Independent Candidates Enter Race for President and US Senate Seats in Pennsylvania

More than a dozen third-party candidates in Pennsylvania submitted their paperwork before the Thursday deadline to be included on the November general election ballot. This move could potentially have significant impacts on closely contested races in the battleground state, including the presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
Pennsylvania is expected to play a crucial role in the upcoming presidential election, and the presence of third-party candidates could influence the outcome by drawing votes away from the major party candidates.
Among the four third-party presidential candidates who filed before the deadline are Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the We the People Party, Jill Stein of the Green Party, and Claudia De la Cruz of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The Libertarian Party also submitted signatures under a stand-in candidate, Chase Oliver, who will eventually be replaced by the party’s official presidential nominee.
Despite their small draw in general elections, third-party candidates have the potential to impact the results of close races between major party contenders. Legal challenges to contest the candidates’ eligibility could still be filed until August 8, based on whether they met the requirement of filing 5,000 signatures from registered voters.
With its 19 electoral votes, Pennsylvania is a highly coveted prize that has swung between parties in recent presidential elections. The state was closely contested in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, with narrow margins of victory for Trump and Biden, respectively.
In addition to the presidential race, the Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican David McCormick, as well as the statewide offices of Attorney General, Treasurer, and Auditor General, also saw third-party candidates filing before the deadline. These candidates represent a variety of parties and could potentially influence the outcomes of these races.