You’ve probably heard the term "spoiler" more times than you can count this year. It’s the favorite word of talking heads on cable news whenever they mention independent candidates running for president 2024. But honestly? That label is kinda lazy. It misses the actual story of why millions of Americans decided to look past the red and blue jerseys this time around.
The 2024 cycle wasn't just another year of "protest votes." It was a chaotic, high-stakes collision of famous last names, academic firebrands, and grassroots activists trying to break a system that many feel is fundamentally broken.
The RFK Jr. Rollercoaster
Let’s talk about the elephant—or maybe the bear—in the room. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. started his run as a Democrat before jumping ship to go independent. For a while there, he was polling in the double digits. That’s huge. You don't see that often. He built a weirdly diverse coalition of "crunchy" liberals, libertarian-leaning tech bros, and people who just wanted someone to talk about chronic disease and corporate capture.
But then things got weird.
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Between stories about brain worms and that bizarre Central Park bear cub incident, the campaign felt more like a reality show than a political movement. By the time August rolled around, RFK Jr. did the unthinkable for many of his supporters: he suspended his campaign and threw his weight behind Donald Trump.
It was a massive pivot. Basically, he went from "ending the duopoly" to joining one side of it. While his name stayed on the ballot in many states, his active run ended with a thud, leaving his followers split between the major parties or just plain frustrated.
Jill Stein and the Green Party’s Persistence
Jill Stein is back. Again.
For the Green Party, 2024 was about one thing: Gaza. Stein leaned hard into the anti-war movement, positioning herself as the only choice for voters who couldn't stomach the Biden-Harris administration's foreign policy. She didn't just stay in her lane of environmentalism; she was on the ground at university protests, even getting arrested at Washington University in St. Louis.
She eventually picked Butch Ware as her VP. They focused heavily on "abandoning the binary," especially in swing states like Michigan where the Arab-American vote is a massive deal.
Cornel West’s Quest for "Truth and Justice"
Then you have Dr. Cornel West. The man is a literal philosopher. He started with the People’s Party, hopped to the Greens, and finally decided to go it alone as an independent under the "Justice for All" banner.
His campaign wasn't about polished ads. It was about "moral bankruptcy" and "spiritual obscenity." He’s the guy who calls both major candidates "neofascists" or "milquetoast neoliberals." West didn't have the money RFK Jr. had, and he struggled with ballot access, but he still showed up in about 15 states, pulling from the progressive left.
The Libertarian Wildcard: Chase Oliver
If you haven't heard of Chase Oliver, you aren't alone, but he might be the most influential person you didn't vote for. He’s a "pro-gun, pro-choice, armed and gay" Libertarian. That is a specific niche.
Oliver actually made it onto the ballot in almost every state. While RFK Jr. was grabbing headlines, Oliver was doing the boring work of filing paperwork. In a race where a few thousand votes in Pennsylvania or Wisconsin can decide the presidency, his 0.4% or 0.5% share of the vote is actually a big deal.
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Why People Actually Vote Third Party
It’s easy to say these voters are just "wasting" their ballots. But if you talk to them, it’s usually more about leverage. It’s about forcing the big parties to care about things they usually ignore—like the national debt, the war in Yemen, or ranked-choice voting.
- The Double Haters: This was a huge group in 2024. People who genuinely disliked both Trump and Harris. For them, an independent candidate is a pressure valve.
- Policy Purists: Some people just really want a Green New Deal or a total abolition of the income tax. They know their candidate won't win, but they want their "tribe" to be counted.
- The Long Game: Some minor parties are just trying to hit 5% of the national vote. Why? Because that unlocks federal funding for the next election. It's about building a foundation, not just winning tonight.
The Reality Check
Look, the numbers don't lie. Independent candidates and third parties pulled roughly 2% of the popular vote in 2024. That’s more than 2020, but it’s a far cry from Ross Perot’s legendary 19% in 1992.
The U.S. system is a beast. Between "winner-take-all" electoral college rules and the massive legal hurdles to even get on the ballot, independent candidates are basically running a marathon with their shoelaces tied together.
What You Can Do Next
If you’re tired of the two-party system, don't just wait until the next presidential election to complain. Change usually happens from the bottom up.
- Look into Ranked Choice Voting (RCV): This is the single biggest thing that could help independent candidates. It allows you to vote for your favorite person first and a "safety" candidate second, so you don't feel like you're "spoiling" the race.
- Check Local Elections: Third parties actually win sometimes at the city council or school board level. That’s where they build the experience to eventually run for higher office.
- Follow Ballot Access Laws: If you want more choices, support organizations like FairVote that fight to make it easier for independents to get their names on the paper.
The 2024 race proved that the appetite for something else is growing. It's messy, it's weird, and it's often confusing, but it's a sign that the "duopoly" might not be as permanent as it looks.
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Next Steps for Informed Voters:
Verify your local registration status for upcoming midterms and research how your state handles ballot access for non-major parties. Understanding the specific thresholds for "minor party" status in your home state is the first step toward moving beyond the binary system.