The United Alliance Party, founded and chaired by Gonzalo Duran, is expanding its petitioning infrastructure across New York State in an effort to petition itself as a vehicle for candidates looking to get onto the ballot for the 2026 elections in New York State.
Founded in 2025, the United Alliance Party aims to have an expanded slate of candidates in this upcoming election cycle. A main focus for the group is providing a structured and compliant pathway for its candidates to run for office.
One of the United Alliance Party’s model’s central components is the provision of administrative and operational support for independent petitioning. Among the key petitioning process aspects managed by the party are coordination, compliance guidance and filing structure. Thanks to the organization centralizing this function, candidates can focus more on voter engagement and campaign development.
The United Alliance Party developed into an independent petitioning entity in response to significant changes made to the election system via reforms by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo. The ballot access landscape was altered as a result of the removal of multiple party lines and the dissolution of the Independent Party. Consequently, independent petitioning became more complex and there were fewer alternative pathways for candidates.
In addition to founding the United Alliance Party, Duran is also the Vice Chairman of the Bronx Conservative Party. His work with these organizations has focused mainly on civic participation and candidate development, particularly among veterans and community leaders entering the political process for the first time.
Eight candidates ran under the United Alliance Party banner in 2025. The party represented one of the largest independent slates in New York City during the election cycle. These candidates, unified through a shared petitioning framework, reflected various political affiliations, including Democrats, Republicans and Conservatives.
A foundation was built during the 2025 election cycle, with multiple public events in the city, two candidates reaching matching funds status and Duran garnering over 490,000 votes in the New York City Public Advocate race. Plans are already being made for the United Alliance Party to expand its model across more counties and districts in 2026.
“Every citizen has the right to vote, and every citizen should have a viable path to run for office,” Duran said. “As the system changed, many candidates were left without the infrastructure needed to participate. Our approach is to provide that structure, reduce barriers and ensure that access to the ballot remains achievable for those willing to serve.”
