I’m an independent voter, and I’m registered as nonpartisan in Nebraska. But I wasn’t always.

I registered Republican when I turned 18 and stayed that way until 2022. I didn’t leave because I suddenly became a Democrat. I left because I realized the party label was doing some of my thinking for me. I’m a Marine Corps combat veteran, a diesel mechanic, a father of five and a writer.

I diagnose problems for a living. If I decide what’s wrong with a truck before I test anything, I can waste thousands of dollars replacing perfectly good parts. Eventually, I realized I was approaching politics differently: starting with a team and then interpreting the evidence around it. So I stopped.

My beliefs don’t fit neatly into either party. I strongly support the Second Amendment and the right to repair. I support voting rights, including restoring them after someone convicted of a crime has served their sentence. I oppose partisan gerrymandering and support opening our political system to independent voters and candidates.

Sometimes I agree with Republicans. Sometimes I agree with Democrats. Sometimes I think they’re both completely full of it. Being independent doesn’t mean I don’t have convictions. It means no political party gets to decide them for me. I don’t vote for a jersey anymore. I diagnose the problem, look at the evidence and make up my own mind.

Voters have power. Politicians and parties have to earn our votes

I don’t think independents should have more power than Republicans or Democrats. I think voters should have........

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