Presidential candidate Cornel West has left the Green Party and will run as an independent candidate in the race for the White House.
“As Dr. West’s campaign for president grows, he believes the best way to challenge the entrenched system is by focusing 100% on the people, not on the intricacies of internal party dynamics,” stated West’s campaign in a statement.
West originally entered the race as a candidate for the People’s Party, but the party had little access to the ballot in most states, which swayed West to run for the Green Party’s nomination.
West’s campaign has not given further detail on his decision to leave the Greens.
Without additional support from the Green Party, West’s campaign will have to scramble to get his name on the ballot.
West’s main challenge will be finding a way to navigate ballot laws and requirements in each state. In order to be considered, independent candidates must collect an average of 550,000 signatures across the country. With the first deadline coming in on January 6, 2024, his campaign team is on the move.
The requirements for ballot signatures would be lower for West if he were to opt to create his own party. His biggest hurdle is major states such as New York, California and Texas that require a large number of signatures.
