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Dr. Cornel West Surpasses Ballot Access Threshold in North Carolina, Signaling Major Strides for Independent Presidential Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, May 20, 2024
Cornel West for President
[email protected]

[Raleigh, North Carolina] - In a significant victory for independent politics, the West-Abdullah presidential campaign announces today that it has successfully surpassed the required ballot access threshold in North Carolina. As verified by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Dr. West's campaign has collected more than 17,385 valid signatures, exceeding the requisite 13,865 signatures needed to secure a spot on the ballot.

This achievement marks a historic moment for a third-party campaign, demonstrating that it is possible to gain significant ground without aligning solely with minor parties nationwide. North Carolina, known for its substantial independent voter base, is a pivotal battleground state, making this accomplishment even more consequential for the upcoming presidential election.

"Surpassing the ballot access threshold in North Carolina is a clear indicator that our message resonates deeply with Americans who are eager for change," stated Dr. West. "This is not just a victory for our campaign but for every American who believes in the power of independent, transformative politics." Dr. West added. "We look forward to bringing our message of justice, equality, and peace to other key battleground states across the country."

Dr. West's campaign has demonstrated considerable momentum, rivaling that of established candidates and positioning Dr. West as a formidable contender against incumbent Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and paralleling the ballot access achievements of candidates like Kennedy.

"By achieving over 2% of the general election vote in November, Dr. West's campaign will also secure ballot access for future election cycles, posing a formidable challenge to the traditional party structures, particularly the North Carolina Democratic Party machine" said Italo Medelius, chair of the newly formed Justice for All state party started by the Cornel West campaign.

The official verification of the ballot access can be viewed at the North Carolina State Board of Elections website here.

About the Justice for All Party

In an effort to directly confront the suppression of voter choice and participation by legacy political parties, Independent candidate for President of the United States, Dr. Cornel West, announced the establishment of the Justice For All Party (JFA). The party will primarily be utilized as a grassroots, people-powered vehicle to secure ballot access in specific states. Additionally, JFA will grow into a larger formation that galvanizes people-powered initiatives to promote transformational change beyond the 2024 election cycle. JFA provides a mechanism for our grassroots campaign to travel a path of least resistance that will require the fewest number of signatures to attain ballot access in states like California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Washington and the District of Columbia.

About Dr. Cornel West

Dr. West, affectionately known to many as Brother West, is the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice at Union Theological Seminary.

Dr. West is the former University Professor at Harvard University, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University and the first Black person to receive a Ph.D. In Philosophy from Princeton University. He has written 20 books and he is best known for his classics, Race Matters and Democracy Matters, and for his memoir, Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud. He delivered the historic Gifford lectures at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in Spring 2024.

Dr. West enters the 2024 Presidential contest at a time in which he describes a national crisis of moral bankruptcy and spiritual obscenity driven by a derelict duopoly of both major parties that equally places profits over people and the planet. West asserts that running as an Independent candidate affords him the opportunity and duty to deliver policy prescriptions incorporated by and for the people, instead of political parties beholden to corporations and special interest groups who feel no solidarity with poor and working-class people of all races, gender identities, and age groups.

The Cornel West Campaign to empower poor and working people everywhere stands at a pivotal moment in history, committed to being a true campaign for people around the globe. Our aim is and will always be to unite in solidarity with movements of truth and justice, who seek a choice beyond empire, white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy, and the confines of the corporate-dominated two-party system.

About Dr. Melina Abdullah

Dr. Melina Abdullah is a Professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, where she has also served as Department Chair. A respected scholar and dedicated activist, Dr. Abdullah is deeply involved in organized labor and social justice movements, holding roles such as the Chair of the Council for Racial and Social Justice with the California Faculty Association’s Los Angeles Chapter. She has been a lifelong union organizer and a delegate to the County Federation of Labor, melding her academic expertise with grassroots activism to champion causes such as the "Cops Off Campus" campaign and the establishment of Ethnic Studies in educational curricula.

A founding organizer of Black Lives Matter, Dr. Abdullah continues to lead the Los Angeles chapter and serves as Director of Black Lives Matter Grassroots, driving local and national initiatives that aim to dismantle systemic racism. Her leadership has been pivotal in various campaigns for justice and equity, including #BlackWomenAreDivine and #EndPoliceAssociations. Dr. Abdullah's commitment to social change is also evident through her role in media, where she produces and hosts "Move the Crowd" on 90.7FM KPFK, furthering public political education.

Beyond her professional and activist roles, Dr. Abdullah is a devoted mother and a champion of community engagement and empowerment. Raised in Oakland, California, by a family of union workers, she embodies the values instilled by her ancestors and strives to pass on a legacy of resilience and advocacy to her three children and her community in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw District. Her extensive contributions to social justice have earned her numerous accolades, including the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance “Champion of Change” Award and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award from Loyola Marymount University.

Learn more about Cornel West at CornelWest2024.com

Learn more about Dr. West’s Policy Pillars at CornelWest2024.com/Platform.

For more details and press inquiries, please contact [email protected].

 

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