New polling published this week finds that most Americans are not satisfied with the current options for president in 2024 and want additional candidates to enter the race.
The Quinnipiac University poll, conducted from November 9 to 13, found that 52 percent of Americans would prefer that other candidates enter the race, with 42 percent saying they are satisfied with the current roster of candidates.
Voters were split ideologically on the question, as most Republicans (67 percent) said they were satisfied with who is running — likely because most intend to vote for former President Donald Trump in the primaries (64 percent) and will also back him in the general election.
But majorities in both independent and Democratic voting blocs say they desire other options. Seventy-two percent of independents want other candidates to enter the race, while 58 percent of Democrats say the same.
“Restless for change at the top, voters say when it comes to the 2024 lineup, there is room for more,” said Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy.
Although most Democrats and voters who lean toward voting for that party generally want someone else, 74 percent say they intend to back President Joe Biden in the primaries, possibly due to a lack of name recognition among his top challengers (Marianne Williamson, online media personality Cenk Uygur and Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota). If another well-known Democrat ran, Biden’s numbers could potentially slip in a major way due to the large portion of Democratic voters who desire more options.
Even if more candidates enter the race, they would face difficult odds of defeating Biden for the nomination, as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has indicated that it will not hold primary debates between Biden and other Democratic candidates — a move that critics have condemned as undemocratic .
Looking ahead to the general election, the candidates who will likely win the Democratic and Republican nominations — Biden and Trump, respectively — are statistically tied, the poll finds. In a strictly head-to-head question, Biden receives 46 percent of support while Trump gets 48 percent, which is within the survey’s 2.5 point margin of error.
Add in potential third-party candidates Cornel West, Robert Kennedy Jr. and Green Party hopeful Jill Stein, and Trump fares even better against Biden. Those three candidates secure 23 percent of the voters’ support, while Biden receives 35 percent and Trump gets 38 percent.
Nearly 1 in 10 of all voters (9 percent) said they wouldn’t vote for Trump in 2024 if he’s convicted in any of the four criminal indictments he currently faces.
The poll suggests, less than one year out from the general election next fall, that the 2024 presidential race could be even closer than the 2020 race between Biden and Trump.
Democratic strategists and other political observers have pointed out that a lot can change within a year, and that other polls show Biden with a slight lead over Trump.
Some observers have noted that Biden’s poor polling, particularly among younger voters, is likely due in part to his staunch financial and political support for Israel as it relentlessly bombs Palestinians in Gaza. Israel’s attacks have killed more than 11,200 Palestinians since October 7, including more than 4,600 children.
In an open letter sent to Biden on Tuesday, leaders of progressive organizations that aim to mobilize young voters cautioned that Biden’s refusal to demand an Israeli ceasefire could cost him the election.
“We write to you to issue a very stark and unmistakable warning: you and your Administration’s stance on Gaza risks millions of young voters staying home or voting third party next year,” those leaders wrote.