President Joe Biden could get a boost from independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the 2024 election, according to new polls.
Kennedy, who was running as a Democrat until recently, switched to an independent third-party bid last week.
Kennedy’s move could change the outcome of the election, as he has supporters from both Democrats and Republicans. He is an activist and lawyer who opposes vaccines.
The latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National poll released this week showed that Kennedy’s party change hurt former President Donald Trump more than Biden.
The poll suggests that if the election were held today, Biden would get 44% of the vote, Trump would get 37% and Kennedy would get 16%, with 3% undecided.
The poll shows that Trump lost 10% of votes because of Kennedy’s switch, while Biden only lost 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.
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The latest Morning Consult poll of Republican voters, which Benzinga tracks weekly, showed that the former President still has a big lead for the Republican primary, but his support is slightly declining.
Trump got 59% of the vote in this week’s poll, down from 61% the week before. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gained the most, going up to 14% from 12%, while Nikki Haley and Mike Pence also increased by one percentage point.
Trump has faced several challenges this year as he prepares for another possible run for the presidency, but Kennedy’s party change could be the most significant, given the early signs from voters.
“One in six voters are looking for another option, especially independents,” Miringoff said.
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