Brett’s Rules to Running a Successful Independent Campaign

With 20 years experience in running candidates, campaigns and polling there are a few things I’ve learned along the way. Now it's time to put these in practice to help independent campaigns. Watch for more rules as the 2026 midterms unfold!  

Rule #1: Authenticity is Everything

If you have a silver-bullet policy, or a stellar professional background, but you’re not authentic – you’re not going to be able to win elected office. Voters want authenticity more than just about anything else.

So the key for hitting authenticity:

• Don’t say you’re authentic. This is like the guy in the room trying to convince everyone that he’s the smartest guy in the room. Being authentic, means being yourself
• Don’t use the same tired taglines like “bipartisan” or “common sense.” Partisans of all stripes have hijacked those terms. Stick to things like ‘listening to constituents’ or “providing a fresh start” or “choice”—things that if they came out of a partisan's mouth, they wouldn’t sound as truthful.
• Use the terms and language that you usually use. Don't try to be a politician; be the civic, open-minded leader that you are, and you’ll land the authenticity plane.

Rule #2: Ditch The Affiliations

You can have the most pragmatic policy platform, but if voters see you campaigning as an "Independent," they'll immediately file you under "Political Class." Being truly unbound isn't a marketing slogan; it's your default state. Voters are looking for someone who can actually rise above the fray, not just claim they can.

So, rules for being genuinely unaffiliated:

• Don't flaunt your "Independent" affiliation. The second you label yourself, you become another type of partisan. Your ballot status should be evident in your actions, not your bumper sticker.
• Ditch the "outsider" talk. You're running for office - that makes you an insider in the making. Focus on being the "New Perspective" or the "Problem Solver," which is what voters actually want, rather than the standard "outsider" cliché that every candidate steals.
• Action over label. If you are the only candidate talking policy and not party lines, you’ve already won the independent game. Let your record prove your status.

Read more on ditching affiliations.

Rule #3: Avoid The 'Broken System' Crutch

If your campaign begins and ends with how "terrible" the Republicans and Democrats are, how the "system is broken," and how we're all headed for "doom and gloom," you are doing nothing more than echoing the most common talking points of the very parties you claim to be ‘bringing together.” This is lazy campaigning.

So, rules for avoiding the ‘broken party’ doom loop:

• Avoid “the problem.” By focusing solely on the failure of the two parties, you reinforce the public's cynicism and inadvertently validate the negative narrative. You simply become another voice in the partisan choir, not an alternative.
• Ditch the hypocrisy. An Independent candidate who promises to work with both parties to find solutions cannot credibly start their campaign by saying both parties are irredeemably awful. This immediately undermines the promise of cooperation.
• Be the new path forward. The path forward is built on solutions, not scorn. Your message must be about what you will build, not just what others have broken. Offer a positive vision for the future, not a pessimistic summary of the past. Lead with the light, not the darkness.

Rule #4: Respectful Campaigning

You might think the quickest path to victory is to find the dirtiest clip on your opponent. Wrong. If you see yourself as a potential community leader, attacking your neighbors—even the ones running against you—will shatter any perception of integrity. Voters want a leader, not a bully. So how do you run a ‘respectful’ campaign?

• Forget about traditional opposition research. You wouldn't personally attack your neighbor over their political thoughts, so why treat your running mate like a sworn enemy? Frame it as "Due Diligence," not "dirt."
• Attack ideas, not people. If you must criticize, focus strictly on the policy's predicted failure or the unintended consequence. Avoid personal digs. That immediately signals you're playing the partisan game.
• Practice the neighbor rule. Before releasing any negative material, ask: "Would I be comfortable saying this to my neighbor over the fence?" If the answer is no, delete the file.

Rule #5: Learning from Everyone

The true strength of a non-aligned candidate isn't just rejecting the extremes; it's having the intellectual humility to learn from all sides. A voter sees a candidate who dismisses the entire other side as uniformed, and they instantly tune out. They want to see you engaging with ideas, not just shouting slogans.

So, to for proving you're open-minded:

• Meet the other candidates. Schedule time to hear them out. If you agree with Candidate X on school funding, say so! That’s not being weak; that's being moderate and showing you actually listen.
• Give credit where due. If an opponent proposes a good solution, publicly praise that specific idea. This drastically boosts your authenticity score because it shows you value good governance over petty scoring.
• Define your "moderate" moment. Don't just claim you're the middle ground. Instead, detail an instance where you integrated a Republican and a Democrat idea into your own platform. Show, don't just tell.