Presidential candidate Cornel West has officially announced the formation of a new political party to support his 2024 campaign, the “Justice For All Party.”
Big announcement! We are establishing the JUSTICE FOR ALL PARTY, laying down the roots for proportional representation and expanded voter choice in states where establishing a party is the most expedient — starting with FLORIDA, NORTH CAROLINA, and the state of WASHINGTON! This… pic.twitter.com/KdHv1gK4Ci
— Cornel West (@CornelWest) January 31, 2024
On June 5, West announced his presidential campaign, seeking the Green Party’s nomination. However, he abandoned the party’s primary process and announced he would run as an independent candidate.
West, an author, and philosopher, received his doctoral degree in 1980 and went on to teach philosophy, religion, and African American studies at several colleges and universities, including most recently at Princeton and Harvard, with his background being mainly focused on racial issues across the country.
“We’re on the move with a fifty-state strategy, establishing the Justice for All Party as a platform to gain access to the ballot in those states where it’s easier to gain access as a party, as opposed to independent. This initiative is a strategic and community-driven effort to extend our reach and impact nationwide,” West wrote in the press release.
According to the press release, West took inspiration from the legacies of well-known figures such as Martin Luther King Jr, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Day, and Rabbi Heschel. The release also indicated that the party was created to respond to the need for a more inclusive and equitable political system.
As Dr. West’s presidential campaign grows, he believes the best way to challenge the entrenched system is by focusing 100% on the people, not on the details of internal party dynamics.
West faces terrible odds in his hopes to become the first candidate not affiliated with a major political party to win the presidency, but Democrats are concerned that he could make a significant impact in the 2024 contest by winning even a small portion of the vote in vital states that would go to President Joe Biden.
A poll conducted in August 2023 suggested that West, in a race with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, would enable Trump to win the battleground state of Michigan. His appeal among black voters and young left-wing voters has alarmed Democratic strategists, who are trying to persuade him to drop out.
President Biden’s campaign has not spoken about the formation of West’s new party.
