Andrew Yang, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, said he is leaving the party.
In a blog post, Yang said partisan gridlock was a driving factor behind his decision to become an independent.
"Many of the people I know are doing all of the good they can – but their impact is constrained," Yang said. "Now that I’m not a member of one party or another, I feel like I can be even more honest about both the system and the people in it."
Yang, who has been a registered Democrat for more than 20 years, said changing his party affiliation was an emotional experience. However, he said he knew it was the right move immediately after he changed affiliations.
"Breaking up with the Democratic Party feels like the right thing to do because I believe I can have a greater impact this way," Yang said.
Despite becoming an independent, Yang discouraged people from changing their party affiliation.
"Doing so could disenfranchise you if you live in the 83% of the country that is very blue or very red," Yang said.
Going forward, Yang said he wants to work on trying to "fix the system." He claims rank choice voting and open primaries will give voters more power.