This article lists third-party and independent candidates, also jointly known as minor candidates, associated with the 2020 United States presidential election.
"Third party" is a term commonly used in the United States in reference to political parties other than the Democratic and Republican parties. An independent candidate is one not affiliated with any political party.
The list of candidates whose names were printed on the ballot or who were accepted as write-in candidates varied by state. More than a hundred candidates were on the ballot or formally registered as write-in candidates in at least one state.
All minor candidates combined received less than 2% of the national votes.
Summary
Show/hide: [presidential candidates] [vice presidential candidates] [parties] [ballot access]
Candidates who received more than 2,000 votes
The candidates below are listed in order of national vote totals.
Jo Jorgensen, Libertarian Party
Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen was the only minor candidate to breach a million votes nationwide, getting more than 1 % of the national votes and more than the margin between the two major candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, in several battleground states. She was also the only minor candidate who was on the ballot in every state.
Howie Hawkins, Green Party
Rocky De La Fuente, Alliance Party
Gloria La Riva, Party for Socialism and Liberation
Kanye West, Birthday Party
Don Blankenship, Constitution Party
Brock Pierce, independent
Brian Carroll, American Solidarity Party
Jade Simmons, independent
Alyson Kennedy, Socialist Workers Party
Bill Hammons, Unity Party
Jerome Segal, Bread and Roses
Dario Hunter, Progressive Party
Phil Collins, Prohibition Party
Jesse Ventura, Green Party of Alaska
Mark Charles, independent
Joe McHugh, independent
Other votes
A few states counted write-in votes for anyone, including people who did not declare themselves candidates and even non-human entities. In Vermont, write-in preferences included well-regarded politicians (including misspellings), celebrities, fictional characters, deities and a type of cheese.
In Nevada, the ballots included the option "None of These Candidates", which received 14,079 votes.
Debates
Withdrawn candidates
Max Abramson, New Hampshire State Representative from the 20th Rockingham district (ran for and lost the Veterans Party of America nomination) (ran for election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives) Darcy Richardson, author, historian and political activist (Reform Party) (ran for Vice-President)
Declined
Individuals in this section were the subject of speculation that they might run for president as an independent or minor party candidate for the 2020 election but later said that they would not. Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York (2002–2013), CEO of Bloomberg (ran for Democratic nomination) (endorsed Biden) Mark Cuban, businessman and investor from Texas (endorsed Biden) Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. Representative from HI-02 (2013–2021) (ran for Democratic nomination) (endorsed Biden) John Kasich, former Governor of Ohio (2011–2019) (endorsed Biden) Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks from Washington (endorsed Biden) Ed Stack, CEO of Dick's Sporting Goods Jesse Ventura, former Governor of Minnesota (1999–2003), former mayor of Brooklyn Park (1991–1995) (considered running for the Green Party nomination; along with Cynthia McKinney, replaced Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker as the Green Party candidates on the ballot in Alaska) Marianne Williamson, spiritual/self-help author (ran for Democratic nomination) (endorsed Sanders, then Biden) Andrew Yang, entrepreneur, tech executive (ran for Democratic nomination) (endorsed Biden)