- Written by Bernd Debsmann Jr. and Sam Cabral
- BBC News, Washington DC
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Joe Biden and Donald Trump are the two major party candidates for the 2024 presidential election, but dozens of others have filed to run.
None has a realistically possible path to the White House, but the most well-known threat is to siphon support from Democratic presidents and their Republican rivals.
Here are the candidates most likely to disrupt the race:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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In recent decades, no outside candidate has faced more national election jeopardy than former President John Kennedy's nephew.
Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer known as an anti-vaccine activist, originally sought to run as a Democrat.
But after failing to gain support within the party, home to his family's political dynasty, the 70-year-old broke away from what he called the “two-headed monster” of American politics. The challenge has begun.
At least 15 of his relatives have endorsed Mr. Biden, potentially weakening the threat Mr. Kennedy poses to his re-election bid.
“Democrats are afraid that I will ruin the election for President Biden. Republicans are afraid that I will ruin the election for President Trump,” he said at a rally in Philadelphia. Stated.
“Actually, both are correct.”
Kennedy has been criticized during the campaign for repeating debunked conspiracy theories, including a link between childhood vaccines and autism, and for once likening mandatory coronavirus vaccinations to Nazi Germany. .
But his populist economic message and criticism of the two major parties have helped him gain support among many disaffected independent voters.
Mr. Kennedy has little chance of winning the presidency, with only six states eligible to vote, but polls suggest he may be pulling support from both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump. There is sex.
The big hurdle for this independent candidacy is getting more votes. The complex process, which varies by state, often requires collecting thousands of signatures. Mr. Kennedy's campaign claims he has already qualified to vote in eight other states and has the funds to vote in many more.
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The activist and doctor ran as a Green Party candidate in 2012 and 2016.
Now 74 years old, she recently told BBC Americast that “Americans are not voting for their favorite candidates.”
“They generally vote against the candidate they dislike the most,” she says. “And that's not how democracy works.”
Stein calls for an “economic bill of rights” that includes universal access to health care and employment rights. She has also vowed to fight climate change, protect abortion access and transgender rights, and was recently arrested at a student protest on behalf of Gaza.
Although it is unlikely to win more than 1% to 2% of the popular vote, it could still be a close race and derail Biden's re-election hopes.
Supporters of Hillary Clinton blame her in part for the Democratic Party's narrow loss in 2016. In three key states, Clinton lost to Trump by fewer votes than Stein.
The party plans to approve candidates at its convention in July, and voting will be held in at least 20 states, according to the party's website.
Learn more about US elections
cornel west
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The 70-year-old activist and renowned academic has a complicated presidential bid.
He launched the system with the People's Party in June. After falling out with the group, Mr West said he would seek the nomination of the Green Party, but he has since changed his mind to running as an independent.
His socialist platform includes funding for public health care and cutting the U.S. defense budget. Melina Abdullah, a board member of the grassroots organization Black Lives Matter, is a running mate.
He attacked Biden as a “war criminal” and Trump as a “fascist piper.”
His candidacy could pose a threat to Biden in key battleground states such as Michigan, but Biden is currently on the ballot in just three states and is struggling to raise money.
libertarian party
The Libertarian Party advocates small government and tends to draw more support from the right side of the political spectrum.
Both Trump and Kennedy are scheduled to speak at the party's convention in late May, where delegates will choose their presidential nominee. Mr. Kennedy proposed discussing former presidents there.
In 2020, the party's candidate, Joe Jorgensen, won more votes than Trump in three battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin.
