Name: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Political party: Though he initially ran for the Democratic nomination, in October 2023, the candidate announced that he would run as an independent instead.

State they’re from: Washington

Notable policies: After starting his career as an assistant district attorney in New York City, RFK Jr. pretty quickly focused on environmental protection. But things took a turn for the worse when he became obsessed with advocating anti-vaccine misinformation and public health-related conspiracy theories. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Kennedy has emerged as a leading proponent of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation in the US.

Key campaign promises: On his campaign website, Kennedy lays out his six “priorities,” which include rebuilding public institutions, restoring civil liberties, reversing the country’s economic decline, ending foreign wars, healing political and racial divides, and cleaning up the environment. Don’t ask us how promoting anti-vaccine propaganda is going to help with any of these.

Star sign: Capricorn: the sign’s symbol is a sea goat. Take of that what you will.

Polling position: Doesn’t matter how famous his family is, RFK Jr. has simply said too many absurd things to be taken seriously in the elections. The only thing we really want to know is if JFK is still alive.

Wildest thing they’ve said: In January 2022, at a rally against vaccine mandates in Washington DC, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likened vaccine policies in the US to the actions of a totalitarian state, even suggesting Anne Frank was in a better situation when she was hiding from the Nazis. His statement, which, frankly, barely made any sense, led his famous family to issue public statements denouncing his comments.

Name: Cornel West

Political party: Started running with the People’s Party, then moved on to the Green Party, only to switch again to run as an independent.

State they’re from: Oklahoma

Notable policies: West is a prominent American philosopher and socialist whose topics of study have previously focused on race, gender, and class struggle. West frequently uses non-traditional philosophical mediums such as TV and music to get his message across and has also written 20 books. He is a staunch leftist and has previously voiced support for Bernie Sanders.

Key campaign promises: Key campaign promises: West’s key campaign promises revolve around fighting to end mass poverty, instate universal health care, guarantee housing, education, and living wages for everyone and prioritise saving the planet through the Green New Deal. This climate change prioritisation package is a comprehensive plan to get to 100 per cent clean, renewable energy by 2030 through utilising a carbon tax, a jobs guarantee, free college, single-payer healthcare, and a focus on public programmes.

Star sign: Gemini. I don’t know about you, but I think West might be one of the only left-leaning politicians who is a Gemini. All of the others seem to be delulu gun-toting Republicans!

Polling position: As much as I’d like to think that West has a good shot of taking this thing, he’s an outsider third-party candidate, which means he doesn’t hold nearly as much voting power as say DeSantis or Biden. That being said, it’s a sure thing that West will snatch some gen Zers’ votes and could even potentially throw a spanner in the works for our incumbent.

Wildest thing they’ve said: Now, while this quote isn’t particularly ‘wild’, it is kind of iconic that there’s someone running for President who actually speaks some sense. During one of his most famous philosophical speeches, West declared: “None of us alone can save the nation or the world. But each of us can make a positive difference if we commit ourselves to do so.”

Name: Jill Stein

Political party: Green Party

State they’re from: Illinois, however, all of Stein’s political career is linked to Massachusetts.

Notable policies: Stein’s political ideology and activism all stem from her work as a physician. As a medical professional, the Chicago native has been a strong proponent of the connection between people’s health and the quality of their local environment. While Stein has been a prominent activist for some time, she’s never reached political office, having been defeated on numerous occasions in her bid for governor and state representative. While she has had some local success, her sights have always been set on a much bigger stage. Stein has run for the presidential nomination twice before.

Key campaign promises: As a presidential candidate, Stein has focused her campaign promises on promoting an anti-war stance, wholly supporting the Green New Deal (a comprehensive plan to attempt to combat climate change and reverse unemployment and poverty) and pushing for universal healthcare. Stein has also been vocal about her would-be plans to address the humanitarian crisis in Palestine. While a number of Stein’s policies and campaign promises align with the Democrats, the politician left the Democratic party after she alleged that they “killed campaign finance reform” in her state.

Star sign: Stein is a Taurus. This particular sign is known for its stubbornness, a trait that clearly reflects why Stein refuses to give up on the idea that the US might one day be a three-party system.

Polling position: While people might be quick to underestimate Stein, it’s important to remember that the few votes she stole from Hilary Clinton back in 2016 potentially led to Donald Trump’s victory. Therefore, there is a chance that her small sway could do the same to the incumbent, Joe Biden.

Wildest thing they’ve said: In 2016, during her last presidential campaign, Stein declared that “we should not be subjecting kids’ brains” to Wi-Fi. This is more so wild because imagine trying to take a 12-year-old’s iPad away from them—scary stuff.