This is a list of notable performances of third party and independent candidates in elections to the state legislatures. It is rare for candidates, other than those of the six parties which have succeeded as major parties (Federalist Party, Democratic-Republican Party, National Republican Party, Democratic Party, Whig Party, Republican Party), to take large shares of the vote in elections.
Listed below are state legislature elections in which a third party or independent candidate won at least 5.0% of the vote. Winners are shown in bold and marked "elected" or "re-elected". Candidates who lost are included as well. To be included on this list the third party or independent party must be not running on the party line of one of the two major parties or any of their predecessors. Candidates are not included if they ran in a state with a non-partisan legislature at that time; the only state currently with a non-partisan legislature is Nebraska which has had that system since 1934.
By state List of third-party and independent performances in Alaska state legislative elections List of third-party and independent performances in Arkansas state legislative elections List of third-party and independent performances in Colorado state legislative elections List of third-party and independent performances in Hawaii state legislative elections List of third-party and independent performances in Louisiana state legislative elections List of third-party and independent performances in Montana state legislative elections List of third-party and independent performances in Utah state legislative elections List of third-party and independent performances in West Virginia state legislative elections List of third-party and independent performances in Wyoming state legislative elections
1901–1920 +Notable third party state legislature performances (1901–1920)YearStateDistrictPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1902California9th Assembly DistrictSocialistSamuel J. Alderman2273rd of 326th Assembly DistrictIndependentE. W. Weare7323rd of 328th Assembly DistrictUnion Labor PartyJohn M. Murphy994Elected34th Assembly DistrictJohn McKeon8342nd of 337th Assembly DistrictJ. W. Mayder5513rd of 339th Assembly DistrictHarry A. Knox1,0342nd of 243rd Assembly DistrictJohn Millward5323rd of 346th Assembly DistrictThomas S. Manning1,0492nd of 247th Assembly DistrictFrank W. Halley8712nd of 3SocialistG. W. Townsend1593rd of 349th Assembly DistrictO. S. Philbrook1,2992nd of 368th Assembly DistrictProhibitionFletcher Pomeroy1753rd of 369th Assembly DistrictM. G. McCaslin2113rd of 314th Senate DistrictSocialistS. Miller5622nd of 216th Senate DistrictUnion Labor PartyCharles L. Pierce2,8312nd of 320th Senate DistrictWilliam J. Kenney2,1772nd of 322nd Senate DistrictPatrick Hallinan1,2982nd of 324th Senate DistrictE. J. Reynolds1,1862nd of 328th Senate DistrictIndependentCharles M. Shortridge2,557Elected40th Senate DistrictSocialistHarry M. McKee6533rd of 3Colorado16th Senate DistrictCharles P. McCary8723rd of 31904California30th Assembly DistrictUnion Labor PartyTimothy Ryan8693rd of 5SocialistRichard Corbett3514th of 5FloridaManatee CountySocialistAndrew Jackson Pettigrew2402nd1906California9th Assembly DistrictUnion Labor PartyJohn C. Williams8802nd of 214th Senate DistrictSocialistWilliam H. Ross5482nd of 218th Senate DistrictIndependence LeagueHenry Nixon Beatty6492nd of 4, Lost reelection as Independence LeagueSocialistDavid Henderson1064th of 4FloridaManatee CountyAndrew Jackson Pettigrew395ElectedMinnesota33rd Senate DistrictProhibitionE.R. (Emerson R.) McKinney1,8772nd of 254th Senate DistrictIndependentFrank E. Minnette1,7922nd of 2New York4th Senate DistrictIndependence LeagueA. Stewart Walsh6,4583rd of 5190820th Senate DistrictSocialistJohn J. Coyle1,7493rd of 5Independence LeagueIsidore P. Thomas1,3144th of 51910California17th Assembly DistrictProhibitionGrove L. Johnson5092nd of 3SocialistE. L. Macy2233rd of 330th Assembly DistrictRobert Larkins1203rd of 4Colorado16th Senate DistrictRobert S. Clark9903rd of 3New York16th Senate DistrictErnest Ramm2,1733rd of 41912California61st Assembly DistrictIndependentCharles H. Randall2,7822nd of 5, lost reelection as independentSocialistP. D. Noel1,6564th of 5ProhibitionEnoch A. Holtwick6965th of 566th Assembly DistrictSocialistWilliam J. Coady2,5913rd of 315th Senate DistrictHarold French3,8053rd of 333rd Senate DistrictProhibitionLoring A. Pickering2,7273rd of 4SocialistJ. B. Rutherford1,7074th of 4Colorado19th Senate DistrictProgressive (Bull Moose)William G. White1,2442nd of 3SocialistJames A. Morris5143rd of 31914New York16th Senate DistrictGeorge I. Steinhardt2,0793rd of 420th Senate DistrictFred Gaa1,9243rd of 340th Senate DistrictProhibitionN. Horace Gillette1,3103rd of 51916Colorado16th Senate DistrictSocialistRobert B. Fyre1,0473rd of 3New York20th Senate DistrictEdward F. Cassidy3,6543rd of 436th Senate DistrictProgressiveOswald P. Backus1,9373rd of 51918Wisconsin5th Senate DistrictSocialistRudolph Beyer6,874Elected25th Senate DistrictChrist Bloom3,7942nd1920California33rd Senate DistrictProhibitionMarie C. Brehm13,0602nd of 2Illinois6th House DistrictSocialistLewis W. Hardy10,8294th15th House DistrictJohn Joseph Jelinek2,3914th
1921–1940 +Notable third party state legislature performances (1921–1940)YearStateDistrictPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1922Colorado12th Senate DistrictFarmer-LaborA. C. Scott2,3383rd of 3New York9th Senate DistrictSocialistSamuel Block5,4063rd of 410th Senate DistrictProhibitionJames B. Davis3,0293rd of 418th Senate DistrictSocialistJoseph D. Cannon5,4143rd of 421st Senate DistrictProhibitionAndrew Loundsberry5,5983rd of 41924California14th Assembly DistrictSocialistWilliam R. Goforth3,0192nd of 215th Assembly DistrictIndependentRaymond T. Coughlin3,3672nd of 313th Senate DistrictHarry L. Davis9,5312nd of 219289th Assembly DistrictJerrold L. Seawell5,649Elected1930New York10th Senate DistrictSocialistSam L. Mailman1,5093rd of 321st Senate DistrictLouis Hendin8,4962nd of 419329th Senate DistrictSamuel Block5,4063rd of 420th Senate DistrictMax Delson4,4003rd of 419348th Senate DistrictRoger Cornell10,0023rd of 41936California22nd Assembly DistrictCommunistArchie Brown2,5482nd of 221st Senate DistrictSocialistEdward V. Peterson4,1232nd of 2193830th Senate DistrictIndependentPercy C. Church2,9303rd of 436th Senate DistrictCommunistGeorge C. Sandy2,6182nd of 240th Senate DistrictBessie A. Keckler6,5232nd of 2Colorado18th Senate DistrictIndependentWilliam Hartsook1,6753rd of 319404th Senate DistrictPaul J. Cordova1,1973rd of 3
1941–1960 +Notable third party state legislature performances (1941–1960)YearStateDistrictPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1942California15th Assembly DistrictCommunistThomas R. Farrell3,5462nd of 247th Assembly DistrictProhibitionHawley N. Bidwell2,0653rd of 364th Assembly DistrictTownsendHerbert L. Sweet1,6563rd of 3Wisconsin25th Senate DistrictProgressive (Wisconsin)Clifford W. Krueger6,5122nd of 231st Senate DistrictJames Earl Leverich6,835ElectedNew York4th Senate DistrictAmerican LaborRichard Mazza56,3883rd of 323rd Senate DistrictConcetta E. Mingoia47,8733rd of 1944Wisconsin28th Senate DistrictProgressive (Wisconsin)Fred T. Hansen8,9612nd of 232nd Senate DistrictHarry W. Schilling10,9952nd of 21946New York15th Senate DistrictAmerican LaborSylvia Schwartz23,4423rd of 319481st Assembly DistrictHyman Joseph6,1133rd of 4LiberalGeorge Tichenor2,8044th of 415th Senate DistrictAmerican LaborHelen Phillips23,5873rd of 320th Senate DistrictMary Van Kleeck14,0783rd of 3Wisconsin7th Senate DistrictProgressive (Wisconsin)Joseph Schmidt5,2773rd of 316th Senate DistrictSocialistPaul A. Dahl2,6933rd of 31950New York27th Senate DistrictLiberalJoseph Josephson7,829 3rd of 4American LaborJoseph Celli6,3884th of 41960New York27th Senate DistrictLiberalFrancisco Perez11,9293rd of 3
1961–1980 +Notable third party state legislature performances (1961–1980)YearStateDistrictPartyNominee# Votes% VotesPlace1962Colorado16th Senate DistrictIndependentRena Mary Taylor6,5072nd of 2, Lost reelection as Independent1966Alabama20th Senate DistrictIndependent Fletcher Jones6,885 2nd of 324th Senate District, place 3Alabama Conservative Phil Holmes6,317 3rd of 326th Senate DistrictThird Party for America William Matthews 6,365 2nd of 31968California17th Assembly DistrictPeace and FreedomBobby Seale5503rd of 437th Senate DistrictAmerican IndependentDonna L. Demoret15,8782nd of 21970California36th Senate DistrictNial D. Meadows28,3532nd of 2Colorado2nd House DistrictLa Raza UnidaBrian Sanchez5013rd of 36th House DistrictEloy R. Espionza7,5383rd of 3Alabama7th Senate DistrictNDPA Lynn Ridgeway415 2nd of 212th Senate District, place 1NDPA John Billingsley25,917 2nd of 3Alabama Conservative William Mori6,380 3rd of 312th Senate District, place 2NDPA T. L. Crowell24,001 2nd of 3Alabama Conservative Lionel Ledbetter11,104 3rd of 312th Senate District, place 3NDPA Herbert Johnson22,448 2nd of 312th Senate District, place 4NDPA William. M. Pruitt23,062 2nd of 3Alabama Conservative William L. Gann11,255 3rd of 312th Senate District, place 5NDPA Georgia Price23,816 2nd of 4Alabama Independent Don Watts12,430 3rd of 412th Senate District, place 6NDPA Charles F. Williams23,160 2nd of 312th Senate District, place 7NDPA Emory. L. Whittaker24,424 2nd of 316th Senate DistrictAlabama Conservative Bill Lacy1,183 2nd of 218th Senate DistrictNDPA O. B. Wilson3,731 2nd of 319th Senate DistrictNDPA Damon Kiel1,239 2nd of 223rd Senate DistrictAlabama Independent Zeke Calhoun385 2nd of 224th Senate District, place 3Alabama Conservative W. C. Boykin5,123 2nd of 21972California1st Senate DistrictPeace and FreedomToni Novak-Sutley19,0443rd of 3Colorado9th House DistrictIndependentRobert "Bob"" Crider1,8042nd of 3La Raza UnidaJoe R. Gonzalez1,5863rd of 35th Senate DistrictIndependentF. Peter Wigginton3,7283rd of 3Massachusetts6th Worcester DistrictJoseph A. Borski Jr2,5842nd of 4Norma Cash Smith1,0614th of 41973Virginia30th House DistrictNorman Sisisky4,987Elected34th House DistrictT. Dix Sutton14,3776th of 61974Alabama7th Senate DistrictNDPA Ernestine Langford1,182 2nd of 213th Senate DistrictAlabama Conservative Herbert Stone2,224 2nd of 223rd Senate DistrictNDPA Robert Harris2,097 3rd of 326th Senate DistrictIndependent William Hobbie3,898 2nd of 4NDPA Oscar Cook1,945 3rd of 4Independent J.D. Hogan1,335 4th of 429th Senate DistrictNDPA Amelia Boynton Robinson6,483 2nd of 330th Senate DistrictNDPA Martin Goodson2,799 2nd of 235th Senate DistrictAlabama Conservative Charles McDade964 2nd of 2Delaware36th House DistrictAmerican IndependentCharles J. Rogers4762nd of 24th Senate DistrictErle V. Peterson4012nd of 25th Senate DistrictRobert G. LoPresti3392nd of 2Wisconsin67th Assembly DistrictCyril Rada1,8272nd of 268th Assembly DistrictJoseph L. Larson1,0562nd of 2197661st Assembly DistrictGary Pederson6862nd of 21977Massachusetts31st Middlesex DistrictIndependentMary S. Sweeney1,5702nd of 3John Mc. J. Nulty6593rd of 3Virginia13th House DistrictFred D. Smith Jr13,7754th of 6Alabama special1st Senate District Oscar Peden6,009 Elected1978Alabama5th Senate DistrictBill Kitchens1,183 2nd of 2California33rd Assembly DistrictGrant W. Jensen6,2813rd of 3Colorado8th House DistrictPat Fuller8742nd of 246th House DistrictLibertarianNeil Smith1,9252nd of 2Massachusetts4th Essex DistrictIndependentThomas E. Sinkiewicz4,2303rd of 35th Worcester DistrictRonald E. Allen4,3912nd of 3Robert A. Pentecost1,6753rd of 3Wisconsin50th Assembly DistrictDavid Woodbury1,2833rd of 31979Virginia45th House DistrictJames W. Johnson4,8652nd of 21980California1st Senate DistrictLibertarianSteve Sparling16,2593rd of 411th Senate DistrictJohn R. Redding13,3933rd of 3
1981–2000