Supporting independence and encouraging an independent spirit is as American as it gets. 

As barbeque grills cook hotdogs and hamburgers and fireworks light up the sky this Fourth of July, Americans celebrate the bold decision of our founders to break free from established authority and forge their own path. 

This spirit of independence is almost as needed today as it was in 1776, particularly in our increasingly polarized political landscape.

The founders who signed the Declaration of Independence chose to create something new, based on classically liberal ideals. They understood that true representation sometimes requires stepping outside established institutions.

In an era when many Americans feel alienated by the rigid partisanship of the major parties, independent candidates offer an alternative that echoes our founding principles. 

Independent candidates have the freedom not to be boxed into predetermined ideological categories, they understand that good ideas can come from anywhere on the political spectrum and know that sometimes you need to work outside established institutions in order to represent people who feel unrepresented by the status quo.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is one of those trailblazers. Duggan is running for governor of Michigan as an Independent. Duggan sat down with the No Labels community last week in Washington D.C. to discuss the challenges as well as the promise of running as an independent. 

Duggan understands what polling has been showing us; that a plurality of Americans identify as politically independent, often outnumbering both Democrats and Republicans. 

In 2024 43% of American voters answered the following question “In politics, as of today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat or an independent?” as independent. Democrats and Republicans mirror each other with 28% identifying with each category. 

Brand new polling shows that nearly 50% of 20 year-old voters do not identify with either party. If these voters are our future here in America, the movement away from the two political parties needs to be recognized. 

Yet independent candidates, who remind us that political power belongs to the people and not to the parties, face enormous structural barriers from ballot access requirements to fundraising challenges making it difficult for them to win. 

This Independence Day, as we honor those who had the courage to establish our democratic experiment, we might also consider the modern-day patriots who continue that tradition of independent thinking. 

In our current moment of political division, independent candidates offer a path back to our Founding Fathers’ vision and offer a reminder that sometimes the most patriotic thing you can do is stand alone for what you believe is right.