Fed Up With Biden & Trump, Half of US Voters Consider Backing Third-Party Candidate

With the anticipation of a Trump-Biden rematch in the 2024 election causing voter fatigue, a recent analysis from a polling expert at Quinnipiac University indicated that a large number of voters are not in favor of maintaining the political status quo. A Quinnipiac University poll disclosed that almost half (47%) of US voters are either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to contemplate casting their vote for a third-party presidential candidate in the upcoming election.

As current US President Joe Biden faces no serious contender within his party, and ex-US President Donald Trump still enjoys popularity in prospective polls, these survey results could suggest that American voters are weary of the prospect of a Biden-Trump face-off in the next presidential election.

The study showed that those more inclined to opt for a third-party candidate tend to be Democrat-leaning, a worrying sign for Biden who might lose a significant portion of his voting base to an independent option. Furthermore, the poll found that younger voters – specifically 61% of those aged between 18 and 34, and non-white voters are more disposed to consider a third-party presidential candidate.

A recent YouGov poll, conducted between July 15 and 18, revealed that 58% of Americans view Trump unfavorably, while 40% view him favorably. Biden’s favorability is slightly higher at 41%, but the percentage of those who view him unfavorably is also higher, at 56%.

"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. 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,” said Tim Malloy, a Quinnipiac University polling analyst.

When participants were asked about potential third-party candidates, 20% favored Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), 10% preferred Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), 7% opted for Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), while 5% showed interest in former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AR), and Andrew Yang, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. Libertarian Party’s 2020 presidential nominee, Jo Jorgensen, garnered 4% support.

Former first lady Michelle Obama received backing from 17% of respondents, whereas 8% favored Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 7% supported California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and 6% favored Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. However, 43% of respondents declared they would choose a different third-party candidate.

On being asked about critical domestic issues influencing their choice for president, respondents ranked the economy (31%), preserving US democracy (29%), abortion (7%), gun violence (7%), immigration (6%), health care (6%), racial inequality (6%), and climate change (5%) in that order. Interestingly, two-thirds of Americans (67%) expressed concern about climate change, with only 20% declaring no concern about the issue. Quinnipiac University’s polling database published these survey results on Wednesday.