FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, October 14, 2024
Cornel West for President
[email protected]

[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania] – In a deeply disappointing and undemocratic ruling, the Pennsylvania federal court has blocked Dr. Cornel West from appearing on the state’s 2024 presidential ballot. This decision, issued late on Friday, deals a severe blow to voters seeking real choice in one of the most critical battleground states of the election.

The judge’s order itself acknowledged the troubling nature of the state's actions:

"This Court has serious concerns with the Secretary’s application of the election code’s restrictions to Dr. West. The laws, as applied to him and based on the record before the Court, appear to be designed to restrict ballot access to him (and other non-major political candidates) for reasons that are not entirely weighty or tailored, and thus appear to run afoul of the U.S. Constitution" - J. Nicholas Ranjan

The West/Abdullah 2024 campaign remains undeterred and is actively appealing this ruling with a renewed commitment to ensuring that all voters—especially those supporting independent candidates—are given equal access and representation. If successful, this appeal could set a precedent for all future independent presidential candidates who face similarly unfair challenges due to elector paperwork technicalities.

"This decision is not just about me—it’s about democracy itself. Blocking independent candidates from the ballot undermines the voice of the people and perpetuates an unjust system. We are appealing this ruling because every voter deserves a real choice, and no candidate should be silenced by bureaucratic barriers," said Dr. Cornel West. He added, "We must bear witness beyond Trump’s neo-fascism leading toward Civil War II and Harris’s multicultural militarism that enables genocide leading toward World War III!"

During the hearing, Jonathan Marks, the Deputy Secretary for Elections & Commissions, confirmed multiple times that "it would not be impossible to reprint ballots" in Pennsylvania. This acknowledgment further reinforces that the decision to block Dr. West is not only unjust but avoidable. The campaign firmly believes that no candidate should be excluded from the ballot due to bureaucratic hurdles, especially when the remedy is entirely feasible.

"This ruling is a direct assault on voter choice and the democratic process. We’re appealing because the stakes couldn’t be higher—not just for Dr. West, but for every future independent candidate. Pennsylvania voters deserve to have all options on the ballot," said Edwin DeJesus, spokesperson for the campaign. "This fight is bigger than a single election—we are fighting to ensure a truly democratic process where all voices are heard and all candidates, regardless of party, have a fair chance to compete. The implications of this appeal extend far beyond Pennsylvania and will affect the future of independent candidates nationwide. The West/Abdullah campaign calls on all supporters to spread our message of truth, justice, and love on social media as we continue this battle for fairness and justice and urge the U.S. Court of Appeals to correct this egregious ruling."

The West/Abdullah campaign has the signatures and minor party nominations it needs to get on the ballot in 16 states. This includes 6 of the battleground states: Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Minnesota, 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].