Isabella Carter
There have been several instances of independent candidates winning elections across the world. In the United States, George Washington, the first US president, was the only independent candidate to win the presidency, without belonging to any of the major political parties. In Pakistan, independent candidates have won seats in the National Assembly and, in 2024, independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party won 94 seats. In Australia, independents are a common feature of the federal parliament, and they are more frequently elected to state parliaments. In Europe, the first non-partisan Prime Minister of Croatia was Tihomir Oreskovic, and Emmanuel Macron was an independent politician before forming his own party.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country | US, Pakistan, Croatia, Georgia, Australia, Algeria, Finland, Estonia, Namibia |
| Candidates/Politicians | George Washington, Emmanuel Macron, Salome Zourabichvili, Tihomir Orešković, Marshal C. G. E. Mannerheim, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Nadir Larbaoui |
| Party Formed | Macron formed his own party for the 2017 election |
| Number of Independents | Up to 5 in every federal parliament in Australia since 1990; 30 in Pakistan's 2008 General Election; 4 in Namibia in 2020 |
| Seats Won | 28 in Australia during national elections since 1990; 4 in Pakistan in 2011; 9 in Pakistan in 2013; 94 in Pakistan in 2024; 4 in Namibia in 2020 |
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What You'll Learn
- George Washington was the only independent US President
- Independent candidates in Pakistan's 2013 General Election won nine seats
- Emmanuel Macron was an independent politician who formed his own party
- Independent candidates have won seats in Australia's federal and state parliaments
- Salome Zourabichvili was the first female President of Georgia as an independent
George Washington was the only independent US President
George Washington is the only independent candidate ever to become US President. In the first election, held on January 7, 1789, Washington won the votes of all ten eligible states. In 1792, he received all 132 electoral votes, winning each of the fifteen states, without belonging to any of the major political parties.
Washington was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). After the US won the war, he helped set up a new government for his country at the Constitutional Convention. However, he preferred a quiet life "living and dying as a private citizen on my own farm," at his home on the Mount Vernon estate. His dreams of retirement were not to be, as he went on to win the first US presidential election by a landslide.
Washington is remembered as one of the most successful US presidents and is known as the "Father of His Country." His face appears on the US dollar bill and quarter, and dozens of US schools, towns, and counties are named for him, as well as the state of Washington and the nation's capital city.
While Washington was the only independent US President, independent politicians have been elected to office in other countries. For example, Salome Zourabichvili won the 2018 Georgian presidential election as an independent candidate, becoming the country's first female president. In Pakistan, independent candidates have also won seats in various elections, including the 2013 General Election, where they won nine seats.
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Independent candidates in Pakistan's 2013 General Election won nine seats
In the 2013 Pakistani general election, independent candidates won nine seats. This election was significant for several reasons. Firstly, it was only the second time in Pakistan's history that an election was held after a civilian government completed its full five-year term. Secondly, it witnessed a high voter turnout of 55.02%, the highest since 1970 and 1977.
The election saw a close contest between the two main parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former cricket star Imran Khan. The PML-N emerged as the largest party, winning four times as many seats as its nearest competitor, the PPP. However, it fell short of a supermajority in Parliament, with the support of independent candidates becoming crucial.
Indeed, the role of independent candidates in the 2013 Pakistani general election was notable. While nine independent candidates initially won seats, 19 independents later joined the PML-N, boosting their ranks and helping them secure an overall majority. This highlights the impact that independent candidates can have on election outcomes, particularly in close races.
The election also witnessed allegations of rigging and irregularities, with the Election Tribunal finding evidence of "massive" and "organized" rigging in the Provincial Assembly Constituency PP-107 (Hafizabad-III). Despite these concerns, the 2013 Pakistani general election ultimately resulted in a hung parliament, with the PML-N receiving the most votes and seats but falling short of a majority.
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Emmanuel Macron was an independent politician who formed his own party
Emmanuel Macron, the current President of France, is a former independent politician who formed his own party. Macron was born in 1977 in Amiens, France, and worked as an investment banker before entering politics. He served as Minister of Economics, Industry, and Digital Affairs from 2014 to 2016 under President François Hollande. In August 2015, Macron left the Socialist Party and became an independent politician.
On April 6, 2016, Macron founded his own political party, En Marche, in his hometown of Amiens. En Marche is a social-liberal and progressive political movement that aims to transcend the traditional left-right divide in French politics. Macron's centrist and anti-establishment message attracted support from a broad cross-section of the French populace, including politicians from other parties. Despite facing controversies and opposition, Macron and En Marche gained significant media coverage and support in the following months.
Macron's stated goal with En Marche is to bridge the gap between progressives and conservatives, moving beyond the traditional political spectrum. He has proposed various economic reforms, including tax cuts and changes to the labour code, as well as initiatives to promote the EU and address the refugee crisis. Macron's popularity has fluctuated during his presidency, with a sharp decline in 2018 during the yellow vests movement, where he was criticized for his policies favoring the rich. However, Macron was re-elected in 2022, becoming the first French president in two decades to win a second term.
Emmanuel Macron's journey from an independent politician to forming his own party and ultimately becoming the President of France is a significant development in the country's political landscape. His ability to transcend traditional party lines and gain support from a diverse range of voters has shaped the course of French politics and governance.
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Independent candidates have won seats in Australia's federal and state parliaments
Independent candidates have a mixed history of success in elections worldwide. In the United States, George Washington is the only independent candidate to have won a presidential election, becoming the first US president in 1789. Washington won all 132 electoral votes, securing victory in each of the fifteen states.
Since then, independent candidates have rarely garnered enough votes to secure the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. However, they can still impact the outcome of the election. For instance, in the 2016 US presidential election, 7.6 million Americans voted for someone other than the Republican or Democratic candidates, potentially influencing the final result.
Outside the US, independent candidates have experienced varying levels of success. In Australia, independent candidates are a common feature of federal and state parliaments. Since 1990, there have been up to five independents in every federal parliament, and they have won twenty-eight times during national elections. Many of these independents are former members of one of Australia's four main parties. In 2013, a new political party, the Australian Independents, was registered with the Australian Electoral Commission. By the time of the 2019 federal election, four independents sat in the Australian House of Representatives: Andrew Wilkie, Cathy McGowan, Kerryn Phelps, and Julia Banks.
In other countries, independent candidates have also secured victories. In Pakistan, the 2013 General Election saw nine independent candidates win seats. In Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili won the 2018 presidential election as an independent candidate, becoming the country's first female president. Estonia and Finland have similar requirements, where all presidents must relinquish membership from any political party. In Namibia, independent politicians won four seats in the 2020 local and regional elections.
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Salome Zourabichvili was the first female President of Georgia as an independent
In the history of the United States, George Washington is the only independent candidate to have ever won a presidential election. Washington won the votes of all fifteen states in the first election in 1789 and received all 132 electoral votes in 1792.
In Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili became the first female president in 2018, running as an independent candidate. Zourabichvili was born in Paris, France, to a family of Georgian political refugees. She joined the French diplomatic service in the 1970s and held several senior diplomatic positions over three decades. In 2004, she became a Georgian citizen and served as the country's Foreign Minister. Zourabichvili set up her own political party, The Way of Georgia, in 2006, and later ran for president in 2018 as an independent candidate. She was endorsed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and won the election in a run-off vote against the UNM nominee, Grigol Vashadze.
During her presidency, Zourabichvili supported protests against the suspension of Georgia's accession talks with the European Union. She also found herself at odds with the ruling Georgian Dream party, which launched impeachment proceedings against her in 2023. Despite this, the attempt to impeach her failed, and she remained in office. When her successor, Mikheil Kavelashvili, was elected in 2024, Zourabichvili contested the validity of the election, claiming that she remained the legitimate president until a legitimate replacement could be elected.
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Frequently asked questions
George Washington was the only independent candidate to win the US Presidency, and he did so twice.
Yes, independent candidates have won seats in Pakistan's Parliament. In the 2013 General Election, nine seats were won by independents.
Yes, independents are a recurrent feature of the federal Parliament of Australia. There have been up to five independents in every federal parliament since 1990, and independents have won twenty-eight times during national elections in that time.
Yes, in 2015 Tihomir Orešković was named the first non-partisan Prime Minister of Croatia. Emmanuel Macron was also an independent politician as Minister in France, but he formed his own party to stand in the 2017 presidential election.
Yes, the current president of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, presented himself as an independent candidate during the 2019 presidential election campaign.
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