Dems Backing Independents in Red States05/15 06:12

   Democratic leaders, desperate to compete in red states where their party 
brand is toxic, are embracing something new this midterm season: not backing 
Democrats.

   NEW YORK (AP) -- Democratic leaders, desperate to compete in red states 
where their party brand is toxic, are embracing something new this midterm 
season: not backing Democrats.

   In states like Nebraska and Alaska, Democratic officials are, in some cases, 
looking past their own party's candidates while subtly encouraging -- or even 
openly promoting -- independent candidates they hope can outperform the 
Democratic label. The Democratic National Committee and some of its allies in 
Washington are quietly supporting the new strategy.

   Meanwhile, some of the independent candidates are chatting in a group text 
about their approach as they plot a path that could shake up Congress, which is 
consumed by partisan gridlock.

   Nebraska Democrats this week chose a nominee for U.S. Senate, Cindy Burbank, 
who said a major campaign priority was to ensure a Democrat wouldn't be on the 
fall ballot to pull support from independent Dan Osborn. Shortly after polls 
closed, Burbank reiterated her plan to drop out in the coming weeks during a 
private conversation with a party official, according to state Democratic chair 
Jane Kleeb.

   Democratic leaders believe Osborn, who came within 7 percentage points of 
winning a Senate seat in 2024, has the best chance to defeat Republican Sen. 
Pete Ricketts.

   Democrats' pivot toward independents is part of an intentional strategy in 
some places -- and something closer to a wink and a nod in others -- that 
covers a handful of high-profile Senate and House and even statehouse contests. 
Independent Senate candidates are also running in states like Idaho, South 
Dakota and Montana, where Democratic leadership has so far been unwilling to 
fully embrace the independents, although many view them as the Democrats' best 
chance to stop Republicans this fall.

   "For some states, and Nebraska is one of them, where Democrats are 32% of 
the electorate, this is a long-term strategy for us," said Kleeb, who also 
serves as a vice chair to the Democratic National Committee.

   Kleeb said her state party is backing independents in at least four state 
legislative seats in addition to the U.S. Senate: "We have to build a coalition 
with independents in order to win elections so we can do good work for the 
people. Period."

   Some of the Democratic Party's national political machine appears to be on 
board.

   The Democrats' fundraising site, ActBlue, serves some of the independent 
candidates, as do popular Democratic-allied website builders. At the same time, 
some of the party's campaign committees in Washington quietly provide 
logistical support in some cases, while avoiding public criticism of the 
independent candidates even in some races where there is a Democratic nominee.

   "The Democratic Party's brand is awful right now," said Democratic 
strategist Josh Schwerin. "The combination of the brand problem and the 
existential nature of the threat that our country is facing requires us to have 
a big tent and look for candidates who can win."

   There are risks for the Democratic Party

   Some Democratic donors, strategists and party leaders from other states have 
privately pushed back, insisting Democrats should not look past their own 
nominees for short-term political gain. They want Democratic officials, in 
Washington and on the ground in red states, to work harder to make the 
Democratic brand more attractive -- even if it takes several more years to be 
competitive.

   "What's the independent going to do for the Democratic Party if they win?" 
asked Democratic strategist Mike Ceraso, who sees the shift toward independents 
as an attempt to disguise Democrats in some cases. "We're the party of truth 
and honesty and integrity, but we're playing these stupid political games?"

   And there is no guarantee that the independent candidates, if elected, would 
support all of the Democrats' policy priorities or even Democratic leadership 
in Congress.

   In Idaho, independent Senate candidate Todd Achilles, an Army veteran and 
former Democratic state legislator, said he won't be caucusing with either 
party if elected. He explained his politics as "straight down the middle," and 
said he believes in individual liberties.

   "Idahoans should be able to live how they want," he said. But the Democratic 
Party was a bad fit because it "has given up on little red states like Idaho."

   On his list of problems with Democrats is that the party made a big mistake 
by initially running Joe Biden again for president in 2024. But he also said 
"the shine is coming off" Trump, whom Idaho voters backed by 36 points in 2024.

   Achilles said he and other military veterans running for Senate as 
independents chat in the text chain and are "very much on the same page." He 
says the group wants to see "guardrails," including term and age limits and 
campaign finance reform.

   "The priority is to get Congress functioning again," he said. "We gotta 
break the grip of the two-party system."

   'I'll never vote for a Democrat'

   In South Dakota, Navy and Air Force veteran Brian Bengs has launched an 
independent bid to defeat Republican incumbent Sen. Mike Rounds, who's seeking 
a third term this fall.

   Bengs ran as a Democrat against Senate Majority Leader John Thune four years 
ago and lost by 43 points.

   A lifelong independent, he said he got turned down by the party this time 
when he sought to run with its organizational support but without the label. 
Still, he insists he can win without the party's formal backing.

   One key lesson from his 2022 campaign, he says, was how hard it was to break 
through with the Democratic Party label.

   Voters would immediately ask, "What are you?" he recalled.

   "When you say, 'I'm a lifelong independent running as a Democrat,'" Bengs 
said, the response was quick. "'I'll never vote for a Democrat.' And that was 
it," he said.

   "So that takeaway soured me on running again in any party system, because it 
was just a soul-sucking experience."

   In Alaska, some Democrats believe that commercial fisherman Bill Hill, a 
retired school superintendent, may represent their best hope in defeating 
first-term Republican Rep. Nick Begich for the state's only House seat.

   Hill, a lifelong independent, raised more than $780,000 in the first three 
months of the year, besting Democrat Matt Schultz, a pastor, who raised 
$578,000.

   The state Democratic Party declined to endorse Schultz at its recent 
convention, which Hill also attended. The House Democrats' campaign committee 
in Washington has also declined so far to promote Schultz's candidacy. Hill, 
meanwhile, is racking up local union endorsements.

   Hill's message to voters, he said, is the same for Republicans, Democrats 
and independents: "You need to be pragmatic about who you choose to support in 
this election cycle, because at the end of the day, we need a change in the 
House seat in Alaska."

   A spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee criticized 
independents like Osborn, Bengs, Achilles and Seth Bodnar, who is running in 
Montana, as "fake Independents who would push liberal Democratic policies in 
the Senate."

   Currently, there are two independents in the Senate: Maine Sen. Angus King 
and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Both caucus with Democrats.

   In an interview, Hill said he's unlikely to caucus with Republicans in 
Washington if elected, but he's not committing to joining Democrats either. He 
was reluctant to criticize the Democratic Party or Trump.

   Hill acknowledged the challenge of running for Congress as an independent, 
but said there are benefits, too.

   "There's freedom," he said. "I can truly represent the working people of 
Alaska."