The independent campaign of Tim Grady announced the endorsement of Ada Village Councilor Sean Beck this week in Ohio’s upcoming gubernatorial election. The campaign said the endorsement is the first it has received from a sitting elected official.
The campaign announced Beck’s endorsement in a March 4 statement shared with Independent Political Report. Beck was first elected to the Ada Village Council during the 2021 election cycle on the Democratic Party ballot line. He was reelected in 2025 as an independent candidate.
“I am pleased to endorse my friend, Tim Grady, for Ohio governor,” Beck said in the statement. “After working with him for some time now, I think he’s got great ideas that would truly benefit the people and businesses of the state. I think it’s time that we start shifting our focus away from the two main parties and back to people who try to represent all.”
Grady thanked Beck and welcomed his endorsement as a sign of growing dissatisfaction with the current state of politics. “It’s amazing to have the support of Sean Beck and to get to work with him in the months ahead,” said Grady said. “The vision I have for Ohio starts at the local level with committed local leadership like his.”
Grady, a former chair of the Ohio Forward Party, launched his gubernatorial campaign in June 2025 and later named Army veteran Andrea Neutzling as his running mate. The ticket is currently petitioning for ballot access and must submit 5,000 valid signatures by May 4.
While running as an independent, Grady has also received the formal support of the United States Pirate Party and the United States Transhumanist Party.
Timothy Grady is running for Governor of Ohio in 2026 as an unaffiliated candidate, offering voters an alternative outside the traditional two-party system.
Grady previously ran for governor in 2022, finishing fourth with 9 write-in votes (0.1%). In 2024, he ran for State Representative, placing third with 11 votes (0.02%). While those numbers are small, his decision to run again demonstrates persistence, determination, and a refusal to give up on his vision.
At just 29 years old, Grady represents a new generation. With no political baggage and no ties to party agendas, he has the potential to connect with younger voters and bring fresh ideas into a system many believe is stagnant. His campaign is rooted in the belief that the government should work for the people—not political parties.
Looking beyond his age, voters should consider what he represents: a true independent option for those frustrated with Democrats and Republicans locked in constant conflict.
Ohio currently has approximately 7.58 million registered voters:
Republicans: 2,363,776 (31.8%)
Democrats: 2,359,238 (31.12%)
Independents: 2,857,941 (37.7%)
Independents make up the largest share of voters in the state. That means the power to shift the outcome of an election is real.
If voters are willing to step outside party lines and support independent candidates, change is possible. Continuing to support the same two-party cycle only leads back to the same gridlock and division.
It’s time to stop overlooking independent voices. It’s time for something different. #Grady2026