SPOKANE, Wash. — Ann Marie Danimus is mounting her third campaign for a congressional seat, this time as an independent after departing the Democratic Party, despite dwindling fundraising totals, a recent medical setback, and vote totals in previous primaries that have trended downward.
Danimus, who runs a marketing and consulting firm, owns a T-shirt design and print shop, and founded an educational film nonprofit, completed her MBA in May 2026. She is also writing a children’s picture book focused on corporate money in politics, with publication expected in the coming weeks — a project that reflects the central theme of her campaign.
A Candidate Built Around Anti-Corporate Message
Danimus wears a penny lapel pin as a visible symbol of her commitment to a pledge she calls N.O.P.E. — “not one penny” of corporate campaign contributions, ever. She has since extended that pledge to exclude PACs of any kind, including those funded by unions or special interest groups. The stance led to her removal from ActBlue, the Democratic-aligned online fundraising platform, and has contributed to a stark drop in her financial position heading into this cycle.
Through the end of March 2026, Danimus had raised less than $12,000 — a steep decline from her 2024 campaign, when she brought in more than $140,000 through the same reporting period and placed third in fundraising among candidates in that primary field. Federal Election Commission filings show her campaign carrying nearly $14,000 in debt, though Danimus disputes that figure, putting her actual debt closer to $8,000 and noting she has personally loaned her own federal campaigns roughly $14,000 over the years.
Her 2022 congressional run, conducted as a Democrat, earned her 10 percent of the primary vote. In 2024, also as a Democrat, she pulled less than 6 percent in a more crowded field and failed to secure the Spokane County Democratic Party’s endorsement. She formally broke with the party in late 2024, arguing it was too beholden to corporate interests — the same critique that defines her current campaign.
Personal Challenges Add to Uphill Climb
The road to this third campaign has not been easy beyond the ballot box. Danimus was hospitalized in March 2026 following a medical episode and subsequently suffered Bell’s Palsy, which caused partial facial paralysis. She is also providing care for her aging mother while continuing to build her campaign infrastructure.
At a May 2026 forum hosted by Spokane Indivisible and Showing Up For Racial Justice, Danimus received zero votes in a straw poll conducted among attendees. The result underscores the challenge she faces building support outside traditional party networks, particularly as an independent without major institutional backing.
Earlier this year, Danimus assisted a rival candidate, Manoochehre “Mike” Gahvarehchee, with his congressional campaign. Gahvarehchee later withdrew from the race, citing safety concerns stemming from his Iranian nationality.
Her campaign website dates to 2020, when she originally launched a state Senate bid as an independent. It has since been adapted for each successive congressional run — first in 2022, then 2024, and now in 2026 as she challenges incumbent Rep. Michael Baumgartner in the district previously represented by longtime Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
Policy Positions and Path Forward
On the issues, Danimus argues that affordability is the top concern for voters and contends that Republicans’ ability to address the problem has weakened over the past two years. Her policy platform includes federal subsidies for hemp used as a construction material and legislation to codify abortion rights at the federal level.
She has positioned herself as a grassroots alternative to both major parties, arguing that her refusal to accept corporate or PAC money — however costly it has been to her fundraising — demonstrates a credibility that party-backed candidates lack.
What Comes Next
With the primary calendar approaching, Danimus faces the challenge of building name recognition and financial support as an independent operating largely outside traditional campaign infrastructure. Her fundraising gap compared to better-funded candidates remains a significant obstacle, and her vote totals in prior primaries suggest an uphill path to advancing. Whether her anti-corporate message gains broader traction in a competitive field will be a key test for her third — and perhaps most difficult — congressional bid.