Who's an Independent? Part Two: Independent Governors

Published: 01 Aug, 2012

●

Updated: 13 Oct, 2022

●

1 min read

Angus King, former independent governor of Maine in 1994 and 1998 is running for senate as an independent in November. King has gotten a lot of media atention so far, what other independent governors are we overlooking?

Illinois Maine Minnesota Oregon Rhode Island and Texas have all had formally elected independent governors.

In 1974, Illinois elected its first two governors, Shadrach Bond and Edward Coles, both independents.

Besides Angus King, Maine elected independent James B Longley in 1974.

Jesse Ventura of Minnesota ran as a member of the Reform Party, which later reverted back to their original tittle, the Independence Part of Minnesota.

Oregon elected Julius Meier, an independent Governor all the way back in 1930 and Rhode Island elected an independent govenor most recently in 2010, Lincoln Chafee.

Texas takes the cake for oldest elected independent governor- Sam Houston (last name sound familiar?) was elected in 1859, unafiliated with any party.

Latest articles

Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?

California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....

03 Jul, 2025

7 min read

After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'

A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....

03 Jul, 2025

3 min read

NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots

An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....

01 Jul, 2025

6 min read