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Both the Democrat and Republican parties now have their presumptive nominees. But is there still room for a third-party candidate? And how could that candidate shape the 2024 election? One thing is for sure; the political divide is deeper now than ever before, and as the two parties grow farther apart from each other, the lane down the middle grows wider.
Political Science Professor Jacquie Baly told KTRH, "We are seeing a lot more independents politically than ever before. So it makes sense that you would see a lot more candidates trying to make a name for themselves as independents."
While it's still unlikely that an independent would win the presidency themselves, a third-party candidate could still be a major factor in who ends up in the Oval Office come 2025. Baly says a strong showing from someone like RFK Jr. could wind up doing serious damage to Donald Trump's campaign.
She said that thanks to "Blue No Matter Who" Democrats and the Never-Trump Republicans, a strong showing from someone with good name recognition like RFK Jr. would likely pull more votes away from Trump.