In the 2022 elections, at least 56 minor party or independent candidates received more votes than the margin of victory in their election. There were five such candidates in elections for federal office and 18 in elections for statewide offices.
In 2020, by comparison, at least 77 minor party or independent candidates received more votes than the margin of victory in their election. That year, there were eight such candidates in elections for federal office and 23 in elections for statewide offices.
In 2022, the partisan affiliation of these candidates was as follows:
- 23 Libertarian Party candidates
- 15 independent or unaffiliated candidates
- Five Green Party candidates
- Three Constitution Party candidates
- Two U.S. Taxpayer’s Party candidates
- Two Working Class Party candidates
- One American Constitution Party candidate
- One Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party of Minnesota candidate
- One Independent American Party candidate
- One Independence Party candidate
- One Legal Marijuana Now Party candidate
- One United Utah Party candidate
Notable examples of federal or statewide elections include those for U.S. Senate in Nevada, Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, and Wisconsin Secretary of State.
In Nevada’s U.S. Senate election, incumbent Catherine Cortez Masto (D) defeated Adam Laxalt (R) by 7,928 votes. Independent candidate Barry Lindemann received 8,075 votes.
Two candidates received more votes than the margin of victory in the open-seat race for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. John James (R) defeated Carl Marlinga (D) by 1,600 votes—0.5% of the total votes cast. Andrea Kirby (Working Class Party) received 1.8% of the vote, and Mike Saliba (L) received 1.1%.
Two candidates received more votes than the margin of victory in the Wisconsin Secretary of State election. Incumbent Douglas J. La Follette (D) defeated Amy Loudenbeck (R) by 7,442 votes—0.3% of the total votes cast in the race. Neil Harmon (L) received 2.1% of the vote, and Sharyl McFarland (Green) received 1.6%.
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