Recent polling indicates that many American voters are seeking alternatives to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
So it should come as no surprise that third-party candidates are emerging who could influence the outcome.
For example, a Monmouth Poll released on July 20 indicated that if Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) were to run alongside Republican Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman on a bipartisan ticket, voter support would plummet for Trump while weakening Biden but not enough to prevent Biden from winning the popular vote.
Asked about a potential Manchin-Huntsman ticket, Biden’s support dipped from 47% to 40% and Trump’s dropped from 40% to 34%.
Last week, the No Labels political group hosted a town hall in New Hampshire headlined by Manchin and Huntsman, which naturally fueled speculation about them teaming up on a bipartisan ticket.
But the Monmouth Poll also revealed that voters still have a far stronger affinity for Biden and Trump. If a Manchin-Huntsman ticket entered the race, only 2% of voters would definitely vote for the third-party alternative; 14% answered that they would probably vote for them.
“Again, these are hypotheticals,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “It’s impossible to predict the impact of a third-party challenge until an actual campaign is underway when the media’s framing of it will play an important role.”
Cornel West Could Tip Election to Trump: Poll
Meanwhile, the progressive philosopher and social activist Cornel West is seeking the Green Party nomination for president.
Newsweek reported that Echelon Insights polled 1,020 voters from June 26 to 29 about a hypothetical matchup between Trump, Biden, and West.
The results showed voters narrowly favoring Trump over Biden, with West receiving 4% support.
GOP strategist Mark Weaver said that West’s candidacy is good news for Trump because West would siphon Black voters and voters under 40 from Biden.
“This is very dangerous for Joe Biden because the groups West pulls from are traditional Democrat groups,” Weaver told Newsweek.
