So far this year, 3,120 candidates empowered by GoodParty.org have won their elections at the local and state levels. All of these candidates pledged to run Independent, people-powered, anti-corruption, and civil campaigns for elected office. Now, they are going on to serve their communities with integrity.
Read on to learn where Independent candidates won their elections, how GoodParty.org’s campaign tools and support helped power these candidates to victory, and where the Independent movement is headed in 2025 and beyond.
Where Independent Candidates Won Elections in 2024
Independent and non-partisan candidates won elections for mayor, city council, school board, state legislature, and more local and state-level offices in 47 states and Washington, D.C.
In total, 6,206 Independent candidates empowered by GoodParty.org competed in elections on and before November 5, 2024. Together, these candidates earned 39,314,440 votes — giving Independent candidates a win rate of 50.3% this year.
Below, we’ll explore which states and which elected offices saw the highest numbers of Independent winners.
The States with the Most Independent Wins
Here is the breakdown of how many GoodParty.org-empowered candidates won their elections in each state:
- Minnesota: 941 winning candidates
- California: 355 winning candidates
- Michigan: 318 winning candidates
- Kentucky: 156 winning candidates
- Florida: 128 winning candidates
- Virginia: 125 winning candidates
- Oregon: 110 winning candidates
- New Jersey: 105 winning candidates
- Texas: 83 winning candidates
- Arizona: 81 winning candidates
- South Carolina: 75 winning candidates
- District of Columbia: 63 winning candidates
- Indiana: 60 winning candidates
- Tennessee: 57 winning candidates
- Iowa: 53 winning candidates
- Nebraska: 45 winning candidates
- North Carolina: 43 winning candidates
- Wyoming: 37 winning candidates
- Arkansas: 33 winning candidates
- North Dakota: 26 winning candidates
- Washington: 22 winning candidates
- Rhode Island: 16 winning candidates
- Georgia: 15 winning candidates
- Nevada: 13 winning candidates
- Utah: 11 winning candidates
- Vermont: 10 winning candidates
- Alaska: 9 winning candidates
- Maine: 9 winning candidates
- Maryland: 9 winning candidates
- Montana: 7 winning candidates
- Massachusetts: 6 winning candidates
- New York: 6 winning candidates
- Kansas: 5 winning candidates
- Mississippi: 5 winning candidates
- West Virginia: 5 winning candidates
- Colorado: 4 winning candidates
- Hawaii: 4 winning candidates
- Ohio: 4 winning candidates
- Oklahoma: 4 winning candidates
- Wisconsin: 3 winning candidates
- Connecticut: 2 winning candidates
- Delaware: 2 winning candidates
- Alabama: 1 winning candidate
- Illinois: 1 winning candidate
- Louisiana: 1 winning candidate
- Missouri: 1 winning candidate
- New Hampshire: 1 winning candidate
- Pennsylvania: 1 winning candidate
See the full, interactive map (https://goodparty.org/candidates) of where Independent candidates won elections this year.
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The Elected Offices with the Most Independent Wins
Here is the breakdown of how many GoodParty.org Certified candidates won their elections for the top elected positions:
- City Council: 1,124 winning candidates
- School Board: 939 winning candidates
- Other Local Offices: 352 winning candidates
- Mayor: 251 winning candidates
- Town Council: 201 winning candidates
- County Supervisor: 93 winning candidates
- Clerk or Treasurer: 64 winning candidates
- Judge: 33 winning candidates
- Sheriff: 7 winning candidates
- State House of Representatives: 2 winning candidates
- Attorney: 2 winning candidates
- Alderman: 1 winning candidate
Curious about how many elected offices there are in total? Explore our ultimate list of U.S. elected offices.
How GoodParty.org Empowered 3,120 Winning Independent Campaigns
Independent candidates are often seen as “election spoilers,” with little chance of winning elections. So how did 3,120 Independent candidates win in 2024?
In our changing political landscape, more Independent candidates are stepping up to offer voters valuable alternatives — and putting in the hard work to make their campaigns a success. GoodParty.org supported 3,120 winning candidates with free campaign management software, access to a community of Independent volunteers, and affordable access to voter data and SMS/MMS messaging.
Here are some of the key ways GoodParty.org’s tools and community support lifted up winning campaigns this November:
- Peer-to-Peer Messaging: In October 2024, GoodParty.org’s volunteers and team members sent over 3.7 million text messages on behalf of Independent candidates. These candidates used text messaging to get out the vote and rally voter support leading up to election day.
- Custom Voter Files: Independent candidates used GoodParty.org’s Pro tools (https://lp.goodparty.org/pro-lp/) to download voter files customized to their district and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) strategy.
- One-on-One Political Consulting: Candidates booked over 500 meetings with GoodParty.org’s team of expert political consultants in October. These meetings gave candidates the insights they needed to get out the vote and win their elections.
- Canvassing Software: GoodParty.org partnered with Ecanvasser to give 100 Independent candidates access to effective door-knocking software.
- Pre-Recorded Message Campaigns: Candidates reached 22,740 voters with robocall campaigns, leaving pre-recorded messages on voters’ answering machines.
- Campaign Content Generators: From canvassing scripts to social media captions, Independent candidates used GoodParty.org’s AI-powered campaign content generators to tailor their messaging to each audience.
- Virtual Campaign Trainings: Throughout the months leading up to election day, GoodParty.org has hosted virtual campaign training sessions, sharing the wisdom of 50+ years of campaign experience with first-time candidates.
- Library of Campaign Resources: Candidates have gotten access to GoodParty.org’s full library of campaign guides and best practices.
- Community Feedback: Independent candidates connected with volunteers and others running for office in the GoodParty.org Community (https://community.goodparty.org/). There, volunteers and candidates exchanged feedback on campaign materials, as well as encouragement in the run-up to election day.
Want to learn more about GoodParty.org’s full suite of campaign tools for Independent candidates? Take a virtual tour of our core offerings.
Building Momentum for More Independent Victories
This year’s victories for Independent candidates are only the beginning!
The 2024 election cycle isn’t over yet. This December, there are more elections coming up in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. These elections will include important local races like the race for Austin, Texas’ city legislature.
As we move toward 2025, GoodParty.org has an exciting vision to continue empowering candidates who are committed to creating a more representative democracy.
Looking further ahead, there are over 90,000 elections coming up in 2025. That’s over 90,000 opportunities for Independent, people-powered, and anti-corruption candidates to offer real representation for their communities.
Want to explore all of the local elections taking place in 2025? Use our election look-up tool (https://goodparty.org/elections) to find what public offices are coming up for election near you.
Jump into the Race in 2025
The time is now to consider running for office in 2025!
With filing deadlines approaching quickly, take these steps to make your mark on the 2025 elections:
- Find out what offices are up for election in your community in 2025.
- Consider your skillset, passions, and experience as you decide which elected office to run for in 2025.
- Book a meeting with GoodParty.org’s team of political experts to discuss launching your campaign for public office.
- Get your campaign off the ground early with GoodParty.org’s free tools for Independent and nonpartisan candidates.
- Explore our full collection of learning resources to guide you through the next election cycle.
Finally, stay up-to-date with the latest news from the Independent movement by signing up for GoodParty.org’s newsletter.
Together, we can empower more Independent success stories in 2025 and beyond!