Host T.J. O'Hara is joined by Nick Troiano, executive director of The Centrist Project.

T.J and Troiano discuss the latest endeavors of The Centrist Project, including projects in support of independent candidates across the nation, how independents could change the US’s health care discussion, what an independent caucus would look like, and more.

The Centrist Project joined a coalition, including Represent.Us and the Independent Voter Project, to organize, educate, and empower grassroots activists through the event Unrig the System, on August 5 in Denver, Colorado.

"Our goal is that there would be a third box on the screen. Instead of just having your left wing representative screaming at your right wing representative, there’d be someone in the center to offer a perspective that would resonate with the common sense approach of most Americans."

Nick Troiano, earned a Master’s degree in American Government from Georgetown University, and is currently a civic entrepreneur based in San Francisco, California. He is the executive director of The Centrist Project, which aims to elect independent candidates to office in order to bridge the growing partisan divide.

Nick worked for Change.org on Change Politics – a nonpartisan platform that empowers citizens to make informed decisions. In 2016, he was named to the "Forbes 30 Under 30" for Law & Policy.

In 2014, Nick ran for the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania’s 10th District. He drew national attention as the youngest candidate and most successful independent of the cycle, with over 22,000 votes.

In 2012, Nick co-founded The Can Kicks Back campaign to advocate bipartisan policies to reduce the national debt, and was instrumental in the introduction of the INFORM Act to increase transparency in the federal budget.