<P> The United States House of Representatives has also seen a handful of independent members . Examples include Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Virgil Goode of Virginia, Frazier Reams of Ohio, and Victor Berger of Wisconsin . </P> <P> In August 2008, there were 12 independents who held offices in state legislatures . There were four state senators, one from Kentucky, one from Oregon, one from Tennessee, and one from New Mexico . The representatives came from the states of Louisiana (two), Maine (two), Vermont (two), and Virginia (two). In the 2008 general elections, Wisconsin State Assemblyman Jeffrey Wood left the Republican Party and won reelection as an independent . After the 2008 primary election, New Mexico State Senator Joseph Carraro left the Republican Party and registered as an Independent . He did not run for reelection . </P> <P> In November 2005, Manny Diaz was elected Mayor of Miami, Florida as an independent . On June 19, 2007, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent . Oscar Goodman, Mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada switched his affiliation to Independent from Democrat in December 2009 . Dan Hollingsworth has won four consecutive elections as an Independent since 1998 for mayor of the small city of Ruston, Louisiana, the home of Louisiana Tech University . </P> <P> The Nebraska Legislature is unique in that it is the only nonpartisan state legislature . In the Legislature (which is additionally unique in that it is also the only state legislature that is unicameral), there are no formal party alignments or groups and the members are nominated in nonpartisan primary elections . Members are allowed to register with political parties but choose not to reveal their affiliation while seated, as a professional courtesy . However, the political affiliation of party - affiliated members are considered open secrets and the parties exist in the legislature on an unofficial basis . Some members, such as Ernie Chambers of Omaha, are independent of party officially, while others have not publicly disclosed their affiliation . </P>

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