A Quinnipiac University poll recently revealed that 47% of US voters were either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to consider voting for a third-party candidate for president in next year’s election.
As US President Joe Biden currently shows no opposition in his party’s group, and former US President Donald Trump continues to lead in perspective polls, the survey's data could be a signal that American voters are fed up with the idea of a Biden-Trump rematch for next year’s presidential election.
However, it was determined those who are more likely to choose a third-party candidate tend to lean Democrat, spelling bad news for Biden, who would lose much of his voting base to an independent choice. The poll also found that voters who are younger - at least 61% between ages 18 and 34, as well as those who are non-white are more likely to consider a third-party candidate for president.
A recent poll by YouGov, taken between July 15 and 18, shows a majority (58%) of Americans have an unfavorable view of Trump, while 40% have a favorable view of the former president. Meanwhile, Biden’s favorability stands at 41%, and those who dislike Biden stand 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.
Those who were polled were then asked who, exactly, they might choose as their third-party candidate.
At least 20% said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), 10% said Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), 7% said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), while 5% of respondents showed interest in former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AR), and Andrew Yang, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. At least 4% also said Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian Party’s 2020 presidential nominee.
At least 17% of respondents said they would like to see former first lady Michelle Obama run for president, while at least 8% also said they would favor Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, 7% who would back California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and 6% who chose Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as a hypothetical choice.
However, 43% of respondents said they would pick someone else as their third-party candidate.
When asked which domestic issues would be a focal point in their presidential selection, respondents ranked in order the economy (31%), preserving US democracy (29%), abortion (7%), gun violence (7%), immigration (6%), health care (6%), racial inequality (6%) and climate change (5%).
However, at least two-thirds of Americans (67%) said they are either “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about climate change. Just 20% said they are not concerned about climate change at all.
The survey results were published Wednesday by the Quinnipiac University polling database.