Longshot presidential candidate Cornel West announced on Thursday that he is leaving the Green Party to continue his campaign as an Independent. West’s party change—the second switch since his campaign launched in June—came two days after his first fundraising event, during which he condemned the “crypto-fascist” Democrats and “Trump-hijacked” Republicans that make up the two-party system.
Dr. Cornel West, a renowned socialist philosopher and political activist, launched his third-party challenge to incumbent President Joe Biden on June 5 under the banner of the People’s Party. However, on June 14, just nine days later, he announced that he would instead be running with the environmentally-minded Green Party. His campaign is centered around universal healthcare, protections for workers and unions, action on climate change, and creating safe environments for minorities and the LGBTQ community.
But less than five months after joining the Green Party platform, West announced that he would instead be launching an Independent run for the presidency. In a short video uploaded to X, West called out the “corporate duopoly” of the two-party system and promoted unleashing policies that will “abolish poverty and homelessness, deal with working wages, and cut back on militarism.”
People are hungry for change. They want good policies over partisan politics. We need to break the grip of the duopoly and give power to the people. I'm running as an Independent candidate for President of the United States to end the iron grip of the ruling class and ensure true… pic.twitter.com/34FFQARTEe
— Cornel West (@CornelWest) October 5, 2023
Though West did not provide a full explanation for his departure from the Green Party, ballot access and freedom from party affiliations likely played a role in the decision.
A statement from West’s campaign read in part: “As Dr. West’s campaign for president grows, he believes the best way to challenge the entrenched system is by focusing 100% on the people, not on the intricacies of internal party dynamics…As this movement gains momentum, Dr. West acknowledges and nods in solidarity with the Green Party for their shared values and commitment to justice.”
Ahead of his party switch, Dr. West held his first campaign fundraising event at a bookstore in Washington DC on Tuesday. “I’ve been running for truth and justice and oftentimes running from the police,” he told the standing-room-only crowd. “The point is, running for president is just a vessel and a vehicle for running for truth and justice.”
Building up to Thursday’s announcement, West continued by slamming the Trump-supporting wing of the Republican Party, which he said is governed by “the rule of big business and big military, scapegoating the most vulnerable rather than confronting the most powerful.” West also directed criticism at the Democratic Party, saying it has “its own crypto-fascist elements” when it comes to issues like mass incarceration.
As one of several longshot candidates running outside the established party system, West is representative of a growing public resentment for the idea of a likely 2024 matchup between President Biden and former President Donald Trump. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a slightly more successful longshot challenging Biden from within the Democratic Party, is expected to launch his own Independent run next week. Additionally, the centrist No Labels Party has successfully gained ballot access in roughly a dozen states and is on track to appear in all 50 states by election day.
West and other third-party candidates are reportedly being eyed with concern by Democratic Party leadership over fears that they might act as a spoiler to Biden in the election. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein notably had this effect in the 2016 election, drawing roughly 1.5 million votes that otherwise would have gone to Hillary Clinton.
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