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Constitution Party Launches National List of 2026 Candidates

The Constitution Party has begun maintaining a national list of candidates running with the party in the 2026 election cycle. Party leadership has previously said that recruiting candidates would be a major priority moving forward.

The party shared the current list Tuesday, stating that additional candidates will be added as filing deadlines pass in other states. As of publication, the list includes 28 candidates across four states, with the majority concentrated in Utah and Nevada.

In Utah, the party is fielding 16 candidates, most of whom are running for county-level offices. These include commission and council seats in Cache, Salt Lake, and Washington counties. Another seven candidates are seeking seats in the state legislature, though they will not formally receive the support of state delegates until the Constitution Party of Utah’s nominating convention in San Pete County on April 25.

Nevada accounts for another 10 candidates running with the Independent American Party, the Constitution Party’s affiliate in the state. That slate includes local candidates in Humboldt and Nye counties, as well as a race for the Indian Hills General Improvement District Board of Trustees, which is the only nonpartisan contest on the list.

The Nevada affiliate is also fielding candidates for higher office, including national Western States Co-chair Janine Hansen for lieutenant governor and Brad Barnhill for secretary of state, along with a small number of legislative candidates. Three candidates are running for U.S. House seats, including Lynn Chapman in the 2nd District, Jon Kamerath in the 3rd District, and Russell Best in the 4th District.

In both Illinois and New Hampshire, each state affiliate is fielding a single candidate this year. In Illinois, Tim Pearcy is running for Massac County clerk against incumbent Republican Haley Miles in the general election after both candidates cleared their respective primaries without opposition. No candidates filed with any other parties.

In New Hampshire, the party is fielding its state chair, Ed Laplante, for U.S. Senate. The seat is open after Democrat Jeanne Shaheen said she would not seek a fourth term. To qualify for the ballot, Laplante will need to collect at least 3,000 valid signatures, allowing him to appear on the ballot using the party label as a designation.

If he earns at least 4 percent of the vote in November, the Constitution Party of New Hampshire could qualify for official recognition, allowing it to hold state-run primaries, maintain a ballot line, and register voters under the party.

Since the election of Justin McGill in 2024 as chair of the Constitution Party National Committee, he has frequently said the party will prioritize recruiting new candidates and identifying local organizers to build new state affiliates and expand its candidate base. McGill previously said that the party’s objective is to have a presence in 40 states by the 2028 election cycle.

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