The Independents Movement

Welcome to Independents for America, a substack dedicated to Independent and unaffiliated candidates and elected officials. This substack also gives a voice to Independent and unaffiliated voters who feel unrepresented by candidates and elected officials who are aligned with the dominate political parties.

Adding new entrants to our election mix is one way we can disrupt our current dysfunctional political system. At Independents for America, we tell the stories of the brave Americans who decided to run for public office as Independent candidates. We will learn about their decisions to run for office, the strategies and tactics they used, and some of the obstacles they had to overcome to win. Finally, we will delve into what it is like to govern as an Independent and how Independents play important roles as bridge builders between the Republicans and Democrats.

About the Founder

Mike Cantwell is a 30-year resident of Arlington County, Virginia. He served in the Navy and Navy Reserves from 1987 until 2015 and recently retired from the federal government. Mike has given his time and energies to many civic and political reform organizations including: President, Yorktown Civic Association (2016 – present), Vice President, FairVote Virginia (2020 – 2023), Arlington County Civic Federation Board member (2020 – 2021), Board member, Langston Boulevard Alliance (2016 – 2021), DC-area Chapter Leader, Unite America (2017 – 2019), New Politics Leadership Academy (2023), and Virginia Task Force Lead, Veterans for Political Innovation (2021 - Present). In 2021, Mike ran as an Independent for the Arlington County Board. He raised over $20,000 and received 14% of the vote in a four-way race. Mike is a 1987 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He also has advanced degrees from George Washington University (M.B.A.), and the Naval War College (MA).

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