Presidential candidate Cornel West swaps Green Party for independent run

Left-wing presidential candidate Cornel West said Thursday he would no longer vie for the Green Party’s nomination and would run as an independent instead.

The switch will likely complicate the Union Theological Seminary professor’s ambitions for the White House, as the Green Party is already on the ballot in 17 states. An independent run will leave West responsible for getting his own name on the ballots across the country.

West’s campaign did not provide a comprehensive explanation for the party switch, but pointed to the limitations that come with registering with a party.

“The best way to challenge the entrenched system is by focusing 100 [%] on the people, not on the intricacies of internal party dynamics,” the West campaign said in a statement.

In a video announcement posted on Thursday morning, West accused the two-party system of getting in the way of “abolishing poverty and homelessness,” dealing with working wages and “cutting back on militarism.”

The 70-year-old switched his party affiliation once before during the 2024 race, initially running under the People’s Party banner before turning to the Green Party.

His run has been viewed as a potential spoiler for President Biden, who could lose votes to the prominent progressive intellectual’s far-left supporters.

West has not been a force in the polls, but Biden’s close proximity to former President Donald Trump in surveys means that even a few percentage points could jeopardize the Democrat’s chances of re-election.

Biden currently faces Democratic challengers Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has polled as high as 20% and is expected to announce his own independent run next week, and self-help author Marianne Williamson.