Byron York says ‘times are ripe’ for potential third party 2024 candidate

The Washington Examiner’s Byron York stated that “the times are ripe” for a third-party candidate to run in the 2024 presidential election, as another candidate may join the fray as an independent.

York’s comment on Wednesday comes after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said that he “absolutely” could consider a run for the White House, potentially disrupting a likely rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The 2024 presidential election already has Robert Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West running as third-party candidates, meaning Manchin would join an expansive White House race should he choose to run.

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“But listen, the times are ripe for a third-party candidate,” York, who is also a contributor to Fox News, said on the network’s America Reports. “Third-party candidacies don’t really succeed, but right now, you have so many voters who do not want a Joe Biden-Donald Trump rematch. So many voters who are absolutely determined they do not want to vote for Joe Biden, and they do not want to vote for Donald Trump. That is the atmosphere in which a third party candidacy can flourish.”

Manchin, who has hinted at a third-party White House run for some time now, stated last week that he would not seek reelection in the Senate in 2024. Asked about running for president next year, the West Virginia senator stated that he would do “anything I can to help my country.”

Marie Harf, a former Obama State Dept. spokeswoman, argued that Biden is “a pretty moderate guy,” citing his support for the United States’s police and for Israel. In regards to Manchin, she stated that any third-party candidate, be it Manchin, West, or Kennedy, would only “take votes from Biden.”

“As a Democrat, I think that is very disturbing,” Harf said. “I think if Manchin wants to help elect Donald Trump, then he should get out there and campaign for Trump and not run himself. Not surprised by this, but this, I want to be very clear, this is an effort that will hurt Biden, period. Full stop.”

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Kennedy was previously running as a Democrat in the party’s 2024 primary but opted for an independent run in October. Polling data from earlier this month found that Kennedy running in the overall 2024 presidential election would take more votes away from Trump, the expected Republican nominee than it would from Biden.

Trump announced his 2024 run in November last year and is still ahead of his other opponents in the 2024 Republican primary race. Other candidates vying for the GOP top spot include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, and business entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.