Cornel West ditches Green Party; now running for president as an independent

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Cornel West is no longer running for the White House as a Green Party presidential candidate.

The outspoken progressive university scholar announced on Friday that he's now seeking the presidency as an independent candidate.

"People are hungry for change. They want good policies over partisan politics. We need to break the grip of the duopoly and give power to the people. I'm running as an Independent candidate for President of the United States to end the iron grip of the ruling class and ensure true democracy!" West said Friday in a social media posting.

And the West campaign, in a statement, said that "as Dr. West’s campaign for president grows, he believes the best way to challenge the entrenched system is by focusing 100% on the people, not on the intricacies of internal party dynamics."

CORNEL WEST SAYS DEMOCRATIC PARTY ‘BEYOND REDEMPTION’

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Cornel West walk onstage together during a campaign event at the Whittemore Center Arena on Feb. 10, 2020, in Durham, New Hampshire. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

West, who was a surrogate for progressive firebrand Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential campaigns, started his 2024 bid for the presidency on the People's Party ticket. 

But concerns of the People's Party ballot access led to West switching to the Green Party, which is already on the ballot in nearly 20 states across the country.

Cornel West at Holman United Methodist Church on Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

SPECULATION OF A NO LABELS INDEPENDENT PRESIDENTIAL TICKET SOARS

West's decision to now run as an independent complicates his ability to get on the ballot, as his team will have to gather a long list of signatures in each of the 50 states.

Democrats have deep concerns over West's White House bid, even though his fundraising has been paltry.

President Biden and Cornel West (Getty Images)

Their concerns center on West's ability to appeal to certain elements of the Democratic base that are crucial to President Biden's 2024 re-election. And in an election that will likely once again be extremely competitive in key states across the country, Democrats worry a vote for West could boost former President Donald Trump, the commanding frontrunner for the Republican nomination.

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The 70-year-old West, who's authored 20 books, has repeatedly dismissed talk that he could be a spoiler by helping Trump regain the presidency.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, West called warnings that he could play a role in re-electing Trump "a plausible argument." But he added that "it’s not a persuasive one for me."

West may soon have company running as an independent. Environmental lawyer and high-profile vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a scion of the famous Kennedy political dynasty, is expected to drop his long-shot bid for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination and run as an independent candidate.

And the centrist group No Labels is also seriously mulling fielding a 2024 independent "unity" ticket in the presidential race.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.