New polls show independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy could be the extra push President Joe Biden needs to secure a win over former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
What To Know: Kennedy originally launched a bid as a Democratic candidate earlier this year, but about a week ago, the activist and lawyer announced that he would run as an independent third-party candidate.
It was expected that the move would shake up the current election landscape with Kennedy seeing support from both Democrats and Republicans, but it wasn't clear exactly how the voter support would play out.
The most recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National poll released this week showed that Trump was negatively impacted the most by Kennedy's party change.
If the election were held today, the poll indicates that Biden would receive 44% of the vote, Trump would get 37% of voter support and Kennedy would claim 16% for himself, with 3% undecided.
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Kennedy holds anti-vaccine views and is liked by some Republicans. He also has Democratic support, given that he was planning to run for the Democratic nomination up until this month.
The poll shows that Kennedy's shift to independent cost Trump 10% of votes, while Biden only lost about 5%.
“Although it’s always tricky to assess the impact of a third-party candidate, right now Kennedy alters the equation in Biden’s favor,” said Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.
The latest Morning Consult poll of Republican voters, which Benzinga tracks weekly, showed Trump still maintained a significant lead for the Republican primary, however support is waning ever so slightly.
Trump received 59% of the vote in this week's poll, down from 61% the week before. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gained the most, moving up to 14% from 12%, while Nikki Haley and Mike Pence also jumped one percentage point.
Trump has faced several obstacles this year as he prepares for another potential run at the presidency, but Kennedy's party change could prove to be the most significant, given the early indications from voters.
"One in six voters are looking for another option, especially independents," Miringoff said.
Photo: Gage Skidmore from Flickr.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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