FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Cornel West for President
[email protected]

[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania] – In light of the recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling against its presidential electors, the West/Abdullah campaign has moved the case to federal court, where the constitutional issues, particularly surrounding First Amendment rights, will receive more thorough scrutiny.

The West/Abdullah 2024 campaign is disappointed but not surprised by the Democratic Party's ongoing efforts to block ballot access. "These actions are part of a broader strategy to undermine alternative voices and suppress competition within the political system," said campaign spokesperson Edwin DeJesus.

"It's important to note that if Pennsylvania proceeds with printing ballots without Dr. West's name, the court has the authority to order a reprint to include him. Similar rulings have been made in other states, and we remain hopeful that a just outcome will prevail," added DeJesus. "By leveraging their resources to challenge legitimate campaigns like ours in court, the Democrats are demonstrating that they are more interested in maintaining power than allowing voters the freedom to choose from a diverse field of candidates."

"These unconstitutional tactics, aimed at stifling democracy, are nothing new. Rather than embracing debate and a diversity of thought, the Democrats are employing procedural barriers and legal challenges to silence voices that offer real solutions to the problems everyday Americans face," said Dr. Cornel West. The campaign remains committed to fighting back and ensuring voters have the choice they deserve, despite the Democrats' continued efforts to limit ballot access and control the political narrative.

The West/Abdullah campaign has the signatures and minor party nominations it needs to get on the ballot in 17 states. This includes 6 of the battleground states: Michigan, Georgia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Virginia and North Carolina. For details on where Dr. West and Dr. Abdullah will appear on the ballot across the United States, please see our campaign’s ballot access map.

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

Melina Abdullah is Professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State LA’s College of Ethnic Studies, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter - Los Ángeles and Black Lives Matter Grassroots, where she is also Director. She is a leader in the California Faculty Association (the faculty union), both locally and statewide, and mama of three. Dr. Abdullah earned her Ph.D. from University of Southern California in Political Science and her B.A. from Howard University in African American Studies. Abdullah has authored numerous articles and book chapters. Known by the moniker, Doc Melly Mel, she is creator, host, and producer of the radio programs Move the Crowd on KPFK 90.7 FM and This Is Not a Drill! on KBLA Talk 1580, and is a recognized expert on race, gender, class, and social movements. In April 2024, Abdullah was announced as vice-presidential pick for Dr. Cornel West in his run for president of the United States on a platform of “Truth, Justice, and Love.” She is the first Muslim to run for the vice-presidency.

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].