List of congressional challengers who ran in the 2012 elections
This page contains a list of all challengers who ran in the 2012 congress elections. Challenger refers to a candidate who was not an incumbent in the U.S. House or U.S. Senate. Included in these lists are elected officials from lower offices, such as state legislators and state executive officials.
The individual state tabs below contain names of candidates who ran for U.S. Congress in 2012. The names are broken out by state, chamber and party.
- For the full list of all candidates including incumbents, see List of candidates who ran in U.S. Congress elections, 2012
States
Alabama
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Alaska
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Arizona
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
- Kirk Adams (Arizona)
- Travis Grantham
- Gabriela Mercer
- Matt Salmon
- Ron Gould
- Richard Mack (Arizona)
- Martha McSally
- Douglas Wade
- Matt Jette
- Jonathan Paton
- Wendy Rogers
- Patrick Gatti
- Mark Koskiniemi
- Jeff Thompson (Arizona)
- Gaither Martin
- Martin Sepulveda
- Leah Campos Schandlbauer
- Stephen Dolgos
- Tony Passalacqua
- Vernon Parker
- Lisa Borowsky
- Rick Murphy (Arizona Congress)
- Josue Larose
- Helmuth Hack, Republican
Third Party
Arkansas
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
California
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
- Norman Solomon
- Jackie Conaway
- Jose Hernandez (California)
- Lee Rogers
- Tony Cárdenas
- Jerry Tetalman
- David Secor
- Connie Frankowiak
- William Courtney (California)
- Stacey Lawson
- Tiffany Renee
- Sukhee Kang
- Renea Wickman
- Denise Moreno Ducheny
- Alan Lowenthal
- John Hernandez
- Jack Uppal
- Jess Herrera
- Justin Kim
- Rita Ramirez
- Anna Nevenic
- Cheryl Sudduth
- Justin Jelincic
- Michael Moloney
- John Pinkerton
- Nathan Arrowsmith
- Americo Artura Diaz
- Summer Justice Shields
- David Peterson (California)
- Larry Fritzlan
- Chad Condit
- Loraine Goodwin
- Robert Murray (California)
- Art Dunn
- Blong Xiong
- Albert Maxwell Goldberg
- Jonathan Ryan Kalbfeld
- Sal Genovese
- Massie Munroe
- Richard Valdez
- Vince Gilmore
- G. Bill Gonzalez
- Bruce Margolin
- Zein Obagi
- Anthony Vieyra
- Jay Chen
- David Sanchez (California)
- Otto Lee
- Cliff Smith (California congressional candidate)
- Michael Williamson
- Bob Flores
- Usha Shah
- Jay Shah
- Ron Varasteh
- John Brooks (California)
- Daniel Ramirez (California congressional candidate)
- Shirley Decourt-Park
- Tim Pape
- David Cruz Thayne
- Jim Reed
- Lori Saldaña
- Susan Adams
- William Parks
- Herbert Peters
- Gloria Negrete McLeod
- John Fitzgerald (California)
Republican
- Susan Shelley
- Gregory Cheadle
- John Tavaglione
- Daniel Roberts
- Wayne Iverson
- Tony Carlos
- Kim Dolbow Vann
- Rick Tubbs
- Gregg Imus
- Bill Jensen
- Angela Valles
- John McDonald (California)
- David Hernandez (California)
- Mark Reed (California)
- Gary DeLong
- Steve Kuykendall
- John Stahl
- Pete Stiglich
- Chris Mitchum
- Terri Linnell
- Abel Maldonado
- Michael Dacquisto
- Eugene Ray
- Erik Smitt
- Joseph McCray, Sr.
- Dennis Albertsen
- Ryan McEachron
- Phil Liberatore
- Brad Mitzelfelt
- Virginia Fuller
- Mike LeBarre
- Johnny Tacherra
- Brian Daniel Whelan
- Randy Loftin
- Evelyn Li
- Deborah Bacigalupi
- Dave Chapman (California)
- Phat Nguyen
- Gary Allen Oxley
- Mike Halliwell
- Stewart Cilley
- Joseph Napolitano
- John Dennis (California)
- George Craig
- Mark Garcia
- Jeff Taylor (California)
- Dante Acosta
- Cathie Wright
- Albert Maxwell Goldberg
- Bob Duran
- Jack Orswell
- Garen Mailyan
- Nick Popaditch
- Phil Jennerjahn
- Jenny Worman
- Navraj Singh
- David Miller (California)
- Christopher David (California)
- Stephen Smith (California)
- Benjamin Campos
- George Pearne
- Vince Sawyer
- Eva Johnson
- Clayton Thibodeau
- John Webb (California)
- John Cullum
- Pat Garcia
- Steve Foley
- Bernard Portley
- Gene Hamilton Carswell
- John Subka
- Eric Parker (California)
- Jorge Robles
- Jerry Hayden
- Sanford Kahn
- Michael Crimmins
- Samuel Aanestad
- Paul Cook (California)
- Morgan Osborne
- Xanthi Gionis
- John Fitzgerald (California)
Third Party
Colorado
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Connecticut
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Delaware
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Florida
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
- Alvin Peters
- Alan Grayson
- Val Demings
- Shannon Roberts
- Leonard Bembry
- Keith Fitzgerald
- Patrick Murphy (Florida)
- Nicholas Ruiz
- Alfred Lawson
- Jessica Ehrlich
- James Bryan (Florida)
- J.R. Gaillot
- Vipin Verma
- Heather Beaven
- Jason Kendall
- Jonathan Michael Snow
- Jim Horn
- Kristin Jacobs
- Rudy Moise
- Manny Yevancey
- Lamar Sternad
- David Werder
- Mark Schlakman
- Philip Dodds
- Fred Marra
- W. Michael Trout
- Gloria Romero Roses
- Joe Garcia (Florida)
- Gustavo Marin
- Josue Larose
- Jerry Lee Buechler
- Will Bronson
Republican
- LeAnne Kolb
- Ted Yoho
- Billy Kogut
- Evelio Otero Jr.
- Joe Davidow
- Chauncey Goss
- Mark Oxner
- Ozzie deFaria
- Karen Harrington
- Gary Aubuchon
- Joe Kaufman
- Craig Miller (Florida)
- Ron DeSantis
- Robert Crowder
- James Jett
- Bob Black
- Deborah Katz Pueschel
- Alec Pueschel
- Todd Long
- Joseph Asher Davidow
- Trey Radel
- Joe Arnold
- Ilya Katz
- Julius Melendez
- Virginia Fuller
- Steve Oelrich, 2012
- Adam Hasner
- Madeline Vance
- Richard Andrew Clark (Florida)
- Beverly Slough
- John Quiñones
- Paul Sidney Elliott
- Darren Ayres
- Eddie Adams, Jr.
- Jim Roach
- Gineen Bresso
- Paige Kreegel
- Fred Costello
- Steve Oelrich
- Josue Larose
- Gary Stein
- Juan Garcia (Florida)
Third Party
Georgia
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Hawaii
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Idaho
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Illinois
U.S. House
Democratic
- Jordan Sims
- Clifford Russell, Jr.
- Fred Smith (Illinois)
- Raymond Lodato
- Harold Bailey
- Debbie Halvorson
- Farah Baqai
- Leslie Coolidge
- Geoffrey Petzel
- Maureen Yates
- Jacques Conway
- Tammy Duckworth
- Simon Ribeiro
- Vivek Bavda
- Ilya Sheyman
- John Tree
- James Hickey
- Juan Thomas
- Chris Miller (Illinois congressional candidate)
- Kenneth Wiezer
- David Gill
- Matt Goetten
- Jonathan Farnick
- Angela Michael
- Greg Aguilar
- Cheri Bustos
- George Gaulrapp
- Steve Waterworth
- Matt Woodmancy
- William Enyart
- Marcus Lewis
- Wanda Rohl
- Dennis Anderson (Illinois)
- Frederick Collins (Illinois)
Republican
Third Party
Indiana
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
- John Forrest Roberson
- Tommy Schrader
- Tara Nelson
- Lester Terry Moore
- Scott Reske
- Tony Long (Indiana)
- Dan Bolling (Indiana)
- Brad Bookout
- Jim Crone
- Dave Crooks
- Thomas Barnett
- Jonathan George
- Robert Winningham
- Dan Morrison
- Stephen Hope
- Justin Kuhnle
- Susan Hall Heitzman
- Woodrow Wilcox
- John Griffin Miller
- David Sowards
- Kevin Boyd
- Bob Kern
- Pierre Pullins
- George Holland
- Brendan Mullen
- Shelli Yoder
Republican
- Greg Andrews
- Mitch Feikes
- Jackie Walorski
- Susan Brooks
- Jack Lugar
- John McGoff
- David McIntosh
- Don Bates, Jr.
- Bill Frazier
- Travis Hankins
- Wayne Harmon
- Steve Davis (Indiana)
- Kristi Risk
- Joe Sizemore
- Dave Wenger
- Bill Salin
- Matthew Mount
- Wayne Seybold
- Carlos May
- Catherine Ping
- Joel Phelps
- J.D. Miniear
- Tony Duncan
- Larry Shouse
- Joe Van Wye
- Luke Messer
- Jason Anderson (Indiana)
Third Party
Iowa
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Kansas
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Kentucky
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Louisiana
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Maine
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Maryland
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
- Larry Smith (Maryland)
- Nancy Jacobs (Maryland)
- Howard Orton
- Eric Delano Knowles
- Draper Phelps
- George McDermott
- Anthony O'Donnell
- David Hill (Maryland)
- Glenn Troy Morton
- David Brinkley (Maryland)
- Robert Coblentz
- Robin Ficker
- Joseph Krysztoforski
- Brandon Rippeon
- Ray Bly
- Shelly Skolnick
- Vladmir Degen
- Armand Girard
- Charles Shepher
- Frank Mirabile, Jr.
- Rick Impallaria
- Randy Gearhart
- Greg Holmes
- Faith Loudon
- Peter James
- M. Justin Kinsey
- Gus Alzona
- Ken Timmerman
- Ronald Owens-Bey
- Paul Drgos, Jr.
- Thomas Harris (Maryland)
- Kathy Afzali
- Cathy Johnson Pendleton
Third Party
Massachusetts
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Michigan
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
- Glenn Anderson (Michigan)
- Dan Kildee
- Lance Enderle
- Syed Taj
- Trevor Thomas
- Steve Pestka
- Kurt Haskell
- Ruben Marquez
- Charles Stadler
- Willam F. Roberts (Michigan)
- Daniel Marcin
- John Goci
- Mike O'Brien (Michigan)
- Brenda Lawrence (Michigan)
- Bob Costello (Michigan)
- Mary Waters
- Gary McDowell
- Bert Johnson (Michigan)
- Jerome George Quinn
- Shanelle Jackson
- Willie German, Jr.
- David Davenport (Michigan)
- Steve King (Michigan)
- Debra Wirth
Republican
Third Party
Minnesota
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Mississippi
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Missouri
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Montana
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Nebraska
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Nevada
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
New Hampshire
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
New Jersey
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
New Mexico
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
New York
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
- Mike Scala
- Charles Barron
- Dan O'Connor
- Mark Murphy (New York)
- Rich Becker
- Tom Wilson
- Joel Tyner
- Craig Schley
- Elizabeth Crowley (New York)
- Rory Lancman
- Vivianne Falcone
- Joseph Marthone
- Allan Jennings Jr.
- Robert Mittman
- Erik Dilan
- George Martinez (New York)
- Sylvia Kinard
- Vivia Morgan
- Joyce Johnson (New York)
- Aniello Grimaldi
- Duane Jackson
- Sean Maloney
- Nate Shinagawa
- Leslie Danks Burke
- Melissa Dobson
- Dan Lamb
- Dan Maffei
- Adriano Espaillat, Congress
- Clyde Williams
- Matt Alexander (New York)
- Julian Schreibman
Republican
- Randy Altschuler
- Frank Scaturro
- Matt Doheny
- Kellie Greene
- Joe Carvin
- Stephen Labate
- Robert Previdi
- Francis Becker Jr.
- Daniel Halloran
- Michael Chan
- Christopher Wight
- William Gibbons Jr.
- Frank Della Valle
- James Russell (New York)
- Robert Dieterich
- Chris Collins (New York)
- David Bellavia
- Michael Madigan, New York
- Maggie Brooks
- Michael Kicinski Sr.
- Joseph McLaughlin (New York)
- Michael Donahue (Rhode Island)
- Francis Morganthaler
Third Party
North Carolina
U.S. House
Democratic
- Terry Bellamy
- Cecil Bothwell
- Jennifer Roberts
- Hayden Rogers
- Tom Hill
- Bernard A. Holliday
- Dan Whittacre
- Steve Wilkins
- Erik Anderson (North Carolina)
- Marcus Williams (North Carolina)
- Matt Newton
- Patricia Keever
- Tony Foriest
- Charles Malone (North Carolina)
- Tim Murphy (North Carolina)
- Toni Morris
- Bruce G. Peller
- Elisabeth Motsinger
Republican
- Ilario Pantano
- Scott Keadle
- Vernon Robinson
- John Whitley
- Fred Steen
- Spence Campbell
- Mark Meadows (North Carolina)
- Vance Patterson
- Paul Coble
- Bill Randall
- George Holding
- Ethan Wingfield
- Frank Palombo
- Michael Shaffer
- Ken Fortenberry
- Chris Petrella
- Jack Brosch
- George Hutchins
- Richard Speer
- Sonya Holmes
- Clement Munno
- Jim Allen (North Carolina)
- Billy Yow
- Dan Barry
- Andy Dulin
- Jim Pendergraph
- Jon Gauthier
- Edwin Peacock
- Kenny West
- Ken Leonczyk
- Pete DiLauro
- Tim D'Annunzio
- Don Peterson (North Carolina)
- Ric Killian
- William Flynn
- Susan Harris (North Carolina)
- Mike Steinberg
- Jeff Hunt
- Robert Pittenger
Third Party
North Dakota
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Ohio
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
- Olivia Freeman
- David Krikorian
- Fred Kundrata
- David Esrati
- Sharen Swartz Neuhardt
- Jeff Sinnard
- Cas Adulewicz
- Angela Zimmann
- Graham Veysey
- L. Mack VanAllen
- James Reese
- Dale Virgil Blanchard
- Malcolm Kantzler
- Jim Berns
- Jim Slone
- Joyce Healy-Abrams
- Gerald Carver Henley
- Isaac Powell
- Doug Litt
- Scott Wharton
- Charlie Wilson (Former Ohio congressman)
- Ted Celeste
- Mary Jo Kilroy
- William Smith (Ohio congressional candidate)
Republican
Third Party
Oklahoma
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Oregon
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Pennsylvania
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Rhode Island
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
South Carolina
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
South Dakota
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Tennessee
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
- Ron Bhalla
- Weston Wamp
- Joseph Leinweber, Jr.
- Charles Mayfield
- Shannon Kelley
- Justin Jones (Tennessee congressional candidate)
- Bob Ries (Tennessee)
- Brad Staats
- Tracy Tarum
- Lou Ann Zelenik
- Paul Cook (California)
- Annette Justice
- Charlotte Bergmann
- Rollin Wilson Stooksberry
- George Flinn Jr.
- Nicholas Ciparro
- Ernest Lunati
Third Party
Texas
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
- Jim Riley
- Neil Burns
- Beto O'Rourke
- Ruben Ramirez
- Denise Saenz Blanchard
- Kenneth Sanders (Texas)
- Nick Lampson
- David Cantu
- Jane Cross
- Johnny Partain
- Jerome Tilghman
- Ramiro Garza, Jr.
- Rose Meza Harrison
- Taj Clayton
- Murphy Alade Junaid
- Sylvia Romo
- Shirley McKellar
- David Alameel
- Don Jaquess
- James Cargas
- Dave Robinson
- KP George
- Kesha Rogers
- Armando Villalobos
- Anthony Troiani
- Stephen Wyman
- Kathleen Hicks
- Manuel Valdez
- Max Martin (Texas)
- Phillip Andrews
- Pete Gallego
- Ciro Rodriguez
- Michael Cole (Texas)
- Maria Luisa Alvarado
- Elaine Henderson
- Kyev Tatum
- Jim Dougherty
- VaLinda Hathcox
- Linda Mrosko
- Pat Wallace
- Brianna Hinojosa-Flores
- Lissa Squiers
- Tim Rusk
- Tawana Cadien
- William Miller, Jr.
- Linda Dailey
- Candace Duval
- David Sanchez (Texas candidate)
- Ronnie McDonald
- Jerry Trevino
- Domingo Garcia (Texas)
- J.R. Molina
- Katherine Savers McGovern
- Steve Salazar
- Chrysta Castaneda
- Elmo Aycock
- Juan Angel Guerra
- Filemon Vela (Texas U.S. representative)
- Ben Mendoza
- Barbara Mallory Caraway
- Paul Johnson, Jr.
- Salomon Torres
- Tom Berry (Texas)
- Walter Hofheinz
- Jason Roberts (Texas)
- John Gay (Texas)
Republican
- Joe Chow
- Itamar Gelbman
- Frank Kuchar
- Larry Youngblood
- Wade Brown
- Chris Younts
- Robert Gonzalez (Texas)
- George Harper
- Felicia Harris Hoss
- Jay Old
- Michael Truncale
- Dale Brueggemann
- Grant Stinchfield
- Bill Burch (congressional candidate)
- Dianne Costa
- Dave Garrison
- Justin Hewlett
- Brian Matthews
- Wes Riddle
- Chad Wilbanks
- Chuck Bradley
- Bill Lawrence
- Susan Narvaiz
- Jim Engstrand
- Jim Kuiken
- Josh Caesar
- Harry Pierce
- Lou Gigliotti
- Steve Mueller
- Ernie Beltz, Jr.
- Tim Day (Texas)
- Mark Mansius
- Bill Sargent
- Eddie Zamora
- Sean Seibert
- Travis Washington, Jr.
- Adela Garza
- John Grunwald
- Paul Haring
- Jerry Doyle
- Ky Griffin
- Rob Roark
- Kim Morrell
- Barbara Carlson
- Don Al Middlebrook
- William Hayward
- Jessica Puente Bradshaw
- Bill Tofte
- Lois Myers
- Stephen Takach
- Trey Roberts (Texas)
- Mike Jackson, Texas
- Phillip Andrews
- Eddie Traylor
- Corey Roen
- Barbara Carrasco
- Rebecca Cervera
- Charles Holcomb (Texas congressional candidate)
- Steve Clark
- John Yoggerst
- George Hindman
- Steve Stockman
- Daniel Whitton
- Chris Winn
- Tim Wintill
- Richard Morgan (Texas)
- James Dillon (Texas)
- Eric Klingemann
- Charles King
- Keith Casey
- David Rosa (Texas)
- John Bustamante
- Pamela Lee Barlow
- John Gay (Texas)
- Michael Williams (Texas Commissioner of Education)
- Chuck Meyer
Third Party
Utah
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Vermont
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Virginia
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
Washington
U.S. Senate
Democratic
Republican
Third Party
U.S. House
Democratic
- Darcy Burner
- Darshan Rauniyar
- Laura Ruderman
- Jon Haugen
- Thomas Cramer (Washington)
- Denny Heck
- Mike Lapointe
- Steve Hobbs (Washington)
- Mary Baechler
- Rich Cowan
- Derek Kilmer
- Don Rivers
- Charles Allen (Washington)
- Karen Porterfield
- Keith Arnold
- Dave Christie
- J. Byron Holcomb
- Brian Sullivan (Washington)
- Brian Berry
- Ruth Morrison
Republican
- John Koster
- Jesse L. Young
- Ernest Huber
- Eli Olson
- Dan Matthews (Washington)
- John C. W. Shoop
- Jamie Wheeler
- Randall Yearout
- Bill Driscoll
- David Eichner
- Doug Cloud
- Stephan Andrew Brodhead
- Scott Sutherland
- Ron Bemis
- GoodSpaceGuy
- Keith Swank
- John Orlinski
- Dick Muri
- Stan Flemming
- Steven Gerdes
- James Postma