THE INDEPENDENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIX POLITICS, 250 YEARS IN THE MAKING

America was founded on the belief that freedom and competition make us stronger. Somewhere along the way, our politics lost sight of those principles. Decades of partisanship carved a divide most Americans never wanted. Instead of choosing sides, we're changing the game by charting a new path that gives leaders the freedom to serve people, not parties.

DECLARE YOUR INDEPENDENCE

Join a movement, not a party.

THE INDEPENDENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

THE MOMENT IS NOW

For the first time in a generation, the conditions exist to restore competition to American politics. Together, we're building a movement to meet the moment.

JOE MANCHIN

Former U.S. Senator & Governor, West Virginia

For fifteen years in the Senate, Joe Manchin was the decisive independent vote. He crossed party lines, brokered deals, and put his constituents ahead of his caucus. He knows firsthand the pressures of partisanship and left the Democratic party in 2024. He is living proof of what this Council was built to scale: leadership that answers to people, not machinery.

HEATHER MANCHIN

Founder, Americans Together

Chair, ILC

Founder of Americans Together and former CEO of a Fortune 500 company. She spent her career taking on entrenched interests for transparency, accountability, and real competition. Now she brings that fight to politics, building the data and insights that show the gaps in our current political system.

ADAM BRANDON

Co-founder, The Independent Center Board member, ILC

Adam Brandon has spent his career building coalitions across the political divide. He led FreedomWorks as president for more than a decade, organizing grassroots activists across the country, and served with the U.S. State Department. He is now writing his third book on the independent voter and helping the Council reach the Americans both parties have lost.

SETH COHEN

Board member, ILC

Drawing on more than 25 years of leadership across media, philanthropy, law, and civic innovation, Seth brings a unique ability to connect people, ideas, and institutions around shared purpose. Prior to co-founding Optimistic Labs, Seth served as a senior advisor to businesses and social leaders spanning the political spectrum, including previously serving as the Chief Impact Officer at Forbes and founder of the Forbes Impact Lab.

Together we rise ✱ Not a party, a decision. ✱ Together we rise ✱ Not a party, a decision. ✱ Together we rise ✱ Not a party, a decision. ✱ Together we rise ✱ Not a party, a decision. ✱

IN THE PRESS

Michael Smerconish

45% of Americans Are Independents. Congress Has Zero.

CNN

Joe Manchin reenters the political orbit with a new independent experiment

NPR

Inside Joe Manchin’s new quest to elect more Independents to Congress

TWO FORCES.

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ONE EFFORT.