New Survey: 6 in 10 Democrats Considering Third Party Options

image
Thomas A HawkThomas A Hawk
Published: 21 Jun, 2017
2 min read

A new survey by icitizen points to a clear opening for third-party candidates in future elections.

The online survey found that not only do 7 in 10 respondents not feel represented by the Republican or Democratic Parties, and that a third party is needed, but 6 in 10 Democratic respondents are considering voting for a third party candidate in 2020.

That is huge considering only 29 percent of Republican respondents said the same.

The wounds are clearly still fresh in the Democratic Party after the DNC tilted the presidential primary in Hillary Clinton's favor over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, were unwelcoming to non-traditional Democratic voters (i.e. Sanders progressives, independent and third-party voters, etc.), and now struggle to find a message they can win with.

ALSO READ: DNC to Court: We Are a Private Corporation With No Obligation to Follow Our Rules

It seems like many Democratic voters are looking for the lifeboats right now, and that could be good news for third-party candidates.

Here are some other key findings from the survey:

  • "68% of Democrats, 82% of Independents and over half (54%) of Republicans believe a “third party is necessary” to represent Americans’ political views."
  • "Fully 69% of Americans reported that they would be interested in the establishment of a new political party to serve as a viable alternative to the two-party system (29% not interested, 2% unsure)."
  • "Democrats (75%) and Independents (81%) are among the most interested in the establishment of a new party."
  • "Over half (53%) of Americans believe that including a third party in Congress, so that no party had a majority, would help lawmaking in the U.S. (21% obstruct lawmaking; 19% does not make a difference; 7% unsure)."

IVP Donate

“Poll results suggest that an overall majority of Americans, including Democrats and Republicans, are looking for more representation of Americans’ views and are likely to give a third party candidate a chance in 2020,” said Cynthia Villacis, Director of Polling at icitizen.

Check out the full survey results here.

You Might Also Like

National Reform Organizations Condemn Texas and California Over Gerrymandering
National Reform Organizations Condemn Texas and California Over Gerrymandering
The United States has passed the point of no return in the unprecedented mid-cycle redistricting fight between Texas and California, which threatens to expand to other states like Republican-controlled Florida and Democratic-controlled New York....
25 Aug, 2025
-
6 min read
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Republicans currently hold a narrow 219 to 212 edge over Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with four vacancies: three from Democratic members who have died and one from a Republican who has resigned. This is the smallest House majority held by either party in nearly a century. The razor-thin margin means the stakes in the 2026 midterms could not be higher. With so few competitive seats left nationwide, both parties are turning to mid-decade redistricting as a way to secure advantages....
27 Aug, 2025
-
10 min read
Hand in ballot that says independent on it.
Why 1.2 Million California Independents Are The Biggest Wild Card in American Politics Today
The fate of Proposition 50, California’s proposed redistricting measure, may come down to voters who have declined to join one of the two major political parties....
22 Aug, 2025
-
5 min read