Virginia Senate candidate Mark Moran announced on April 2, 2026, that he is leaving the Democratic Party and will continue his campaign against incumbent Sen. Mark Warner as an independent.
The announcement was first shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Moran, 34, made the statement in a video recorded outside St. John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, the site where Patrick Henry gave his 1775 “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech.
Announcement Outside Historic Church
“I’m breaking free from the Democratic establishment. I’m going to run for United States Senate as an independent,” Moran said. “I’m doing that because I’m putting our country first. I’m putting it above these divisive issues that the left, that the right and our corporate media control.”
Moran described himself as “Virginia & America First.” He said he is running to give more power to everyday Americans instead of corporate interests.
He pointed to the nation’s $39 trillion debt and $1 trillion in annual interest payments as evidence that the current system is unsustainable.
Policy Proposals Focus on Housing and Taxes
In a policy document called “Common Wealth,” obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, Moran proposes a “20/20 Plan” for home ownership. The plan would replace the 30-year mortgage with a 20-year, government-backed Prosperity Mortgage.
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The interest rate would be set at inflation plus 1 percent. After 20 years, the homeowner would own the property outright and make no mortgage payments for the next 20 years.
Moran told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the current 30-year mortgage system inflates housing costs faster than wages and benefits banks and moneyed interests. He also calls for replacing the federal income tax with a consumption tax.
Under this plan, taxes would apply to purchases like luxury items rather than earnings, closing corporate loopholes.
He criticized the U.S. political and financial system as functioning more like a publicly traded corporation being asset-stripped than a republic designed by the Founding Fathers.
Moran proposed a “controlled, Chapter 11-style reorganization of the Republic” and framed his campaign as a “proxy fight” on behalf of American voters against entrenched interests.
Campaign to Target General Election
Moran will no longer compete in Virginia’s August 4 Democratic primary. He will face three-term Sen. Mark Warner in the November general election.
He plans to campaign by driving his 2014 Corvette, called “The Transparency Machine,” across Virginia for 50,000 miles to meet voters directly. The car will display logos of small businesses owned by individual donors instead of corporate sponsors.
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While previously running as a Democrat, Moran opposed his party’s positions on gun control and a proposed gerrymandered House map in Virginia.
Why This Matters
Moran’s decision to leave the Democratic Party shows growing internal frustrations within the party over issues including housing costs, national debt, and influence of corporate money in politics.
His shift to an independent run comes as he challenges a long-serving incumbent and seeks to appeal directly to voters who feel the two-party system no longer serves them.
The move could affect the dynamics of Virginia’s Senate race by offering voters an alternative outside the major parties.
Moran’s campaign focuses on concrete changes to housing finance and taxation aimed at reducing costs for middle-class families and limiting corporate advantages. His emphasis on borders, earned citizenship, and reducing foreign military involvement reflects his stated goal of prioritizing domestic issues.
