent gubernatorial candidates in 2006 who impacted their electoral races. In Maine, state legislator Barbara Merrill
Barbara Merrill
Barbara Merrill is an American politician from Maine. Elected as a Democrat to the state legislature, she left the party in 2006 to become an independent candidate for Governor of Maine....
(formerly a Democrat) received 21% of the vote in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. In Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer and mystery novelist
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
Kinky Friedman
Kinky Friedman
Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American Texas Country singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election...
received 12.43% of the vote, and State Comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Carole Keeton Strayhorn is the former Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts....
received 18.13%. Strayhorn and Friedman's presence in the race resulted in a splitting of the ballot four ways between themselves and the two major parties.
In 2010, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
governor Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
left the Republican party and became Independent rather than face former state house
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The House is composed of 120 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 156,677.The House convenes at...
Speaker
Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
The Speaker is the presiding member of the Florida House of Representatives...
Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ....
in the Republican primary (Rubio won, though Crist came in ahead of Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek
Kendrick Meek
Kendrick Brett Meek is an American politician who was the U.S. Representative for from 2003 to 2011. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 Senate election for the seat of Mel Martinez, but he lost in a three way race to Republican Marco Rubio along with Independent Charlie Crist.-Early life,...
).
Congress
There have been several independents elected to the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
throughout history. Notable examples include David Davis
David Davis (Supreme Court justice)
David Davis was a United States Senator from Illinois and associate justice of the United States Supreme Court. He also served as Abraham Lincoln's campaign manager at the 1860 Republican National Convention....
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
(a former Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) in the nineteenth century, and Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
Harry Flood Byrd, Jr. is a retired American politician. He represented Virginia in the United States Senate from 1965 to 1983. He is most notable for leaving the Democratic Party in 1970 and becoming an Independent, although he continued to caucus with the Democrats. He is the son of Harry F....
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(who had been elected to his first term as a Democrat) in the twentieth century. Some officials have been elected as members of a party but became independent while in office (without being elected as such), such as Wayne Morse
Wayne Morse
Wayne Lyman Morse was a politician and attorney from Oregon, United States, known for his proclivity for opposing his parties' leadership, and specifically for his opposition to the Vietnam War on constitutional grounds....
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
or Virgil Goode
Virgil Goode
Virgil Hamlin Goode, Jr. , is an American politician, last serving as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented the 5th congressional district of Virginia from 1997 to 2009...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
senator Jim Jeffords
Jim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
left the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to become an independent in 2001. Jeffords's change of party status
Party switching
Party-switching is any change in political party affiliation of a partisan public figure, usually one currently holding elected office.In many countries, party-switching takes the form of politicians refusing to support their political parties in coalition governments...
was especially significant because it shifted the Senate composition from 50-50 between the Republicans and Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
(with a Republican Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
, Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
, who would presumably break all ties in favor of the Republicans), to 49 Republicans, 50 Democrats, and one Independent. Jeffords agreed to vote for Democratic control of the Senate in exchange for being appointed chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Democrats held control of the Senate until the Congressional elections in 2002, when the Republicans regained their majority. Jeffords retired at the end of his term in 2007. Wayne Morse after two years as an independent became Democrat, while Goode switched to Republican.
Representative Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
was an independent member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for Vermont-at-large from 1991 to 2007. Sanders later won the open Senate seat of Jim Jeffords
Jim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
as an independent. Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
a former Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
who ran, like Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., under a third party (Connecticut for Lieberman Party
Connecticut for Lieberman
Connecticut for Lieberman is a Connecticut political party created by twenty-five supporters of Senator Joe Lieberman. The party was created to enable Lieberman to run for re-election following his defeat in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic primary...
) in the 2006 election
Connecticut United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman lost the August 8th Democratic primary to Ned Lamont. Lieberman formed his own third party and won in the general election to a fourth term.-Democratic primary:The...
. Though both representatives are technically independent politicians, they caucus with the Democrats. In 2006, Sanders and Lieberman were the only two victorious independent candidates for Congress.
State and local offices
In August 2008, there were twelve people who held offices as independents in state legislatures. There were four state senators, one from KentuckyKentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
, one from Oregon, one from Tennessee
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
, and one from New Mexico
New Mexico Senate
The New Mexico Senate is the upper house of the New Mexico State Legislature. The Senate consists of 42 members, with each senator representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state. All senatorial districts are divided to contain a population on average of 43,300...
. The representatives came from the states of Louisiana
Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
(two), Maine
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...
(two), Vermont
Vermont House of Representatives
The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...
(two), and Virginia
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
(two). In the 2008 general elections, Wisconsin State Assemblyman Jeffrey Wood left the Republican Party and won reelection as an independent. After the 2008 primary election, New Mexico State Senator Joseph Carraro
Joseph Carraro
Joseph J. Carraro is an Independent politician in New Mexico, and was a member of the New Mexico Senate representing the 26rd district from 1985 to 1989. After his neighborhood was moved into another district as part of the 1990 redistricting of the New Mexico Legislature, he was elected as the...
left the Republican Party and registered as an Independent. He did not run for reelection.
In November 2005 Manny Diaz
Manny Diaz
Manuel "Manny" Alberto Diaz is a Cuban American politician who served as the mayor of Miami, Florida from 2001–2009....
was elected Mayor of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
as an independent. On June 19, 2007, New York Mayor
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent. Oscar Goodman
Oscar Goodman
Oscar Baylin Goodman is an American lawyer and politician. He was the mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada from 1999 to 2011. Mayor Goodman is an Independent and a former member of the Democratic Party.-Biography:...
, Mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
switched his affiliation to Independent from Democrat in December 2009.
Yugoslavia
On 15 June 1992, Dobrica ĆosićDobrica Cosic
Dobrica Ćosić is a Serbian writer, as well as a political and Serb nationalist theorist. He was the first president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1993...
was elected Federal President as first non-partisan head of state in Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
history. Ćosić held the position until 1 June 1993, when he was removed from the position.