Isabella Carter
Several independent candidates ran in the 2024 United States presidential election. Notable independent candidates included Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ran with the American Independent Party and the Alliance Party of South Carolina, and Cornel West, who ran with the Forward Party and was nominated by the Colorado faction of the People's Party. Other independent candidates included philosopher and activist Jill Stein, who ran with the Green Party, and Chase Oliver, who ran with the Libertarian Party.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 |
| Number of independent candidates | 4 |
| Names of independent candidates | Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West, Jill Stein, Claudia De La Cruz |
| Running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Nicole Shanahan |
| Running mate of Cornel West | Melina Abdullah |
| Running mate of Jill Stein | N/A |
| Running mate of Claudia De La Cruz | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (American Independent Party)
On October 9, 2023, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the Democratic primary bid and announced he would run as an independent candidate in the 2024 United States presidential election. He is the fifth member of his family to seek the presidency.
Kennedy is an American politician, environmental lawyer, author, anti-vaccine activist, and conspiracy theorist. He is the son of senator and former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy has written books on subjects such as the environment, vaccinations, biography, and American heroes. He has also authored books that promote conspiracy theories, such as The Wuhan Cover-Up: And the Terrifying Bioweapons Arms Race. Kennedy has built close relationships with far-right figures, including appearing on a channel run by the Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. He has also received significant support from Republican donors and Trump allies, who believed he would serve as a "spoiler", taking the votes of those who would have otherwise voted for the Democratic nominee.
In May 2024, Kennedy was considered for the Libertarian Party's nomination for president, but lost to Chase Oliver. In Colorado, the state Libertarian Party selected Kennedy, but Oliver appeared on the ballot as the Libertarian nominee. Kennedy's campaign was also noted for receiving significant support from Republican donors and Trump allies. On March 17, 2024, Kennedy selected patent lawyer and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his running mate.
Kennedy's campaign has drawn criticism from Republicans, who worry that the former Democrat now threatens to take votes from former President Donald Trump in 2024. The Republican National Committee and Trump’s campaign took aim at Kennedy’s liberal background, with a Trump spokesperson labelling Kennedy’s campaign “nothing more than a vanity project for a liberal Kennedy looking to cash in on his family’s name”. National Democrats have largely stayed silent on the matter.
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Cornel West (Independent)
Cornel West is an American philosopher, theologian, political activist, politician, social critic, and public intellectual. West was an independent candidate in the 2024 United States presidential election. He is a socialist and an outspoken voice in left-wing politics in the United States. West's primary philosophy focuses on the roles of race, gender, and class struggle in American society.
West's 2024 presidential campaign began with his announcement on June 5, 2023, that he would run for president of the United States as a candidate for the People's Party. He criticized both major political parties for failing to "tell the truth about Wall Street, about Ukraine, about the Pentagon, about Big Tech." However, West's decision to run with the People's Party sparked criticism due to the party's lack of ballot access, claims of leadership dysfunction, and sexual harassment allegations against the party founder, Nick Brana.
On June 14, 2023, West announced that he would instead seek the Green Party nomination, running a campaign centered around support for Medicare for All, public housing, action on climate change, and drastically cutting the U.S. military budget. On July 14, 2023, West stated that NATO had provoked the Russian invasion of Ukraine in a Twitter post. Later, West criticized Joe Biden for authoring the 1994 crime bill, which Biden has publicly disavowed. On October 5, 2023, West announced that he was abandoning his candidacy for the Green nomination and would instead continue his presidential bid as an independent candidate.
On February 1, 2024, West announced the establishment of the Justice For All Party (JFA), which he claimed would pursue a strategy of securing ballot access in specific areas (Florida, North Carolina, and Washington). West's campaign has focused on justice issues, including race, health, environmental politics, and human rights. One of the 'pillars' of the campaign is Black Maternal Justice, which calls attention to the unjustifiably high threat Black women face during pregnancy. West's donors include Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, who some have theorized may have donated to the campaign in the hope that West would hurt Democrats' electoral chances. West defended Crow but ultimately returned the donation after public pushback.
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Jill Stein (Green Party)
Jill Stein, a Harvard-educated doctor, is a three-time Green Party nominee for president. Stein has been described as a pioneering environmental health advocate and an organizer for people, planet, and peace. Her campaign platform advocates for a comprehensive approach to addressing social and economic inequality through the establishment of an Economic Bill of Rights, which includes rights to a living wage, housing, healthcare, childcare, education, retirement, healthy food, and clean water.
Stein's political development has been influenced by her experience with campaign finance reform. She co-founded the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities in 2003, a non-profit organization that fought for healthcare, local green economies, environmental protection, labor rights, and grassroots democracy. In 2008, she helped lead the "Secure Green Future" ballot initiative to move subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Stein's 2016 campaign stated that the Democratic and Republican parties are "two corporate parties" that have converged. She has also expressed concern about the rise of neofascism internationally and neoliberalism within the Democratic Party.
Stein's 2024 campaign, like her 2016 campaign, was described by some as a possible spoiler campaign that may benefit Donald Trump. In response to criticism from Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, Stein highlighted that Green candidates had won "1400 elections" and criticized the Democratic Party for excluding third-party candidates from ballots and presidential debates. Stein has received several awards for health and environmental protection, including Clean Water Action's "Not in Anyone's Backyard" Award and the "Children's Health Hero" Award.
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Chase Oliver (Libertarian Party)
Chase Russell Oliver, born on August 16, 1985, in Nashville, Tennessee, is an American political activist and politician. He was the Libertarian Party's nominee for the 2024 United States presidential election. Oliver is considered part of the traditional wing of the Libertarian Party and is a member of the more left-leaning Classical Liberal Caucus.
Oliver first ran for public office in 2020 as the Libertarian nominee for the Georgia 5th congressional district special election to replace John Lewis, who had passed away earlier that year. He won 2% of the vote and was eliminated during the blanket primary. In 2022, he was the Libertarian candidate for the United States Senate election in Georgia, where he received over 2% of the popular vote. He was the first openly gay Senate candidate in Georgia.
Oliver has been described as a "pro-gun, pro-police reform, pro-choice Libertarian" who is "armed and gay." He supports letting the free market find solutions to climate change and contends that businesses will be incentivized to develop technologies to replace current carbon-based fuels if left alone. He is also in favour of a "21st-century Ellis Island" for immigration, which would involve expanding the H-1B visa program and supporting a startup visa.
On the campaign trail, Oliver positioned himself as a challenger to both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, advocating for a new voice to shake up the two-party system. He committed to ending corporate bailouts, closing regulatory loopholes, and balancing the budget. Oliver finished fifth in the 2024 popular vote with 0.4% and 650,126 votes.
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Claudia De La Cruz (Party for Socialism and Liberation)
Claudia De La Cruz was the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) nominee for president of the United States in the 2024 election. De La Cruz, an activist, community organizer, popular educator, and theologian, was born in the South Bronx to immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic. She is a mother and has degrees in forensic psychology, social work, and divinity.
De La Cruz's entry into politics was inspired by a visit to Cuba at age 17, which sparked her opposition to imperialism. She has been a key figure in various social movements, including campaigns to free political prisoners, stop imperialist projects, and end police terror. She is the co-founder and co-executive director of The People's Forum in New York City, a political education space for working-class organizers, leaders, and intellectuals.
De La Cruz's presidential campaign, with running mate Karina Garcia, was announced on September 7, 2023. Their socialist policy program included pledges to support reparations for Black Americans, institute a single-payer healthcare system, end all U.S. aid to Israel, forgive all student loan debt, recognize Native American sovereignty, cut the U.S. military budget, seize the 100 largest corporations, expand public transportation, and eliminate billionaires through taxation.
De La Cruz and Garcia's campaign aimed to maximize the impact of progressive candidates challenging the two-party system. They believed that the Republican and Democratic parties only represent the interests of their donors and corporate friends, neglecting the needs of the working class. De La Cruz advocated for a socialist future, arguing that the unplanned capitalist economic system must be replaced by socialist economic planning to address various issues, including the climate crisis.
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Frequently asked questions
Cornel West, an independent philosopher and activist, ran for president in 2024. He was nominated by the Colorado faction of the party and chose Melina Abdullah, a member of the board of directors of the Black Lives Matter Grassroots organisation, as his running mate.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was running as an independent candidate in the 2024 US presidential election, with Nicole Shanahan as his running mate. However, he dropped out of the race in August 2024 and endorsed former President Trump.
Yes, Jill Stein, a three-time Green Party nominee, ran as an independent candidate in 2024.
Yes, Claudia De La Cruz ran as an independent candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation in 2024.
Yes, Randall Terry was the Constitution Party's candidate in the 2024 US presidential election.
