Scoop: ActBlue makes it easier for independents to tap donors

• That change can give independents access to ActBlue earlier in the campaign cycle—and even if a declared Democrat is in the race.
• Republicans both fear and admire ActBlue for the ease with which it allows candidates to translate online enthusiasm into real-world dollars. President Trump also wants to investigate it for "illegal 'straw donor' and foreign contributions in American elections."
• A spokesperson for ActBlue confirmed the changes, which were made earlier in August.

Zoom out: In the 2026 cycle, three independent candidates are seeking to challenge GOP senators in deep red states, but without a "D" next to their name.

• Two of them are former Democrats.
• The third, Dan Osborn, who has always been registered "unaffiliated," gave Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) a scare in 2024 by running as an independent. He's plotting a second run, this time against Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.).
• Earlier this summer Todd Achilles, a former Democratic Idaho state representative, declared himself an unaffiliated voter and announced a challenge to Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho).
• And in South Dakota, Brian Bengs, who ran for the Senate as a Democrat in 2022, is challenging Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), as an independent.

Zoom in: ActBlue will now review independent or third-party candidates for inclusion on a "case-by-case basis, with the following criteria as major factors," according to its website.

• "Whether a Democratic candidate is in the race."
• "Whether the candidate has a Democratic Party endorsement."
• "Whether the candidate can demonstrate they align with Democratic policies and priorities."

The old guidelines had stricter requirements.

• Independents could qualify by having a "proven record of caucusing with Democrats," which would have covered former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).
• The old rules did allow for independent candidates to access the platform if no other Democrat were in the race and if they received an "official Democratic Party endorsement."

Between the lines: The old rules would have prevented independents like Beng and Achilles from tapping the platform, given that there are already Democrats in both races.

• Neither of them currently have active ActBlue accounts. Osborn does.

What they're saying: Republicans are convinced the change is a ruse to give incognito Democrats access to progressive donors without admitting they're Democrats.

• "Voters now have even more proof candidates like Dan Osborn are Democrat plants as the liberal donation platform changes its rules to further accommodate these phony 'independents,'" said Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Editor's note: This article has been updated.