Fort Wayne resident Nathan Gotsch launched a new initiative Tuesday to help provide resources for Hoosiers who are running as independent candidates.
The program is called Independent Indiana and came out of Gotsch’s dive into election data after his own run for Congress as an independent in 2022.
From Independent Indiana:
Who Is Considered an Independent?
- Indiana law defines an independent candidate as a person not affiliated with any political party.
- There is no “Independent Party” in Indiana, though some voters mistakenly believe there is.
- Independents, once they qualify for the ballot, compete only in the general election in the fall. They do not run in primaries, as Democratic and Republican candidates do.
- Independents are nominated by petition of nomination, not through primaries or party conventions.
According to a press release, Gotsch says that many Indiana residents are running for office as independents and winning their races.
He cited the victory of Huntington Mayor Richard Strick. The one-time Republican ran for office twice as an independent, and won. Strick is now in his second term.
To run as an independent in Indiana, potential candidates must collect thousands of signatures to even get on the ballot in the general election.
From Independent Indiana:
Signature Requirements
Threshold: Independent candidates must collect signatures from registered voters equal to 2% of the votes cast for Secretary of State in the most recent election within their district.
- Example: An independent candidate for mayor must collect signatures equal to 2% of the Secretary of State vote in that city or town.
- For a statewide office, this equals 36,943 signatures.
- Rule of Thumb: Campaigns should assume 33% of signatures will be struck during verification. That means candidates must actually collect 133% of the required number to ensure ballot access.
- Cost: Because volunteer circulators rarely sustain the volume needed, most candidates rely on paid petition circulators. The going rate is at least $15 per valid signature (2026 cycle estimate).
Independent Indiana rolled out its work this week with billboards in cities around the state, including Fort Wayne.
Two events are scheduled this month as well, including a virtual meeting on Sept. 18.
