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DENVER, COLO. - Unite America, a national organization providing support for independent candidates running for elected office in various states, hosted the first-ever Unite Summit in Denver, Colorado, this past weekend. Attendees came from across the country to hear about the future of the independent movement, as it has come to be called, and what could be done to successfully effect change in American politics. Panels were held and speeches given on running competitive independent campaigns

Millions of voters are not just choosing to self-identify as independent of the two major parties, they are dumping their party registrations in droves. In about half the states that register voters by party, independent voters outnumber at least one of the two major political parties. But here are 9 states where independents not only outnumber registered Republicans AND Democrats, they are also having a significant impact on political developments within the state. Note: All registration numb

The independent and nonpartisan reform movements have never seen the momentum they are seeing today. Voters are ditching the Republican and Democratic Parties in droves. A record number of independent and third party candidates are running. And, powerful coalitions are forming to transform the US political system into one that is more representative of the diverse political landscape in America. We are witnessing history in the making. Here are the 15 biggest developments in the independent mov

JUNEAU, ALASKA - Independent Alaska Governor Bill Walker signed a new anti-corruption law Thursday that reduces the influence of special interests, lobbyist gifts, and cracks down on taxpayer-funded foreign travel. HB 44 passed the legislature after a nearly identical ballot measure was proposed earlier this year. The bill received broad support from Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the legislature. Rumors suggest that lobbyists for the oil industry made a last minute effort against

I miss Anthony Kennedy already. Other people have written eloquently about Kennedy’s contributions to the Supreme Court. After the retirement of Sandra Day O’Connor (whom I miss, too), Kennedy became the swing vote in case after case. When a seminal case was argued before the high court, Kennedy was the justice who had to be persuaded. When a 5-4 decision came down, Kennedy was usually that crucial fifth vote. Sometimes he voted with the more liberal wing of the court; sometimes he voted with t

"I look em' in the eye and say you guys are heroes for what you did." ~ Sen. Bob Hertzberg California Senator and former Speaker of the Assembly Bob Hertzberg is one happy camper. The longtime Senator led the legislatures successful push to pass the most far-reaching privacy bill in the country. Sen. Hertzberg hailed the efforts of the proponents of the California Consumer Privacy Act and members of the legislature. The two groups worked long hours to forge a compromise bill that unanimously

Last night as I pulled out of the driveway with my 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter in the truck, an NPR story was running the audio of crying kids at a border detention facility. I usually turn the news off when they’re with me. But it was too late. My very sensitive daughter was immediately concerned. “What’s wrong with those kids,” she asked. “Why are they crying?” Kids aren’t conservative or liberal. They don’t think about media bias or political spin. They hear something. They proce

It’s been a while! However, no matter how little we’ve written about independent candidates and organizations over the past month, actions continue to be taken by those who look to change the two-party system. Let’s start with Unite America and the candidates that fall under their umbrella. Neal Simon, running for U.S. Senate in Maryland, had a fantastic month while opening his new campaign office. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.170783426893078.1073741830.126383201333101&type=1&l=15

Democratic Senator and former Speaker of the Assembly, Bob Hertzberg, isn't slowing down. The 63-year-old represents the 18th Senate District (San Fernando Valley) and is once again on the ballot for a June primary. I say again because Hertzberg was first elected to the Assembly in 1996 when he won the 40th District Assembly seat. In 2000, Senator Hertzberg became the Assembly speaker and served in that capacity for two years. He left the legislature to focus on business ventures, only to retur

There has long been speculation that US businessman Mark Cuban might run for president as an independent or third party candidate in 2020. While there is a giant question mark over a potential presidential run, it's certainly clear that Cuban believes something needs to be done to break up the two-party duopoly: https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/996943847673548800 And Cuban went on for several tweets about the need to unite as Americans and reject tribalistic politics and the two-party status