Ben Carson Has Announced Hes Changing Political Parties According to recent reports, Ben Carson has officially changed his political party from Independent to Republican. The Washington Times reports that Carson is hoping to run for president in 2016 and does not want to split an electorate. Its truly a pragmatic move because I have to run in one party or another, Carson told reporters. If you run as an independent, you only risk splitting the electorate. Carson has a history of changing his political standing. When he was younger, he was a part of the Democratic Party. God it just makes so much sense, said Ronald Reagan once said. Let me investigate this. 