August 14, 2020
Beyond Biden and Trump: A Look at Third-Party Presidential Merch
The Libertarian, Green and ‘Birthday’ parties all have logoed gear for the 2020 presidential election.
With Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden’s recent announcement of Sen. Kamala Harris as running mate, the 2020 race is heating up – and so is the merch associated with it. The Biden camp added a rash of items bearing the full-ticket’s new logo on the official “Team Joe” online store – slapping “Biden Harris” on everything from T-shirts and masks to yard signs and coffee mugs. And President Donald Trump’s merch game has always been robust.
Still, it wasn’t the iconic MAGA hat or a Cup o’ Joe mug garnering attention online this week. Rapper Kanye West, who announced his bid for the presidency in July, posted a preview of his campaign merch on Twitter on Wednesday, Aug. 12. His photos show a white T-shirt and a ballcap, each with the slogan “Kanye 2020 Vision” imprinted on them.
2020 VISION pic.twitter.com/5QQX7pIAFX
— ye (@kanyewest) August 12, 2020
2020 VISION pic.twitter.com/SOlkYO35kh
— ye (@kanyewest) August 12, 2020
The “Birthday Party” candidate made no indication of when or where the merch would be available for purchase. West’s posts come as his attention-grabbing campaign is flailing. (As of Aug. 11, the rapper’s name will only be on the ballot in three states.)
Of course, West isn’t the only third-party candidate in 2020, nor is he the only one to offer merch to his followers.
Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian Party candidate, has a fully stocked web store, offering everything from stainless steel water bottles bearing her name and logo to tote bags with the slogan “She’s With Us!”
Unofficial merch for the candidate abounds on sites like Teepublic and Zazzle, with slogans that include “All your freedoms all the time” and “Jo Jo 2020: Make America Free Again.” The website ProudLibertarian.com has a robust collection of items, including face masks with the slogan “Let her Speak!” – part of a movement among libertarians calling for Jorgensen to be included in presidential debates. The site also sells a sticker with a photo of Jorgensen and a pair of pixelated sunglasses superimposed over her eyes, a reference to the “Deal With It” meme often used in response to people’s disapproval.
Over in the Green Party, candidate Howie Hawkins plays off his party’s environmentalism and his initials to come up with the H’20 logo, which appears on shirts, masks, mugs and more. The candidate also cuts to the chase with a green T-shirt that states in bold block letters “ECOSOCIALISM.” (It also comes in white with green letters.)
Various apparel and other campaign items are available from independent sellers on sites like Zazzle and Amazon, including a button that depicts a green wave and the slogan “A Sea Change Is Coming!”
Jorgensen and Hawkins are the only third-party candidates with ballot access to at least 270 electoral votes – the number needed to win the presidency. Typically, third-party candidates capture a very small portion of votes in presidential elections. Of the 138 million Americans who voted in the 2016 election, around 5 million voted for third-party candidates.