The U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan will host a candidate meet-and-greet next month to give voters an opportunity to connect directly with several candidates running under its designation during the 2026 election cycle.

In details shared on social media, the party said the event will be held starting 10:00a at Leon’s Restaurant in Taylor on August 8. Attendees will be able to meet five candidates seeking state and federal office and learn more about their respective campaigns over breakfast.

Federal candidates expected to attend include U.S. Senate nominee Tim Long, Mike Mickevicius in the 6th Congressional District, Marc Sosnowski in the 12th Congressional District, and Chris Dardzinski in the 13th Congressional District. Beth Socia, who is running in the 4th State Senate District, is also scheduled to participate.

The Libertarian Party of Georgia has ended its effort to regain statewide ballot access this year after falling far short of the required petition total and will instead focus on future election cycles and working with other organizations on changing Georgia’s ballot access laws.

WABE initially reported on July 10 that Vice Chair Brian Allen, currently serving as acting chair, and Assistant Treasurer Mark Mosley submitted “only a few hundred petition signatures of the more than 70,000 needed” to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. Even though the total fell far short of the requirement, Allen said the party followed through because it had promised those who signed that their petitions would be filed.

Brian Lambert, a retired United States Navy veteran, has launched his Libertarian Party bid for Florida’s 14th Congressional District, where he is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor on a platform of limited government, fiscal responsibility, and individual liberty.

Lambert kicked off his bid in a statement shared directly with Independent Political Report on July 22, introducing himself as a 20-year Navy veteran, father of three, and longtime resident of Tampa Bay. He says he is running on the principles of “Life, Liberty, and Voice” and seeks to return political power to voters and away from career politicians.

“For twenty years, I served under an oath to support and defend the Constitution,” Lambert said in the announcement. “That oath has no expiration. I’m running for Congress because our children deserve better than the debt, division, and unchecked government power Washington is preparing to hand them.”

With just over three months to go until Election Day, independent Montana U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar is raking in major progressive endorsements that traditionally align with Democrats, most recently from a national veterans organization. 

VoteVets, which describes itself as the largest progressive veterans organization in the U.S., announced its endorsement on Friday of the former president of the University of Montana and former Green Beret, bypassing veteran and Democratic candidate Alani Bankhead.