Third-party and independent members of the United States House of Representatives

Third-party and independent members of the United States House of Representatives are generally rare. Although the Republican Party and Democratic Party have dominated U.S. politics in a two-party system since 1856, some independents and members of other political parties have also been elected to Congress or changed their party affiliation to such during their term in office.

This article lists all U.S. representatives since the 45th United States Congress (1877-1879) who were third-party affiliated or independent while they were in office. Since 1877, there have been 119 third-party U.S. Representatives: Six from the Modern era, 41 from the Progressive era, 43 from the Populist era, and 29 from the Greenback era.

1961–present: Modern era[]

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  U.S. Congressman
  Paul Mitchell
  of Michigan's 10th
  First elected as a Republican, switched to independent in 2020.
  (2017–2021)
• 

  U.S. Congressman
  Justin Amash
  of Michigan's 3rd
  First elected as a Republican, switched to independent in 2019 and then to Libertarian in 2020.
  (2011–2021)
• 

  U.S. Congressman
  Virgil Goode
  of Virginia 5th
  Switched from Democratic to independent in 2000, then to Republican in 2002
  (1997–2009)
• 

  U.S. Congresswoman
  Jo Ann Emerson
  of Missouri 8th
  First elected as a Republican, re-elected as an independent due to state law, then rejoined the Republicans shortly thereafter
  (1996–2013)
• 

  U.S. Congressman
  Bernie Sanders
  of Vermont at-large
  Elected as an independent
  (1991–2007)
• 

  U.S. Congressman
  William Carney of New York 1st
  Elected as a Conservative and later sat with Republicans, switched to Republican in 1985
  (1979–1987)

1911–1960: Progressive era[]

• 

  U.S. Congressman
  Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr.
  of New York 20th
  Elected as a Liberal, re-elected as Democratic
  (1949–1955)
• 

  U.S. Congressman (1948–1949) Leo Isacson – Elected from the American Labor Party ticket

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1943–1955) Harold Hagen – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1942

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1939–1945) Vito Marcantonio – Elected from the American Labor Party ticket

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1937–1939) John Bernard – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1936

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1937–1939) Dewey Johnson – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1936

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1937–1953) Franck R. Havenner – Elected as a Progressive

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1937–1939) Henry Teigan – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1936

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1935–1939) Thomas Ryum Amlie – Elected as a Progressive

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1935–1939) Gerald J. Boileau – Elected as a Progressive

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1935–1943) Rich T. Buckler – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1934

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1935–1943) Bernard J. Gehrmann – Elected as a Progressive

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1935–1945) Harry Sauthoff – Elected as a Progressive

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1935–1939) George J. Schneider – Elected as a Progressive

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1935–1944) Merlin Hull – Elected as a Progressive

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1935–1939) Gardner R. Withrow – Elected as a Progressive

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1933–1935) Henry M. Arens – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1932

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1933–1935) Magnus Johnson – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1932

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1933–1937) Ernest Lundeen – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1932

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1933–1935) Francis Shoemaker – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1932

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1929–1939) Paul John Kvale – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1928

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1923–1927) Knud Wefald – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1922

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1923–1929) Ole J. Kvale – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1922

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1919–1929) William Leighton Carss – Elected as a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party in 1918

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1915–1921) Charles Hiram Randall – Elected as a Prohibitionist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1915–1923) Meyer London – Elected as a Socialist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1915–1929) Whitmell P. Martin – Elected as a Progressive

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1915–1921) John A. Elston – Elected a Progressive in 1915

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1911–1923) Ira C. Copley – Switched from a Republican to a Progressive in 1915

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1919) Walter M. Chandler – Elected as a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1915) James W. Bryan – Elected a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1915) Jacob Falconer – Elected a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1915) William H. Hinebaugh – Elected as a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1915) Willis James Hulings – Elected as a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1915) William Josiah MacDonald – Elected as a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1915) Henry Wilson Temple – Elected a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1915) Charles M. Thomson – Elected a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1911–1917) William Stephens – Switched parties from a Republican to a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1915) Roy O. Woodruff – Elected a Progressive in 1913

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1913–1917) Bill Kent – Elected as an independent

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1911–1929) Victor L. Berger – Elected as a Socialist

1891–1910: Populist era[]

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1901–1903) Caldwell Edwards – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1901–1903) Thomas L. Glenn – Elected as a Silver

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1899–1901) John Wilbur Atwater – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1899–1903) William Neville – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1899–1901) Edgar Wilson – Elected as a Silver Republican

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) Charles A. Barlow – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) Jeremiah D. Botkin – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) Curtis H. Castle – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) John Edgar Fowler – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) William Laury Greene – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) James Gunn – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) William Carey Jones – Elected as a Silver Republican

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) John Edward Kelley – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) Freeman Knowles – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) Charles Martin – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) Samuel Maxwell – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) Nelson B. McCormick – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) Mason S. Peters – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1901) Edwin R. Ridgely – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1903) William Ledyard Stark – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1901) Roderick Dhu Sutherland – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1897–1899) William D. Vincent – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1896–1897) Albert Taylor Goodwyn – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1895–1904) John F. Shafroth – Switched from Republican to Silver Republican in 1897

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1895–1899) Milford W. Howard – Elected as a Populist in 1894

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1895–1899) Harry Skinner – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1895–1899) William Franklin Strowd – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1893–1903) John Calhoun Bell – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1893–1895) Marion Cannon – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1893–1895) Lafe Pence – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1893–1899) Alonzo C. Shuford – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1893–1895) Thomas Jefferson Hudson – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1893–1895) Haldor Boen – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1893–1895) Bill Harris – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1891–1897) Bill Baker – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1891–1893) Benjamin H. Clover – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1891–1895) John Davis – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1891–1893) Kittel Halvorson – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1891–1897) Omer Madison Kem – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1891–1895) William A. McKeighan – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1891–1893) John G. Otis – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1891–1895) Jerry Simpson – Elected as a Populist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1891–1893) Thomas E. Watson – Elected as a Populist

1877–1890: Greenback era[]

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1889–1891) Lewis P. Featherstone – Elected as a member of the Labor Party

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1887–1889) Samuel I. Hopkins – Elected as a member of the Labor Party

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1887–1889) John Nichols – Elected as an independent

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1887–1889) Henry Smith – Elected as a member of the Labor Party

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1884–1885) Benjamin F. Shively – Elected as an Anti-Monopolist

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1883–1885) James Ronald Chalmers – Elected as an Independent

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1883–1885) Ted Lyman – Elected as an Independent

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1883–1885) Thomas P. Ochiltree – Elected as an Independent

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1881–1909) Charles N. Brumm – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party in 1880

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1881–1883) Joseph Henry Burrows – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party in 1880

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1881–1883) Ira Sherwin Hazeltine – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party in 1880

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1881–1883) James Mosgrove – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party in 1880

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1881–1883) Theron Moses Rice – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party in 1880

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1881–1883) J. Hyatt Smith – Elected as an independent

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1881) Bradley Barlow – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party in 1878

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1883) Nicholas Ford – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party in 1878

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1881) Albert P. Forsythe – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party in 1878

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1881) Edward H. Gillette – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party in 1878

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1883) George Jones – Elected as a member of United States Greenback Party

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1883) George W. Ladd – Elected as a member of United States Greenback Party

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1882) William M. Lowe – Elected as a member United States Greenback Party in 1878

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1881) Gilbert De La Matyr – Elected as a member United States Greenback Party in 1878

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1883) Thompson H. Murch – Elected as a member of the United States Greenback Party

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1881) Henry Persons – Elected as an independent

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1881) Daniel Lindsay Russell – Elected as a member of United States Greenback Party

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1883) Emory Speer – Elected as an independent

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1889) James Weaver – Elected as a member United States Greenback Party in 1878

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1881) Hendrick Bradley Wright – Elected as a member United States Greenback Party in 1878

• 

  U.S. Congressman (1879–1881) Seth Hartman Yocum – Elected as a member United States Greenback Party in 1878

References[]