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Independent Leadership Council

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Independent Leadership Council
AbbreviationILC
FormationJuly 24, 2026 (2026-07-24)
FoundersJoe Manchin
Heather Bresch
Adam Brandon
Seth Cohen
WebsiteOfficial website

The Independent Leadership Council (ILC) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that recruits and supports independent congressional candidates.[1] The ILC was founded in 2026 by former U.S. senator Joe Manchin, his daughter Heather Bresch, former FreedomWorks president Adam Brandon, and former Forbes chief impact officer Seth Cohen.[2]

History

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The Independent Leadership Council (ILC) was founded on July 24, 2026,[3] by former U.S. senator Joe Manchin, who left the Democratic Party in 2024; his daughter, businesswoman Heather Bresch; former FreedomWorks president Adam Brandon; and former Forbes chief impact officer Seth Cohen.[2] The group was described by The New York Times as a "nonpartisan nonprofit ... that aims to cultivate and financially back declared independent candidates for Congress."[4]

The ILC's inaugural summit in West Virginia was attended by U.S. representative Kevin Kiley, who left the Republican Party earlier that year, and Montana Senate candidate Seth Bodnar.[5][1][6] Candidates attending the summit signed a "Declaration of Independents" (an allusion to the Declaration of Independence), pledging not to caucus with either major party if elected.[3] The ILC's candidate commitments also include pledges to oppose gerrymandering and support term limits.[7]

On August 28, 2026, the ILC announced they had raised over $10 million since their launch the previous month.[8][9] On September 16, the ILC endorsed Bodnar and Kiley in their respective races.[8][10] The ILC's hybrid PAC, Independent PAC,[11] spent $1.8 million supporting Bodnar's Senate campaign in August 2026.[12]

References

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  1. 1 2 "Manchin launches effort to elect independent candidates to Congress". The Hill. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Arshad, Shibra (July 24, 2026). "Ex-Dem Joe Manchin is back, here's what his new independent leadership council is all about". MEAWW News. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Inside Joe Manchin's new quest to elect more Independents to Congress". NPR. July 27, 2026. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
  4. ↑ Hulse, Carl (August 26, 2026). "Joe Manchin Pushes for More Independents to Join Congress". The New York Times. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Manchin launches council to elect independents". Semafor. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  6. ↑ Lee, Chantelle (July 24, 2026). "What Is Joe Manchin's New Independent Leadership Council?". Time. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
  7. ↑ Graham, Faithlyn (September 23, 2026). "Manchin backs effort to elect independent candidates to Congress". WV News. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Mason, Melanie; Jones, Blake (September 16, 2026). "Karen Bass' rough summer". POLITICO. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Independent Leadership Council Groups Surpass $10 Million in Funding". The Conway Daily Sun. August 28, 2026. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  10. ↑ Murphy, Clayton (September 18, 2026). "Interest group money rolls in to Montana's congressional races". Montana Public Radio. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  11. ↑ "INDEPENDENT PAC". Federal Electoral Commission. January 1, 2025. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  12. ↑ Ambarian, Jonathon (September 23, 2026). "More outside groups getting involved in Montana U.S. Senate race". KTVH. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
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