independent candidate
Partyless office seeker
An independent candidate runs for political office without affiliation to any established party.
Independents may reject party platforms, fail to secure a nomination, or simply prefer running on their own terms.
In winner-take-all systems, independent candidates rarely win major offices but can influence outcomes by drawing votes from major-party contenders: The independent candidate siphoned enough support to tip the election.
- third-partyExternal, uninvolved entity
- outsiderOne excluded from group
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- nonpartisanNot aligned politically
- write-inVoter-supplied ballot name
spoiler · insurgent · grassroots · underdog · name recognition · ballot · campaign · running mate · Ross Perot · rogue · unaffiliated · populist · third way · rebel · dark horse · long shot · petition · signatures
- candidatesnominee, nominees, contender, contenders, hopeful
independent, candidate, depend, dependent, dependence, dependency, independently, independence, interdependent