George Washington, the first president of the United States wasn’t one to mince words. His role was unprecedented, and, as a man who did not seek the presidency, was not worried about pleasing constituents, he was honest and upfront about his convictions. One such conviction he addressed several times in his farewell address in 1796: political parties. 

In the address, he said, that the institution of political parties “serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.” That wasn’t his only anti-party statement either. Washington also shared the following in the same address.

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” 

So what has this got to do with the current battle between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump?

Besides the obvious contention between the Republican and Democratic parties, there’s an interesting tie to Washington’s sentiments that has arisen in recent polls, and because of the recent elections here in Utah. It’s true, that Utah has been traditionally a red state, and 2024 is shaping up to be consistent with that view. However, a recent poll by 270towin shows an interesting statistic. 

As of Aug. 22, 2024, the poll showed that Utah polled at 60% in favor of another Trump presidency, and 28% of a Harris presidency. The interesting thing, however, was that there was 12% of those polled who favored an ambiguous “other.” This is significant, not only because of the break from the duopoly of the Republicans and Democrats but that, according to 270towin, it is the largest percentage in the union that favors a third option.

While George Washington may cringe at the thought of yet another party being thrown into the mix, it’s clear that parties in and of themselves aren’t going anywhere, and so perhaps the next best step to align with the vision of the first president himself, is to expand the options to more than just the two that have held the presidency in a stranglehold for centuries. It seems, if the most recent polls are to be trusted, that many Utahns agree. 

As of September, there are several other candidates beyond Trump and Harris who have thrown their hats into the ring. The two most prominent, arguably, are Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, and Chase Oliver, of the Libertarian party, but while they are the front runners in the third-party race, they aren’t alone. Ballotpedia lists at least two other candidates who are in the running as well, offering that many more options besides the two frontrunners. 

Recent elections, in which many voters have felt they had to choose between “the lesser of two evils” have caused many to look for other options, and it seems like Utah has favored, more than other states, picking from a larger pool of candidates. While it may not be the no-party system Washington favored, it’s certainly closer to be able to have a choice, rather than the flip of a coin.