Third-party candidates know the odds, but they won’t give up the fight

For third-party candidates -- outnumbered, outspent, frozen out of primaries and debates -- it's not so much about winning as making the incremental gains that let them stay on the ballot, grow and be heard by voters disenchanted by the major parties.

By: Will Hammann

Outlets: Maryland Matters

Published: July 11, 2026

Words: 1,390

Last Updated: 1 week, 4 days ago

Body Text Preview

Green Party gubernatorial hopeful Andy Ellis knows there’s almost no chance Gov. Wes Moore, a popular Democrat, loses his reelection bid in heavily Democratic Maryland. And that, in Ellis’ eyes, is a good thing for his campaign.

“If there’s no chance that Wes Moore loses, and the polls confirm that, I think there’s a lot of disappointed Democrats who supported Wes Moore in 2022 who will likely end up being willing to vote for us …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

About

FAQ

Email Us