Centrist Independent Voter has endorsed Brian Shortsleeve in Massachusetts’s Republican primary for governor.
Shortsleeve is a conservative on fiscal matters but considerably more moderate than many Republicans on social issues. In a state as heavily Democratic as Massachusetts, we think that combination gives him a better chance to govern effectively and work with a legislature that will almost certainly remain controlled by Democrats.
Shortsleeve’s record in business and public administration, his fiscal seriousness and his willingness to depart from Republican orthodoxy make him the stronger choice in the primary.
We do not agree with Shortsleeve on every issue. The full endorsement discusses those differences as well as the reasons we believe they are outweighed by his experience, pragmatism and ability to govern across partisan lines.
Centrist Independent Voter has endorsed Gentner Drummond in Oklahoma’s August 25 Republican runoff for governor.
Drummond is a conservative Republican, and we disagree with him on several important issues. But his record as Oklahoma attorney general demonstrates something we increasingly value in elected officials: a willingness to exercise independent judgment even when doing so puts him at odds with powerful members of his own party.
That independence has appeared repeatedly. Drummond challenged Oklahoma’s proposed publicly funded religious charter school, sought a new trial for death-row inmate Richard Glossip after concluding that his original trial was unfair, pursued a more cooperative relationship with Oklahoma’s tribal nations, and has continued opposing the proposed Inola aluminum smelter despite President Trump’s support for the project.
We do not necessarily agree with every decision Drummond has made. What matters is that the evidence suggests those decisions are based on his understanding of Oklahoma’s interests and the law rather than simply on presidential or party preference.
That makes him the stronger choice in the Republican runoff.
Centrist Independent Voter has endorsed Eric Barlow in Wyoming’s August 18 Republican primary for governor.
Barlow is a conservative Republican, and we disagree with him on important issues, particularly abortion. He supported Wyoming’s near-total abortion prohibition and its ban on medication abortion in 2023.
But primary elections require voters to choose among the candidates actually running. In this field, Barlow offers the strongest combination of governing experience, institutional temperament and practical conservatism.
A veterinarian, rancher, Marine veteran and former speaker of the Wyoming House, Barlow has emphasized health care, water, public lands, education, economic opportunity and the future of Wyoming’s smaller communities. His energy policy is notably pragmatic: he supports the state’s traditional industries while remaining open to nuclear power and other sources, arguing that growing electricity demand means “every electron matters.”
Barlow has also resisted the factional politics that increasingly dominate the Wyoming Republican Party. His principal opponent, state Superintendent Megan Degenfelder, has built much of her campaign around President Trump’s endorsement and alignment with his political movement.
We still have unanswered questions about Barlow’s views on the 2020 election, Trump’s efforts to overturn it and the proper limits of presidential power. Voters should continue looking for clear answers before casting their ballots.
On balance, however, Barlow offers Wyoming Republicans the better choice: experienced, serious and more interested in governing than ideological performance.
CIVPAC has added four endorsements in the August 18 primaries in Alaska, Florida and Wyoming. We have also updated and reaffirmed our endorsement in today’s Democratic Senate primary in Michigan.
Alex Vindman for the U.S. Senate in Florida
CIVPAC endorses retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary.
Vindman brings national-security expertise, personal courage and a demonstrated commitment to constitutional government. His willingness to report Donald Trump’s effort to pressure Ukraine—despite the predictable risk to his military career—provides unusually strong evidence that he would place his constitutional obligations ahead of partisan loyalty.
CIVPAC endorses former Representative David Jolly in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Jolly offers governing experience, political pragmatism and the ability to appeal to Democrats, independents and former Republicans. Although we disagree with several parts of his platform, he presents a credible alternative to both Florida’s right-wing political establishment and a mirror-image politics of the left.
CIVPAC endorses retired Army Colonel Kevin Christensen in Wyoming’s Republican primary for the state’s open at-large House seat.
Christensen combines military and public-land-management experience with fiscal seriousness, respect for congressional authority and an explicit rejection of MAGA politics. He offers Wyoming voters a traditional conservative alternative to candidates who define Republican loyalty primarily as loyalty to Donald Trump.
CIVPAC endorses former Representative Mary Peltola in Alaska’s nonpartisan Senate primary.
Peltola has demonstrated political independence, bipartisan credibility and a willingness to place Alaska’s economic and regional interests ahead of national Democratic orthodoxy. Her support for Ukraine, responsible energy development and democratic institutions makes her an unusually strong Democratic Senate candidate.
CIVPAC has also updated and reaffirmed its endorsement of Representative Haley Stevens in today’s Michigan Democratic Senate primary.
Mallory McMorrow’s withdrawal leaves voters with a direct choice between Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed. Stevens offers greater federal experience, stronger support for Ukraine, a more responsible position on Israel and better prospects of holding this closely contested seat in November.
These candidates are not identical, and CIVPAC does not agree with any of them on every issue. Each nevertheless offers the strongest available combination of competence, political independence, institutional responsibility and ability to govern beyond a partisan base.
CIVPAC has endorsed former Governor Mark Sanford in South Carolina’s August 11 special Republican primary for the United States Senate.
Sanford is not a conventional centrist, and CIVPAC has important disagreements with him—particularly on abortion. But he offers qualities that have become increasingly rare in the Republican Party: genuine concern about federal debt, support for competitive markets and free trade, respect for constitutional limits and demonstrated independence from Donald Trump.
Sanford opposed Trump’s tariffs, challenged the party’s growing reliance on presidential loyalty and lost his congressional seat after publicly criticizing Trump. His record gives us reason to believe that he would approach the Senate as a member of an independent branch of government rather than as an automatic vote for the president.
He has made serious personal and political mistakes. South Carolina voters have previously considered those failures and returned him to public office. We believe his experience, fiscal seriousness and political courage make him the strongest candidate in the Republican field.
Wisconsin voters will choose their party nominees on August 11. CIVPAC has endorsed six candidates: one for governor and five for the U.S. House.
The endorsements cross party lines and do not reflect agreement with every position taken by every candidate. They reflect our judgment about the choices available in each primary. We favor candidates who take governing seriously, respect constitutional institutions, recognize economic and political tradeoffs, and offer a practical alternative to the ideological extremes of either party.
Crowley has managed Wisconsin’s largest county, negotiated a difficult fiscal compromise with Republican legislators and demonstrated that he can accept an imperfect agreement when it produces meaningful results. The unusual sequence of withdrawals and reentries in this primary helps explain his long-shot position; it does not make him less qualified. In a closely divided state, Crowley offers a more realistic and governable alternative to democratic socialism.
Mitchell Berman in Wisconsin’s 1st District
CIVPAC endorses Mitchell Berman in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District.
Berman is an emergency-room nurse who previously cared for veterans at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. His firsthand experience gives him useful insight into health-care access, cost and administration. His platform still needs greater detail on fiscal policy, immigration and foreign affairs, but he offers Democrats the strongest combination of relevant experience, democratic accountability and campaign capacity in the field.
Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin’s 3rd District
CIVPAC endorses Rebecca Cooke in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s highly competitive 3rd District.
Cooke combines rural roots, small-business experience, political realism and a demonstrated ability to appeal beyond the Democratic base. We do not regard “center-left” as a synonym for centrist or as automatic praise. But center-left is better than far-left, especially when Democratic voters must consider which nominee can actually win a competitive general election.
Niina Threlfall-Baum in Wisconsin’s 7th District
CIVPAC endorses Niina Threlfall-Baum in the Republican primary for the open 7th District seat.
Baum is the clearest moderate and problem-solving Republican in a field that otherwise tilts toward Trump-aligned or ideological candidates. We have reservations about her proposed moratorium on major artificial-intelligence data centers and would like clearer positions on NATO and Ukraine. Even so, her emphasis on fiscal responsibility, local control and practical representation makes her the strongest Republican choice.
Fred Clark in Wisconsin’s 7th District
CIVPAC endorses Fred Clark in the Democratic primary for the same open seat.
Clark is a forester, conservationist, small-business owner and former state legislator with deep knowledge of rural Wisconsin. His approach to immigration combines border enforcement with due process, lawful immigration and realistic workforce needs. He is a center-left Democrat, not a centrist, but his rural credibility, legislative experience and respect for constitutional limits distinguish him from the field.
Endorsing candidates in both party primaries does not predetermine our general-election position. We will evaluate the November choice after voters select the nominees.
Rick Crosson in Wisconsin’s 8th District
CIVPAC endorses Rick Crosson in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s 8th District.
Crosson brings two decades of Army service, extensive business and logistics experience, and service on the Green Bay school board. His immigration position is both enforceable and humane, and his military experience gives him a valuable perspective on national security and executive accountability. His opponents offer either a sweeping and risky reconstruction of the federal tax system or democratic-socialist policies well outside CIVPAC’s range.
These endorsements are choices among real candidates, not searches for perfect agreement. Readers can review all of CIVPAC’s 2026 candidate endorsements and races under consideration, follow the links above for the full reasoning, and tell us where they believe we have judged wisely—or gone wrong.
