WASHINGTON — Yes, the 2024 presidential election might be a repeat of 2020, with voters choosing between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. That doesn’t mean Americans don’t have other names in mind.
A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll from June found that in a potential rematch between the two current frontrunners, 34% of voters said they would support Biden while 32% said they would support Trump. Meanwhile, 23% of voters say they would support an unspecified independent contender.
Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll, told USA TODAY his national surveys indicate about 25% of registered voters across the country say they would vote for someone other than Biden or Trump, or wouldn’t vote at all. It’s a trend that has stayed consistent since November 2021.
ut why are voters dissatisfied with both candidates? Who would voters rather see sworn in as the next president of the United States?
Voters from across the political spectrum gave USA TODAY a list of Republican and Democratic officials they’d rather see serve as commander-in-chief. The options range from progressive Democrats to moderate Republicans, but they’re all current or former officials with experience leading. Here’s a closer look.