The professor and political science department chair at Shippensburg University spoke about Biden’s withdrawal and its potential impact on third-party candidates.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. — Is a third-party candidate more likely to win the White House?
That’s the question some are asking after President Biden announced he won’t seek reelection in November.
Historically, third-party candidates have struggled to compete against Republicans and Democrats in presidential elections.
Ross Perot received 19% of the vote in the 1992 presidential election, the highest percentage of any third-party candidate to date.
Professor Alison Dagnesse of Shippensburg University He describes it as an uphill battle.
“You need to be on the ballot in all 50 states, or as many states as possible, and that’s very hard to do if you’re not part of one of the two major parties,” Dagnes said.
But third-party candidates may garner more support after President Biden dropped out of this year’s presidential race.
Dagnes said the candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.A former Democrat now running as an independent, he’s at the top of some people’s lists.
“When that happens, people either stop supporting the two candidates or stay away from politics altogether,” Dagnes explained.
But Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee could shift attention away from other candidates.
Journalist research company, Journo ResearchSince receiving the endorsement, Harris has reportedly gained more than 268,000 followers on social media.
QR Code Generator They analyzed Kamala Harris’s X and her Instagram follower count, as well as Google Trends data on voter registration and Democratic campaign finances.
“It’s really going to put the onus on RFK JR and other third-party candidates to make a stronger case for their own election, rather than a negative campaign against the other two candidates,” Dagnes said.
Dagnes said it would take a lot of effort for a third party to garner enough support, especially at this point in the election cycle.
“Third party candidates will only emerge if the discontent among the electorate is still evident, if voters are unhappy with both candidates and genuinely want an alternative,” Dagnes said.
Joe Manchin, a longtime senator from West Virginia, recently switched from Democrat to independent status.
There has been much talk about whether he will enter the race, and in an interview with CBS on Monday, he confirmed that he has no plans to run.
Dagnes also said most third-party campaigns run out of money.
by Federal Election CommissionRFK Jr.’s campaign raised more than $5 million in June but still owes $3 million.
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