Utah has three independent candidates running for Congress this election. But most voters haven’t seen a single ad or billboard about their campaigns. For a candidate with no funds or party support, it’s an uphill battle to get a message out. This story looks at what it means to be an independent candidate in Utah.
Joe Andrade is running for Congress, but he has no campaign headquarters. He’s an emeritus professor at the University of Utah, so he uses a café on campus for his weekly strategy meetings. Andrade doesn’t do TV or radio ads. His signs are hand-made. The only campaign merchandise he’s invested in are t-shirts featuring a map of the recently redrawn state districts, with his 2nd District highlighted in green. Andrade says he wants no money in his campaign.
