According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, Robert Kennedy, who has threatened to run as an independent in the 2024 election, could draw as many as one in seven U.S. votes. This represents a huge victory for the third-party movement in the country where, sadly, a two-party system dominates.
In a recent two-day nationwide poll, concluded on Wednesday, findings reveal that when presented with a two-way choice, both Biden and Trump secured 35% of respondent support. Meanwhile, 11% expressed interest in alternative candidates, 9% said they would abstain from voting, and 9% remained undecided.
But in a theoretical three-way scenario, Kennedy garnered 14% backing, causing Biden’s share to decrease to 31% and Trump’s to 33%. Approximately 9% declared their intention to abstain from voting, while 13% remained uncertain about their choice.
These results reinforce how close of a contest it is between Biden and Trump. The poll was conducted online with a sample size of 1,005 individuals, yielding a credibility interval of approximately 4 percentage points in either direction.
Kennedy is poised to withdraw from the challenge to Biden for the Democratic Party’s nomination in Philadelphia next Monday, intending to run as an independent candidate instead.
Although not perceived as a leading presidential contender, Kennedy’s recognizable surname carries weight. Besides his father, his uncle, Democratic President John F. Kennedy, also met a tragic end during the tumultuous 1960s.
Kennedy’s appeal to voters spanning the political spectrum may be partly attributed to his alignment with certain views embraced by Trump supporters, including anti-vaccination sentiments and conspiracy theories, as opposed to Biden’s more centrist and left-leaning base.
Kennedy will announce his independent run for the White House on Monday, Oct. 9th, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The exact location of the announcement is yet to be released.
