Krist Novoselić, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West have qualified to be among the eight minor-party presidential candidates and one independent ticket to appear this November on Washington’s general-election ballot. Barring challenges, they are slated to appear alongside the Republican and Democratic nominees for president.
The minor-party and independent tickets qualified for the general-election ballot with 1,000 signatures gathered during a state convention this year. Parties and candidates were notified Tuesday of their qualification for the Washington ballot.
The Republican Party, which held its convention in July, has nominated former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance as its presidential ticket. The Democratic Party certified its presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz earlier this month.
At stake are Washington’s 12 votes in the electoral college. Novoselić has said he is running only so that a new centrist party, the Cascade Party of Washington, will be recognized as a bona fide minor political party in this state.
The minor parties, presidential candidates and running mates are:
- We the People Party: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Nicole Shanahan
- Green Party: Jill Stein, Samson LeBeau Kpadenou
- Socialism and Liberation Party: Claudia De la Cruz, Karina Garcia
- Socialist Workers Party: Rachele Fruit, Dennis Richter
- Socialist Equality Party: Joseph Kishore, Jerry White
- Libertarian Party: Chase Oliver, Mike ter Maat
- Cascade Party: Krist Novoselić, James Carroll
- Justice for All Party: Cornel West, Melina Abdullah
- Independent candidate: Shiva Ayyadurai, Crystal Ellis
Challenges to their nominations must be filed in Thurston County Superior Court by five days after the candidates were notified. The Washington Democratic Party is challenging Kennedy’s nomination, saying the signatures were not gathered at a party convention, according to the Washington State Standard.
General-election ballots will be mailed on Oct. 18 and must be returned by Nov. 5. On that ballot, alongside president, Washington voters will also choose the winners of ten statewide races, including governor, attorney general, U.S. senator, all its congressional representatives and a large portion of the state legislature, as well as weigh in on statewide ballot measures.
Correction Aug. 19, 2024: An earlier version of this story listed the incorrect number of statewide races.
