There are fewer independent candidates on the November 2020 ballot for U.S. House than at any time since 2004. This is probably mostly due to the health crisis.
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This year, the Republican Party has U.S. House nominees in 416 districts, the most the party has had since 2010, when it had 428. The U.S. House has 435 seats (not counting Delegates from places that are not states).
The only districts without Republicans are: Alabama 7; these seven districts in California, 12, 18, 29, 34, 38, 44, 53; these four districts in Massachusetts, 1, 3, 7, 8; these three districts in New York, 5, 16, 25; North Carolina 12; Rhode Island 1; Tennessee 5; and Washington 10. Also there is no Republican for Delegate from the District of Columbia.
The top-two systems in California and Washington hurt the Republican Party. Republicans ran in every district in Washington, and every district in California except for the 38th district. But they didn’t place first or second in the primary, so couldn’t qualify for November. The strict Massachusetts primary ballot access requirements also always hurt the Republican Party.
In 2018 the Republicans only had candidates in 398 districts.
In 2020, the only party with candidates in more than one state that also had more congressional nominees in 2020 than it did in 2018 is the Libertarian Party. It had 116 in 2018, and 119 in 2020. That doesn’t include the three New York Libertarians who are also the nominees of another party (the Libertarian Party of New York nominated two Republicans, and one SAM Party member).
Persons associated with the Illinois Republican Party have filed an appeal, in the lawsuit to remove Bill Redpath, Libertarian nominee for U.S. House, 6th district, from the ballot. The Redpath petition is the only general election U.S. House petition that survived the challenge process this year in Illinois. After the challenge failed, the challengers sued the State Board of Elections to remove Redpath, but they lost in the trial court. Now they are asking the state Appeals Court to remove him.
Their only argument is that persons who voted in the March primary should not be able to sign petitions for independent candidates, and petitions for the nominees of unqualified parties. But there is no law that makes signing illegal for primary voters.
The Daily Beast has this very lengthy interview with Brock Pierce. The most interesting part may be his assertion that he intends to help build a new political party next year. He does not say what the name of the party would be.
Earlier this month, Kevin Van Ausdal, the Democratic nominee for U.S. House, 14th district of Georgia, said that he is getting a divorce, must leave his home, and is unable to afford a new residence in Georgia. Therefore, he is moving to Indiana to live with his parents. See this story.
The author of the story, and Van Ausdal, both assume that he cannot continue to run. However, the U.S. Constitution does not require a candidate for Congress to live in the state during the campaign. Residence in the state is only required on election day. Article One, section two, says, “No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained the age of 25 years, and been seven years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.”
The article makes it seem as though that the Democratic Party wants the legal ability to replace him.