A Michigan judge has ruled that far-left candidate Cornel West must be allowed to appear on the state’s presidential ballot.
Despite the best efforts of Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Judge James Robert Redford ruled that election officials were “ordered to qualify” West and his running mate, Melina Abdullah, as presidential candidates in Michigan.
The effort was celebrated by the Fair Election Fund, which seeks to expose fraud and malpractice across nationwide elections, who announced that Benson’s voter suppression efforts were just overturned in a win for democracy and a loss for Democrats.
BREAKING: Michigan Secretary of State @JocelynBenson’s voter suppression efforts were just overturned in a win for democracy and a loss for Democrats.
Judge Redford has just ruled that @CornelWest must be on the ballot in Michigan. pic.twitter.com/EW7Ci6icG3
— Fair Election Fund (@FairElectFund) August 24, 2024
A staunch socialist and BLM activist, West is undoubtedly a thorn in the side of the Democratic Party because he is likely to draw votes away from Harris and could potentially aid Trump’s return to the White House.
He has already qualified by ballot access in a handful of crucial swing states, including Wisconsin, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, despite efforts from the Democratic Party to stop him.
West’s presence on the ballot is particularly troubling for Democrats in Michigan given its large Muslim population, many of whom are furious with the party for its lukewarm support for Israel and what they see as their complicity in a genocide in Gaza.
The sentimental excitement over the new Harris-Walz ticket hides and conceals the corrupt two-party system that is saturated with big money, corporate power and militaristic policies at home and abroad. The inescapable realities of the barbaric genocide in Gaza, the massive… pic.twitter.com/QhBE0Yc7x3
— Cornel West (@CornelWest) August 7, 2024
During the Michigan primary earlier this year, over 100,000 voters were “non-committed,” a defacto vote against then-candidate Joe Biden. It is unclear what proportion of those voters will vote for Harris in November.
Following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to drop out the race and endorse Donald Trump, the only remaining third-party candidate is the Green Party’s Jill Stein, who is standing on a largely anti-war platform.