Gizzi: Sneaky Democrats Use ‘Independents’ for Races in Nebraska, Idaho, S. Dakota
23rd September 2026
Something unusual is happening in several of this year’s U.S. Senate contests: Democrat nominees are disappearing from the ballot while “independent” candidates emerge as the principal challengers to Republican incumbents.
The pattern is especially visible in Nebraska, Idaho, and South Dakota.
And it comes at a moment when the independent label may carry more political appeal than either major party’s brand.
The party that dare not speak its name.