List of third-party and independent candidacies in United States Senate elections

This is a list of notable performances of third party and independent candidates in elections to the United States Senate.

It is rare for candidates, other than those of the six parties which have succeeded as major parties (Federalist Party, Democratic-Republican Party, National Republican Party, Democratic Party, Whig Party, Republican Party), to take large shares of the vote in elections.

In some of the listed cases a faction or factions of a state's major party ran against each other, often making it difficult to ascertain which was the mainline candidate and which was the bolter; in such cases, those candidates which are not listed on a standard major party line are still listed, but are not considered traditional third party victories as often these candidates sat in Congress as affiliated party members (barring cases like Joe Lieberman who, upon winning re-election in 2006 as a third-party candidate, sat as an Independent Democrat).

Listed below are Senate elections in which a third party or independent candidate won at least 5.0% of the vote. Winners are shown in bold and marked "elected" or "re-elected".

Indirect elections (before 1918)

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Prior to the passage of the 17th Amendment, most states did not hold direct elections to the Senate, with senators instead being elected by the state legislatures. The results listed below are cases in which a third-party candidate won at least 5.0% of the legislative vote.

Notable third-party senatorial performances (1820s–1917)
Year State Party Nominee # Votes % Votes Place Notes
1829 New York (special) Anti-Masonic Ambrose Spencer 22
14.77 / 100
3rd
1830 Pennsylvania Anti-Masonic Harmar Denny 10
7.58 / 100
4th
1831 New York Anti-Masonic Samuel Works 32
23.02 / 100
2nd
Pennsylvania – Class I (special) Anti-Masonic Richard Rush 30
22.56 / 100
3rd
1832 Pennsylvania Anti-Masonic William Clark 28
21.05 / 100
2nd
1833 New York (special) Anti-Masonic John C. Spencer 11
7.38 / 100
2nd
1834 Pennsylvania – Class III (special) Anti-Masonic Amos Ellmaker 31
23.31 / 100
2nd
1845 New York – Class I (special) Native American Jonathan Thompson 17
10.76 / 100
3rd
New York – Class III (special) Native American Harmon B. Cropsey 17
10.76 / 100
3rd
New York Native American Robert Taylor 15
10.14 / 100
3rd
1849 New York Free Soil John Adams Dix 21
13.91 / 100
2nd
1851 Massachusetts Free Soil Charles Sumner ?
10 / 100
Elected
1855 Massachusetts (special) American Henry Wilson 255
62.81 / 100
Elected
American Nahum F. Bryant 85
20.94 / 100
2nd
1857 New York American Joel T. Headley 15
10.71 / 100
3rd
1879 Pennsylvania Greenback Party Daniel Agnew 16
6.38 / 100
3rd
1894 Nebraska Independent[1] W. A. Jones 18
13.64 / 100
2nd
1898 Nebraska People's William V. Allen 58
43.94 / 100
2nd
1901 Nebraska People's William V. Allen 58
44.62 / 100
2nd

Direct elections (after 1905)

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1900–1930

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Notable third-party senatorial performances (1900s–1930)
Year State Party Nominee # Votes % Votes Place
1905 Oregon (special) Socialist J. D. Stevens 12,485
15.17 / 100
2nd
Prohibition Hiram Gould 8,224
9.99 / 100
3rd
1906 Oregon Socialist A. G. Simola 5,608
6.1 / 100
3rd
1910 Nevada Socialist Jud Harris 1,959
9.62 / 100
3rd
1912 Arizona (special) – Class I Socialist E. Johnson 1,234
5.68 / 100
3rd
Arizona (special) – Class III Socialist E. B. Simonton 1,221
5.8 / 100
3rd
Colorado Progressive Frank D. Catlin 58,649
23.48 / 100
3rd
Kansas Socialist Allan W. Ricker 25,610
7.32 / 100
3rd
Montana Progressive Joseph M. Dixon 22,161
32.1 / 100
2nd
Nevada (special) Socialist G. A. Steele 2,740
13.73 / 100
3rd
Progressive Sardis Summerfield 1,428
7.15 / 100
4th
Oklahoma Socialist John G. Wills 40,860
16.3 / 100
3rd
Oregon Independent[2] Jonathan Bourne Jr. 25,929
19.41 / 100
3rd
Socialist Benjamin Franklin Ramp 11,093
8.31 / 100
4th
Progressive A. E. Clark 11,083
8.3 / 100
5th
Prohibition B. Lee Paget 6,848
5.13 / 100
6th
1914 Arizona Prohibition Eugene W. Chafin 7,293
15.05 / 100
3rd
Socialist Bert Davis 3,582
7.39 / 100
4th
Progressive J. Bernard Nelson 2,608
5.38 / 100
5th
California Progressive Francis J. Heney 255,232
28.81 / 100
2nd
Socialist Ernest Untermann 3,582
7.39 / 100
4th
Colorado Progressive Benjamin Griffith 27,072
10.69 / 100
3rd
Socialist J. C. Griffiths 13,943
5.51 / 100
4th
Idaho Progressive Paul Clagstone 10,321
9.54 / 100
3rd
Socialist Calistus W. Cooper 7,888
7.29 / 100
4th
Illinois Progressive Raymond Robins 203,027
19.99 / 100
3rd
Indiana Progressive Albert J. Beveridge 108,581
16.81 / 100
3rd
Iowa Independent Otis Spurgeon 24,490
5.73 / 100
3rd
Kansas Progressive Victor Murdock 116,755
22.94 / 100
3rd
Nevada Socialist Ashley Grant Miller 5,451
25.28 / 100
3rd
North Dakota Socialist W. H. Brown 6,231
7.14 / 100
3rd
Ohio Progressive Arthur Lovett Garford 67,509
6.31 / 100
3rd
Oklahoma Socialist Patrick S. Nagle 52,259
20.99 / 100
3rd
Oregon Progressive William Hanley 26,220
10.68 / 100
3rd
Pennsylvania Progressive Gifford Pinchot 269,265
24.22 / 100
2nd
Washington Progressive Ole Hanson 83,282
24.12 / 100
3rd
Socialist Adam H. Barth 30,234
8.76 / 100
4th
1916 Arizona Socialist W. S. Bradford 2,827
5.24 / 100
3rd
California Socialist Walter Thomas Mills 49,341
5.25 / 100
3rd
Minnesota Prohibition Willis Greenleaf Calderwood 78,425
20.58 / 100
3rd
Montana Socialist Henry La Beau 9,292
5.54 / 100
3rd
Nevada Socialist Ashley Grant Miller 9,507
28.91 / 100
3rd
North Dakota Socialist E. R. Fry 8,472
7.91 / 100
3rd
Washington Socialist Bruce Rogers 21,709
5.95 / 100
3rd
Wisconsin Socialist Richard Elsner 28,908
6.85 / 100
3rd
1918 Massachusetts Independent Thomas W. Lawson 21,985
5.26 / 100
3rd
Minnesota Nationalist Willis Greenleaf Calderwood 137,334
39.95 / 100
2nd
Montana Nationalist Jeannette Rankin 26,013
23.14 / 100
3rd
Nevada (special) Independent Anne Henrietta Martin 4,603
18.01 / 100
3rd
Oregon (special) Socialist Martha Bean 19,014
15.47 / 100
2nd
South Dakota Independent Orville V. Rafferty 5,560
5.98 / 100
3rd
1920 California Prohibition James S. Edwards 57,768
6.32 / 100
3rd
Georgia Independent[3] Harry S. Edwards 6,700
5.1 / 100
2nd
Maryland Independent George D. Iverson Jr. 21,345
5.46 / 100
3rd
Nevada Independent Anne Henrietta Martin 4,981
18.16 / 100
3rd
New York Socialist Jacob Panken 208,155
7.6 / 100
3rd
Prohibition Ella A. Boole 159,623
5.83 / 100
4th
Pennsylvania Prohibition Leah C. Marion 132,610
7.44 / 100
3rd
South Dakota Nonpartisan League Tom Ayres 44,309
24.06 / 100
2nd
Independent Richard Olsen Richards 10,032
5.45 / 100
4th
Washington Farmer–Labor C. L. France 99,309
25.8 / 100
2nd
Wisconsin Progressive Republican[4] James Thompson 235,029
34.71 / 100
2nd
Socialist Frank J. Weber 66,172
9.77 / 100
4th
1922 California Independent H. Clay Needham 70,748
7.79 / 100
3rd
Socialist Upton Sinclair 56,982
6.28 / 100
4th
Florida Independent Republican W. C. Lawson 6,074
11.73 / 100
2nd
Minnesota Farmer–Labor Henrik Shipstead 325,372
47.1 / 100
Elected
Pennsylvania (special) Prohibition Rachel C. Robinson 60,390
6.05 / 100
2nd
Socialist William J. Van Essen 55,703
5.58 / 100
3rd
Pennsylvania Progressive William J. Burke 127,180
8.82 / 100
3rd
Washington Farmer–Labor James A. Duncan 35,326
12.0 / 100
3rd
1923 Minnesota (special) Farmer–Labor Magnus Johnson 290,165
57.48 / 100
1924 Colorado Farmer–Labor Morton Alexander 16,039
5.04 / 100
3rd
Colorado (special) Farmer–Labor Charles T. Phelps 17,542
5.52 / 100
3rd
Minnesota Farmer–Labor Magnus Johnson 380,646
45.5 / 100
2nd
Oregon Progressive F. E. Coulter 20,379
7.7 / 100
3rd
South Dakota Farmer–Labor Tom Ayres 23,962
12.2 / 100
3rd
Independent George W. Egan 14,390
7.23 / 100
4th
1926 Idaho Progressive H. F. Samuels 37,047
29.6 / 100
2nd
Illinois Independent Republican Hugh S. Magill 156,245
8.69 / 100
3rd
New York Independent Republican Franklin W. Cristman 231,906
8.16 / 100
3rd
North Dakota (special) Nonpartisan League Gerald Nye 79,709
50.2 / 100
Re-elected
Independent Republican C. P. Stone 19,586
12.33 / 100
3rd
North Dakota Independent Republican[5] Norris H. Nelson 18,951
12.22 / 100
2nd
Independent Republican[6] C. P. Stone 9,738
6.28 / 100
4th
Oregon Independent Robert N. Stanfield 50,246
22.46 / 100
3rd
South Dakota Farmer–Labor Howard Platt 12,797
7.2 / 100
3rd
Wisconsin Independent Progressive Republican Charles D. Rosa 111,122
20.37 / 100
2nd
Socialist Leo Krzycki 31,317
5.74 / 100
4th
1928 California Prohibition Charles Hiram Randall 92,106
5.94 / 100
3rd
Minnesota Farmer–Labor Henrik Shipstead 665,169
65.38 / 100
Re-elected
Wisconsin Independent Republican William H. Markham 81,302
10.95 / 100
2nd
1930 Alabama Independent James Thomas Heflin 100,952
40.07 / 100
2nd
Minnesota Farmer–Labor Ernest Lundeen 178,671
22.89 / 100
3rd
Oregon Independent Llewellyn A. Banks 17,488
7.4 / 100
3rd
Virginia Independent J. Cloyd Byars 26,091
17.87 / 100
2nd
Socialist Joe C. Morgan 7,944
5.45 / 100
3rd

1931–1960

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Notable third-party senatorial performances (1931–1960)
Year State Party Nominee # Votes % Votes Place Notes
1932 Arkansas (special) Independent Rex Floyd 1,752
5.16 / 100
2nd
California Prohibition Robert P. Shuler 560,088
25.77 / 100
3rd
Kansas Independent George A. Brown 65,583
9.1 / 100
3rd
Wisconsin Socialist Emil Seidel 65,807
6.14 / 100
3rd
1934 California Socialist George Ross Kirkpatrick 108,748
5.29 / 100
2nd
Minnesota Farmer–Labor Henrik Shipstead 503,379
49.87 / 100
Re-elected
New York Socialist Norman Thomas 194,952
5.27 / 100
3rd
Tennessee (special) Independent[7] John Randolph Neal Jr. 49,773
19.91 / 100
2nd
Wisconsin Progressive Robert M. La Follette Jr. 440,513
47.78 / 100
Re-elected
1936 Delaware Independent Republican Robert G. Houston 6,897
5.44 / 100
3rd
Massachusetts Union Thomas C. O'Brien 134,245
7.44 / 100
3rd
Minnesota (special) Independent Nathaniel John Holmburg 210,364
28.42 / 100
2nd
Independent Progressive Andrew Olaf Devold 147,858
19.98 / 100
3rd
Minnesota Farmer–Labor Ernest Lundeen 663,363
62.24 / 100
Elected
Montana Independent Joseph P. Monaghan 39,655
17.91 / 100
3rd
Nebraska Independent George W. Norris 258,700
43.82 / 100
Re-elected
Rhode Island Union Ludger LaPointe 21,495
7.01 / 100
3rd
1937 Arkansas (special) Independent John E. Miller 65,802
60.5 / 100
Elected
1938 Connecticut Socialist Bellani Trombley 99,282
15.75 / 100
3rd
North Dakota Independent[8] William Langer 112,007
42.56 / 100
2nd
Wisconsin Progressive Herman Ekern 249,209
26.58 / 100
2nd
1940 California Prohibition Fred Dyster 366,044
13.51 / 100
2nd
Minnesota Farmer–Labor Elmer Austin Benson 310,875
25.7 / 100
2nd
North Dakota Progressive Republican[9] William Lemke 92,593
35.06 / 100
2nd
Wisconsin Progressive Robert M. La Follette Jr. 605,609
45.26 / 100
Re-elected
1942 Minnesota (special) Farmer–Labor Al Hansen 177,008
26.66 / 100
2nd
Minnesota Farmer–Labor Elmer Austin Benson 213,965
28.21 / 100
2nd
Independent Progressive Martin A. Nelson 109,226
14.4 / 100
3rd
Nebraska Independent George W. Norris 108,899
28.64 / 100
2nd
Virginia Socialist Lawrence S. Wilkes 5,690
6.53 / 100
2nd
1944 North Dakota Independent Lynn U. Stambaugh 44,596
21.19 / 100
3rd
Wisconsin Progressive Harry Sauthoff 73,089
5.82 / 100
3rd
1946 North Dakota Independent Arthur E. Thompson 38,804
23.46 / 100
2nd
North Dakota (special) Independent Gerald Nye 20,848
15.24 / 100
3rd
Tennessee Independent John Randolph Neal Jr. 11,516
5.27 / 100
3rd
1948 Arkansas Independent Arthur E. Thompson 15,821
6.81 / 100
2nd
1950 Alabama Independent John G. Crommelin 38,477
23.46 / 100
2nd
New Hampshire Independent (write-in) Wesley Powell 11,958
6.28 / 100
2nd
1952 California Progressive Reuben W. Borough 542,270
11.95 / 100
2nd
Maine Independent Democrat Earl S. Grant 15,294
6.45 / 100
3rd
New York Liberal George Counts 489,775
7.02 / 100
3rd
North Dakota Independent (write-in) Fred G. Aandahl 24,741
10.4 / 100
3rd
Virginia Independent Democrat H.M. Vise Sr. 69,133
12.92 / 100
2nd
Social Democratic Clarke T. Robb 67,281
12.57 / 100
3rd
1954 South Carolina Independent Democrat (write-in) Strom Thurmond 143,444
63.13 / 100
Elected
Virginia Independent Democrat Charles W. Lewis Jr. 32,681
10.66 / 100
2nd
Social Democratic Clarke T. Robb 28,922
9.44 / 100
3rd
1958 Utah Independent J. Bracken Lee 77,013
26.44 / 100
3rd
Virginia Independent Louise Wensel 120,224
26.27 / 100
2nd
1960 Virginia Independent Democrat Stuart D. Baker 88,718
14.27 / 100
2nd

1961–1990

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Notable third-party senatorial performances (1961–1990)
Year State Party Nominee # Votes % Votes Place Notes
1964 Virginia Independent James W. Respess 95,526
10.29 / 100
3rd
1966 Mississippi Independent Clifton R. Whitley 30,502
7.74 / 100
3rd
Virginia (special) Independent John W. Carter 57,692
7.91 / 100
3rd
Virginia Independent F. Lee Hawthorne 58,251
7.94 / 100
3rd
1968 Alabama National Democratic Robert Schwenn 72,699
7.97 / 100
3rd
Alaska Democratic (write-in) Ernest Gruening 14,118
17.44 / 100
3rd
Maryland American Independent George P. Mahoney 148,467
13.09 / 100
3rd
New York Conservative James L. Buckley 1,139,402
17.31 / 100
3rd
1970 Connecticut Independent Thomas J. Dodd 266,497
24.46 / 100
3rd
Mississippi Independent William R. Thompson 37,593
11.6 / 100
2nd
New York Conservative James L. Buckley 2,288,190
38.95 / 100
Elected
Virginia Independent Harry F. Byrd Jr. 506,237
53.54 / 100
Re-elected
1972 Louisiana Independent John McKeithen 250,161
23.06 / 100
2nd
1974 Florida American Independent John Grady 282,659
15.7 / 100
3rd
Hawaii People's James D. Kimmel 42,767
17.09 / 100
2nd
New York Conservative Barbara A. Keating 822,584
15.93 / 100
3rd
Utah American Bruce Bangerter 24,966
5.94 / 100
3rd
1976 Minnesota American Independent Paul Helm 125,612
6.57 / 100
3rd
Virginia Independent Harry F. Byrd Jr. 890,778
57.2 / 100
Re-elected
1978 Alabama Prohibition Jerome B. Couch 34,951
6.01 / 100
2nd
Arkansas Independent John J. Black 37,488
7.18 / 100
3rd
Maine Independent Hayes E. Gahagan 27,824
7.42 / 100
3rd
Mississippi Independent Charles Evers 133,646
22.64 / 100
3rd
1980 New York Liberal Jacob Javits 664,5444
11.1 / 100
3rd
1982 Washington Independent King Lysen 72,297
5.28 / 100
3rd
1984 Tennessee Independent Ed McAteer 87,234
5.29 / 100
3rd
1990 Virginia Independent Nancy B. Spannaus 196,755
18.16 / 100
2nd

1991–2020

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Notable third-party senatorial performances (1991–2020)
Year State Party Nominee # Votes % Votes Place Notes
1992 Alaska Green Mary Jordan 20,019
8.35 / 100
3rd
Arizona Independent Evan Mecham 145,361
10.52 / 100
3rd
Hawaii Green Linda B. Martin 49,921
13.73 / 100
3rd
Louisiana Independent Jon Khachaturian 74,785
8.87 / 100
2nd
Ohio Independent[10] Martha Grevatt 331,125
6.89 / 100
3rd
1994 Arizona Libertarian Scott Grainger 75,493
6.75 / 100
3rd
Minnesota Independence Dean Barkley 95,400
5.38 / 100
3rd
Ohio Independent Joseph J. Slovenec 252,031
7.33 / 100
3rd
Vermont Independent Gavin T. Mills 12,465
5.89 / 100
3rd
Virginia Independent Marshall Coleman 235,324
11.44 / 100
3rd
1996 Alaska Green Jed Whittaker 29,037
12.52 / 100
2nd
Minnesota Reform Dean Barkley 152,333
6.98 / 100
3rd
2000 Arizona Independent William Toel 109,230
7.82 / 100
2nd
Green Vance Hansen 108,926
7.8 / 100
3rd
Libertarian Barry J. Hess, II 70,724
5.06 / 100
4th
Massachusetts Libertarian Carla Howell 308,860
11.88 / 100
3rd
Minnesota Independence James Gibson 140,583
6.98 / 100
3rd
2002 Alaska Green Jim Sykes 16,608
7.24 / 100
3rd
Kansas Libertarian Steven A. Rosile 70,725
9.1 / 100
2nd
Reform George Cook 65,050
8.37 / 100
3rd
Massachusetts Libertarian Michael E. Cloud 369,807
18.43 / 100
2nd
Mississippi Reform Shawn O'Hara 97,226
15.42 / 100
2nd
Oklahoma Independent James Germalic 65,056
6.39 / 100
3rd
Virginia Independent Nancy B. Spannaus 145,102
9.74 / 100
2nd
Independent[11] Jacob G. Hornberger Jr. 106,055
7.12 / 100
3rd
2004 Oklahoma Independent Sheila Bilyeu 86,663
5.99 / 100
3rd
2006 Connecticut Connecticut for Lieberman Joe Lieberman 564,095
49.71 / 100
Re-elected
Indiana Libertarian Steve Osborn 168,820
12.59 / 100
2nd
Maine Independent William H. Slavick 29,230
5.37 / 100
3rd
Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders 171,638
65.41 / 100
Elected
2008 Arkansas Green Rebekah Kennedy 207,076
20.47 / 100
2nd
Idaho Independent Rex Rammell 34,510
5.35 / 100
3rd
Minnesota Independence Dean Barkley 437,505
15.15 / 100
3rd
Oregon Constitution Dave Brownlow 92,565
5.24 / 100
3rd
2010 Alaska Republican (write-in) Lisa Murkowski 101,091
39.49 / 100
Re-elected
Florida Independent Charlie Crist 1,607,549
29.71 / 100
2nd
Indiana Libertarian Rebecca Sink-Burris 94,330
5.41 / 100
3rd
South Carolina Green Tom Clements 121,472
9.21 / 100
3rd
Utah Constitution Scott N. Bradley 35,937
5.67 / 100
3rd
2012 Indiana Libertarian Andy Horning 145,374
5.67 / 100
3rd
Maine Independent Angus King 370,580
52.89 / 100
Elected
Maryland Independent Rob Sobhani 430,934
16.37 / 100
3rd
Missouri Libertarian Jonathan Dine 165,468
6.07 / 100
3rd
Montana Libertarian Dan Cox 31,892
6.56 / 100
3rd
Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders 209,053
71.04 / 100
Re-elected
2014 Kansas Independent Greg Orman 368,372
42.53 / 100
2nd
South Dakota Independent Larry Pressler 47,741
17.09 / 100
3rd
Wyoming Independent Curt Gottshall 13,311
7.9 / 100
3rd
2016 Alaska Libertarian Joe Miller 90,825
29.16 / 100
2nd
Independent Margaret Stock 41,194
13.23 / 100
3rd
Arizona Green Gary Swing 138,634
5.48 / 100
3rd
Idaho Constitution Ray J. Writz 41,677
6.14 / 100
3rd
Indiana Libertarian Lucy Brenton 149,481
5.47 / 100
3rd
Kansas Libertarian Robert Garrard 63,428
5.52 / 100
3rd
2018 Maine Independent Angus King 337,378
54.5 / 100
Re-elected
New Mexico Libertarian Gary Johnson 105,916
15.4 / 100
3rd
Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders 183,529
67.32 / 100
Re-elected
2020 Alaska Independent Al Gross[12] 146,068
41.20 / 100
2nd
Arkansas Libertarian Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. 399,390
33.47 / 100
2nd
Minnesota Legal Marijuana Now Kevin O'Connor 190,154
5.91 / 100
3rd
Nebraska Democratic (write-in) Preston Love Jr. 58,411
6.28 / 100
3rd
Libertarian Gene Siadek 55,115
5.93 / 100
4th

2021–present

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Notable third-party senatorial performances (2021–present)
Year State Party Nominee # Votes % Votes Place Notes
2022 Idaho Independent Scott Cleveland 49,924
8.4 / 100
3rd
North Dakota Independent Rick Becker 44,305
18.5 / 100
3rd
Utah Independent Evan McMullin 450,081
42.7 / 100
2nd
2024 Maine Independent Angus King TBD TBD TBD
Nebraska Independent Dan Osborn TBD TBD TBD
Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders TBD TBD TBD

See also

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ Technically designation is Unknown
  2. ^ Listed on ballot as "Popular Government Candidate"
  3. ^ Listed on ballot as "Pro-League Independent Party"
  4. ^ Listed on ballot as "La Follette Progressive Republican National Platform"
  5. ^ Listed on ballot as "Agricultural Relief Republican"
  6. ^ Listed on ballot as "Republican for Beer and Wine"
  7. ^ Listed on ballot as "Good Government and Clean Elections"
  8. ^ Listed as "Nonpartisan, Progressive, Old Age Pension"
  9. ^ Listed as "Progressive Republican for Clean Government"
  10. ^ Affiliated with the Workers World Party
  11. ^ Affiliated with the Libertarian Party
  12. ^ Also listed as the de facto Democratic nominee.