Independence and independents have never been more popular. Gallup found a record 45% of U.S. adults identified as independents in 2025, compared to 27% each for Dems and Republicans. Registration rolls tell the story: CO's unaffiliated voters passed 50% in September 2025. Independent voters ain't going away.

CO Senate candidate Bob Chew saw this and got in. He was a Republican but his moderate politics didn’t match MAGALand. A Navy man who built his own company, he has a connection to vets and entrepreneurs. Chew has advantages: funds, with $1.1 million on hand, a good sense of humor—he’s gone viral for breaking furniture in ads—and that figure: over 50% of Coloradans registered independent. Of course, Dem. Sen. John Hickenlooper has name recognition and incumbency, which is hard to beat.

There's Dan Osborn, mechanic, Navy vet, and union leader who took on GOP Sen. Deb Fischer 2 yrs ago in NE. He was written off--only wealthy self-spenders like Bloomberg or Perot could succeed as indies, not an industrial mechanic! Yet, Osborn won 46.5% to Fischer’s 53.2%, losing by just 6.7% in a state Trump carried by 20. He made what should’ve been a laugher competitive, running way ahead of Kamala Harris.

Then there's Seth Bodnar, former U. of Montana president and Green Beret. I interviewed him at BAM. Bodnar is also running for the Senate as an indy, but a Dem got in despite the party's wishes. Many know he’s the Dem Party choice, endorsed by former Sen. Jon Tester + former President of NARAL Pro-Choice America/recent MT Dem Party Chair, Nancy Keenan. But it’ll be tough not losing Dems to the party vote-line. Bodnar’s confident he’ll do it.

Read more about how this trend may help Dems take the Senate at Blue Amp Media!