More Independents running for office

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- More candidates for the Rhode Island General Assembly are filing to run as independents.

Thirty-seven independents have filed to run for legislative seats in this fall's elections. Candidates interviewed by The Associated Press say partisan politics has failed to address Rhode Island's 11 percent unemployment rate or chronic government budget deficits.

Rhode Island is one of the most loyally Democratic states in the U.S., and the party enjoys overwhelming majorities in the Legislature. The state's congressional delegation and most statewide officeholders are Democrats. One notable exception is Gov. Lincoln Chafee, the nation's only sitting independent governor.

Chafee says he thinks voters are increasingly open to voting for independent candidates. The former Republican says that while independence has advantages, it can also make winning elections more difficult.