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A tale of two independent Senate hopefuls

NPR | By Barbara Sprunt

Published October 24, 2026 at 5:42 AM MDT

As a handful of independent candidates run for U.S. Senate, questions about the role of the Democratic party in clearing a path or fronting their own candidates abound.

Barbara Sprunt

Barbara Sprunt is a correspondent on NPR's Washington Desk covering Congress.

See stories by Barbara Sprunt

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