West, dropping Green Party, will run as an independent

Cornel West, a left-wing academic and third-party presidential candidate, said Thursday that he will not seek the Green Party’s nomination for president, running instead as an independent.

The West campaign gave little explanation for the move, which appeared counterproductive to his goal of getting his name on ballots nationwide, but noted his desire not to be constrained by a party platform and the complexities of the Green Party’s nominating process.

The decision is likely to be a welcome one for Democrats, who have in the past fought to keep Green Party candidates off state ballots. The Democratic Party is facing the prospect of a 2024 election in which multiple high-profile third-party candidates are on the ballot, and are likelier to sway voters away from Joe Biden than from a Republican challenger.