Oregon — Joseph Lehman, a libertarian candidate for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, joined a newly announced national coalition of independent and third-party candidates at a conference in Washington, D.C.
The coalition, organized under the Independent Candidate Network (ICN), currently includes 19 candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 election cycle. Lehman also serves as Secretary of the organization’s hybrid political action committee, which aims to support candidates outside the traditional two-party system.
According to information from ICN, the group’s goal is to elect between 10 and 15 independent or third-party members to Congress—enough to prevent either Republicans or Democrats from holding a majority. Organizers argue that such an outcome would require bipartisan cooperation in House leadership decisions and legislative negotiations.
“The goal is to fix the people’s House,” Lehman said. “Currently the Democrats and Republicans only work together on one thing, and that is making everyday Americans’ lives harder.”
ICN leaders outlined a broader vision in which a closely divided House—potentially with roughly equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans—would elevate independent members into a decisive role. In that scenario, independents could influence the selection of the Speaker of the House and serve as tie-breaking votes on committees.
The coalition also promotes structural reforms to congressional operations, including requiring single-subject bills, ending large omnibus spending packages, passing all appropriations bills on time, banning stock trading by House members, and implementing term limits.
Supporters say the initiative addresses longstanding challenges faced by independent candidates, particularly fundraising disadvantages compared to major party campaigns.
However, recent campaign finance filings underscore those challenges. As of March 20, 2026, Federal Election Commission filings show Lehman has reported zero dollars raised for his congressional campaign. Similarly, filings with the Oregon Secretary of State indicate no reported funds raised for the Libertarian Party of Linn County, which Lehman founded.
In addition, the Independent Candidate Network PAC filed with the Federal Election Commission on February 6, 2026, but as of March 20 has not yet reported any financial activity.
Historical and recent election data further illustrate the uphill climb for Libertarian and independent candidates in Oregon’s 5th District and statewide races.
In 2022, no Libertarian candidate ran in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District. In the same election cycle, Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Leon Noble received 6,867 votes, accounting for approximately 0.4% of the statewide vote.
In the 2024 race for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, Libertarian candidate Sonja Feintech received 6,193 votes, or about 1.5% of the total vote share. Campaign finance filings show Feintech raised $4,654, compared to Democrat Janelle Bynum, who raised $7,524,631.65, and Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who raised $6,092,658.62.
Early fundraising figures for the 2026 cycle show a similar disparity. As of the latest filings, Bynum reports $2,283,659.17 in campaign funds. Republican candidates show mixed activity, with Jonathan Lockwood not yet reporting financial data and Patti Adair reporting $184,821.25.
The absence of reported fundraising for Lehman, combined with historical vote shares and significant financial gaps between major party candidates and third-party challengers, highlights the structural barriers facing independent campaigns.
Lehman’s participation in the Independent Candidate Network places Oregon’s 5th District within a broader national effort to challenge two-party dominance. Whether that effort can overcome longstanding financial and electoral hurdles remains an open question as the 2026 election cycle develops.
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