Nearly half of U.S. voters would consider a third-party presidential candidate in 2024, according to a new poll continuing to show former President Trump and President Biden as front-runners among Republican and Democratic voters, respectively.
“With neither President Biden nor former President Trump knocking it out of the park on favorability, almost half of the country would consider another option,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement. “No specific name for the candidate, no specific designation for the party, but it is a vivid indication that for many voters, the status quo is a no-go.”
More than a dozen candidates are seeking their party’s presidential nomination, and voters are evenly split about voting for a third-party candidate, with 47% saying they would consider voting for a third-party candidate in the 2024 presidential election and 47% say they would not consider it, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released Wednesday.
The poll reported responses from 2,056 adults 18 years of age and older with a margin of sampling error of +/- 2.2 percentage points. The survey includes 1,809 self-identified registered voters with a margin of sampling error of +/- 2.3 percentage points, 727 Republican or Republican leaning voters with a margin of sampling error of +/- 3.6 percentage points and 763 Democratic or Democratic leaning voters with a margin of sampling error of +/- 3.6 percentage points.
SENATORS WEIGH IN ON WHO BENEFITS MOST IF MANCHIN LAUNCHES THIRD-PARTY CAMPAIGN
Independents answered more than 2 to 1 (64 – 30%) that they would consider voting for a third-party candidate in the 2024 presidential election, while most Democrats (61 – 35%) and Republicans (57 – 38%) responding that they would not consider it.
The race for the Republican presidential nomination is largely unchanged from a June 14 Quinnipiac University poll. Trump received 54% support among Republican and Republican leaning voters followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 25% support.
Quinnipiac said the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is also largely unchanged from a month ago. Biden received 71% support among Democratic and Democratic leaning voters. In second, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is expected to testify before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government Thursday regarding censorship and free speech, received 14% support in the poll released Wednesday.
Less than 16 months out from the election, the bipartisan group No Labels is looking for a potential “unity” ticket for 2024, though Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has not announced whether he is seeking re-election in the Senate or whether he will pursue a White House bid. Author Cornel West is considered a long shot Green Party candidate, posing some threat to Biden.
As RFK Jr. gains more traction in the race, some Democrats supporting Biden have speculated whether he will switch to the third-party bid for the White House, but Kennedy has insisted he is a Democrat through and through, pointing to his family’s political dynasty.