In the November 2024 election, there are fewer independent candidates for U.S. House on the ballot than at any previous election since 2004. This year there are 57.
Past years: 2022 78; 2020 64; 2018 84; 2016 72; 2014 82; 2012 104; 2010 140; 2008 65; 2006 63; 2004 44.
How about minor parties?
According to the FEC, there’s 51 candidates for the House that aren’t part of the Democrats or Republicans (or the Democrat-Farm-Labor Party). 30 of them are independent, 5 are from the Green Party, 1 is from the Independent American Party, and 15 are from the libertarian party.
However, I know that is incorrect because in Michigan alone, there were an additional 4 candidates for the Green Party, 9 for the Libertarian Party, 4 for the U.S. Taxpayers (Constitution) Party, and 7 for the Working Class Party that hadn’t filed with the FEC until recently. Now only 2 from the Green Party, 3 from the Libertarians, and 2 from the U.S. Taxpayers haven’t filed yet.
Not all of the minor candidate parties bother to register with the FEC.