|
Last week we told you that Idaho’s math changed in favor of Senate candidate Todd Achilles. This week, it happened again with South Dakota’s Democratic Senate Nominee Julian Beaudion dropping out of the race, leaving a clear one-on-one race between independent Senate candidate Brian Bengs and Republican candidate Mike Rounds.
The move from Beaudion verifies the direction more voters are heading, which is preferring independent leadership over partisan picks. It leaves Bengs as the main competitor against Rounds, mirroring last week’s development in Idaho.
These are the first dominoes to fall in states where Democratic nominees are unlikely to win and have historically served only to split the non-Republican vote and hand incumbents an easy victory. Legacy party nominees are beginning to recognize the overwhelming support for a new kind of leadership in these states and are stepping aside, ultimately clearing a path for independent candidates who can compete.
At the center of this South Dakota shift is Brian Bengs, Independent Senate Candidate. He is a dual-service military veteran, attorney, former criminal justice professor at Northern State University, and National Park Ranger. He served in the United States Navy and then as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, where he spent years as a JAG officer. He has been an independent for, in his own words, “97% of my adult life.”
We previously noted that Bengs submitted the highest-validity petition of any statewide South Dakota candidate in 2026, which was 93.85% validity, beating both major party candidates in the quality of signatures gathered.
This decision by a major party nominee to drop out is becoming an emerging pattern in one-party-rule states, with similar developments possible in additional districts and states. With under 100 days to go until midterms, this election cycle is seeing independent thinking taking root.
Our strategy at Forward has always been about math. You don’t need 51 independent senators to change the United States Senate. You need enough to hold the balance of power: three or four members who answer only to their constituents, who can’t be controlled by either party, and who will vote on the merits of what’s in front of them. That math is now closer to real than it has ever been.
The Forward Party endorses Brian Bengs in South Dakota and Todd Achilles in Idaho. We believe these candidates, and all Forward-endorsed candidates, represent the clearest path to showing that independents can win in the most difficult electoral environments in the country and that when they do, American politics changes.
Primary Highlight
Niina Baum
Republican Candidate for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District
|
This Tuesday (August 11) is primary day in Wisconsin, where Niina Baum is competing for the Republican nomination in the 7th Congressional District. Regardless of party label, her campaign represents the kind of candidate Forward is committed to supporting: someone who cares deeply about the voters they are pledging to represent and who is willing to fight for them while putting effective representation ahead of partisan politics.
Niina grew up on a dairy farm in northern Wisconsin and is now running to represent the same rural communities that shaped her. She co-founded Northwoods Young Professionals to help keep young talent in rural Wisconsin, organized community events that generated more than $500,000 in economic impact, helped establish the Hodag Snack Attack program to provide food for local elementary school students, and currently serves on the Rhinelander Rotary Club Board and as Planning Commissioner for the Town of Crescent.
Baum’s campaign reflects many of the qualities the Forward Party looks for in endorsed candidates: a record of community service, independence, and a focus on representing constituents over partisan interests.
|
|
If you missed it last week, we had Todd Achilles (Idaho) on a brand new podcast episode with Bob Chew (Colorado)! They talk with our hosts about what drew them to the Forward Party, why they are running, and what a few good Forwardists in the Senate means for the country.
Click the image below to watch.
|
|
— August 10, 2026 at 7:30pm Eastern Time
Please join our director of volunteer engagement Carrie Anne for a 30 minute rundown of all things Forward Party! Meet other volunteers, hear what’s happening in the committees and other states, and stay abreast of party news
— August 11, 2026 at 7:30pm Eastern Time Recruitment Day
Getting Started: Forward to the Polls is our national virtual recruitment event celebrating civic service and showing how ordinary volunteers can play an extraordinary role in keeping democracy strong. On National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, we’ll hear from Forwardists who have served as poll workers and learn why this work matters so much to voters, communities, and the integrity of local elections.
— August 12, 2026 at 8:00pm Eastern Time
Join the Black Voters Committee for our monthly call. We’ll connect, share committee updates, discuss current priorities, and plan upcoming initiatives. New and returning members are welcome.
If you’re tired of waiting for the system to fix itself — this is your moment.
👥 Volunteer | 🗳️ Run for Office | 💸 Donate | 🌐 forwardparty.com
|
|
The decision by Julian Beaudion, the Democratic nominee, to leave the race was the third recent withdrawal by a Democratic Senate candidate in a red state
Todd Achilles’ path as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate becomes clearer after the Democratic nominee drops out of the Idaho race
There is a growing independent wave this cycle. Meet three independent voters weighing their options in key races in the upcoming midterm elections.
|
     
Copyright © 2026 Forward Party, all rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
1701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States
Paid for by Forward Party and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
ForwardParty.com
|
|
|
|
