More and more Americans are abandoning the 2 major parties. Count a Lehigh Co. commissioner among them

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — As independent voters become a growing force in American politics, the Lehigh Valley suddenly is the home of one of Pennsylvania's top politically unaffiliated elected officials.

Last week, Lehigh County Commissioner Ron Beitler officially switched his party registration from Republican to unaffiliated, commonly referred to as independent.

According to the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, he's among just three unaffiliated county commissioners in the state.

There are no independents representing Pennsylvania at the state or federal levels.

In an interview Wednesday, Beitler said he's been mulling a party change for years.

While he views himself as a constitutional conservative, he said, the Republican Party has gradually traded its values for political power over 30 years.

The Democratic Party, he said, has been guilty of the same.

Modern politics has devolved into two parties more focused on generating outrage and strengthening their grasp on power than on resolving issues, he said.

That's created what he called "an exhausted majority" — regular Americans who have become fed up with the system.

"There wasn't a single flash point" that led to his decision, Beitler said. "The realization was that it's this two-party system that cultivates a playing field that allows this to fester."

His shift away from the Republican Party is unlikely to alter the board's political dynamics. Democrats control seven of the nine seats, and Beitler had built a reputation in county circles for working well with other commissioners regardless of their party.

'Respect his right'

Beitler said he anticipated blowback from his decision, but was surprised by the amount of support he received online.

Even Lehigh County Republican Committee Chairman Joe Vichot didn't express much surprise or anger over the decision.

While Beitler and the committee never openly fought with one another, there have been public breaks at times.

In recent years, the committee ended its cooperation with the Lehigh County League of Women Voters; Vichot accused it of being a leftist organization.

Beitler, however, continued to participate in league events, including its non-partisan candidates' workshop that advises locals on how to run for office.

"I respect his right to" change parties, Vichot said. "We are very much in agreement on our principles and definitely his conservative principles. We will always appreciate his support in that manner."

Given the growing power of independent voters, it's important for party officials to build alliances with like-minded people regardless of their affiliation, Vichot said.

He said Beitler's approach to serving on the board of commissioners hasn't changed. He pointed to Beitler's vote against a controversial anti-fascism resolution that passed by a 5-4 vote on Wednesday.

That said, Vichot said the committee still would explore having a Republican run for Beitler's 2nd District seat in 2029.

Party registration totals in the district, which represents Lower Macungie, Lower Milford, Upper Macungie and Upper Milford townships as well as Alburtis and Macungie, favor Republicans.

"As an individual, you want to support people that you agree with, but as the chairman of a party, my responsibility as a chairman is to get Republicans elected to office," Vichot said.

A political disadvantage

Without a party behind him, Beitler won't be able to rely on a partisan organization to help him collect signatures, distribute yard signs and literature or knock on doors should he seek re-election.

He'd also need to collect more signatures to get on the ballot as an independent.

LehighValleyNews.com calculated Beitler would need at least 507 signatures to get on the November ballot, compared with the 250 a Democrat or Republican would need to appear on the primary ballot.

Instead, Beitler said, he hopes his willingness to publicly part with a major party can encourage more voters to remain engaged with the system outside the confines of partisan politics.

"My goal is to just model and normalize this third way," he said.

It's unclear how long Beitler will officially remain unaffiliated. He said he's in the process of joining the Forward Party, a coalition of politicians more focused on how governance is conducted than on the policies enacted.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Whitman, a former Republican, serve as co-chairs of the party.

State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh/Northampton, previously announced her alignment with the group while remaining a member of the Democratic Party.

Beitler said he appreciates how the Forward Party is more focused on the process of democracy than on playing zero-sum games over policy.

By promoting issues such as taking redistricting out of the hands of politicians, ranked-choice elections and good government practices, Beitler said the Forward Party is creating an environment in which leaders could be more willing to negotiate and find solutions for their communities.

"For me, I'm hopeful the Forward Party is my way," he said. "You need a tribe."

A surge in independents

Many Americans may not need much of a push to embrace parting with the major political parties.

A Gallup poll released last month found that 45% of Americans now identify as politically independent, a record high.

The same poll found 27% of respondents identified as Republicans and a matching 27% identified as Democrats. However, those figures reflect those voters' political identities, not their formal voter registration in state databases.

Pennsylvania has seen its own trend of voters leaving the two major parties in 2026.

Voter registration data compiled by the state shows 5,907 people switched their party affiliation to Other this year as of Monday. Other includes voters with no party affiliation or voters who have joined third party organizations.

That outpaced 4,785 people who switched their allegiances to the Republican Party and the 5,418 people who have switched their affiliation to the Democratic Party over the same time.

On the whole, unaffiliated and third-party voters account for 1.4 million of Pennsylvania's total voters, or 16.4% of all registered voters.

Under the state's closed primary rules, these voters can only participate in general elections and special elections.

Christopher Borick, director of Muhlenberg College's Institute of Public Opinion, said casual observers shouldn't read too much into the change.

While there are more independents than ever, many of those voters still have clear preferences for one party over the other, Borick said.

Fed up with mainstream parties

At the same time, polling shows voters are fed up with the two mainstream parties and the voter registration figures reflect that reality.

While Americans supported President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, voters have grown frustrated with the high cost of living and his handling of immigration enforcement away from the border, Borick said.

"Independents were at the heart of the victory that Republicans had at the presidential level, the congressional level," Borick said.

"A year and three months later, independents are in a really different place."

Meanwhile, Democrats have alienated many voters, he said.

Some of their would-be supporters feel the party hasn't done enough to fight Trump's initiatives while others believe Democrats are too left-leaning, Borick said.

While polls suggest Democrats could have an advantage heading into the midterm elections, it's not because voters have restored confidence in the party's brand, he said.

"If you had open primaries tomorrow, you would see a doubling or tripling of independents in the state," Borick said.

Beitler said the feedback he's received over the past week has confirmed that lesson.

A decade ago, supporting a third-party candidate would be akin to throwing away your vote, he said.

"We're in a moment now ... for independents and unaffiliated, even if folks don't realize it now," Beitler said.