Don’t want to vote for Trump or Biden? Don’t worry, you have about 1,000 other choices
While President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have attracted the most attention in the race for president, more than 1,100 people have filed their intent to run for the country’s top position.
Many Democrats who filed have since withdrawn from the race, but others from smaller, less well-known parties, including the Communist Party, the Conservative Party, the Citizens Party, the American Party and the Human Rights Party, are still running.
Here are a few notable names still in the race.
Constitution Party
The Constitution Party’s presidential nominee is Don Blankenship, a West Virginia coal magnate. He is the former CEO of Massey Energy and spent a year in federal prison for violating mine safety laws. He previously made headlines in his run for U.S. Senate when he ran advertisements calling Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “Cocaine Mitch” and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, a “China Person.” According to Federal Election Commission records, he has spent $31,000 on his presidential campaign.
Green Party
Several candidates have advanced through the small, environmentally conscious Green Party’s nomination process, according to the party’s website.
Howie Hawkins has been a Green Party organizer since the national party was founded in the 1980s and has been active in movements against war and to protect the environment. He also has run for several local offices in Syracuse, New York, according to his candidate website. He most recently worked as a Teamster unloading trucks at UPS. He is now retired, but is still active with labor groups.
Dario Hunter is a Green Party candidate focused on environmental, social, economic and racial justice. Hunter lives in Los Angeles and has worked as a high school English teacher, community college instructor and environmental lawyer. He supports transitioning the country to renewable energy.
Brock Pierce
A former child actor who played in movies including “Mighty Ducks” as well as a billionaire who has been involved in the bitcoin industry, Pierce is an independent candidate who, in an interview with Forbes, described himself as a humanist who desires peace for the Middle East. While Pierce has filed as an independent with the Federal Elections Commission, he has not filed any campaign expenses.