WASHINGTON — Cornel West, a liberal activist, has gained momentum in his bid to appear on Wisconsin’s ballot as an independent presidential candidate due to the assistance of Republican operatives who helped gather the necessary petition signatures for his campaign.

This involvement highlights the strategic attempts by supporters of Republican nominee Donald Trump to elevate third-party candidates, potentially benefiting Trump’s chances in the upcoming November election in competitive states.

Four individuals from the Republican-aligned political canvassing firm, Blair Group Consulting, served as circulators to collect signatures endorsing West’s candidacy in Wisconsin. This information comes from the petitions submitted to the Wisconsin Elections Commission this month, which YSL News has reviewed.

To qualify as an independent presidential candidate in Wisconsin, a minimum of 2,000 verified signatures from state residents is required. The Elections Commission is scheduled to review West’s nominating petition for the November ballot on August 27.

Despite only garnering low single-digit support in national polls, West could shift the outcome in closely contested states. Both he and Green Party nominee Jill Stein are believed to draw more votes from Democratic nominee Kamala Harris than from Trump. Conversely, some recent surveys indicate that independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy may be more detrimental to Trump than Harris.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is closely monitoring third-party candidates’ attempts to qualify for ballot spots in various states. Democrats remains wary of election spoilers, recalling instances from previous elections—especially consumer advocate Ralph Nader, who many blame for costing Al Gore the 2000 election, and Stein in 2016.

Blair Group Consulting presents itself as a full-service consulting firm catering to “conservative political campaigns.” The firm’s president, David Blair, previously served as the executive director of the Conservative Leadership PAC and led Youth for Trump in 2016. He later worked as an assistant press secretary in the Agriculture Department during the Trump administration.

West refers to his independent presidential run as the “Justice for All” party. Within West’s 823-page nominating petition in Wisconsin, the signatures from Republican consultants are mixed with those collected by his supporters.

Dausin Olberding, one of the signature collectors for West, is the vice president of field operations at Blair Group Consulting and previously worked on Trump’s 2020 campaign in Iowa, while also chairing a young Republicans organization there.

Another signature collector for West was Arik Amundsen, who holds a similar position at the same consulting firm. His biography mentions a strong commitment to preserving conservative values. He is also recognized as a 2024 delegate for the state’s Republican party.

Olberding and Amundsen co-own Red Wave Field Strategies, a Republican canvassing company located in Iowa. Matan Bar, who is identified on LinkedIn as a voter contact specialist with Blair Group Consulting, along with Simon Molina, also a canvasser from the same firm, contributed to gathering signatures for West in Wisconsin.

Neither Blair Group Consulting nor the West campaign responded to multiple requests for comments. The Trump campaign has not yet replied to a request for their perspective.

“In a state showing close competition between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the success of our signature drive in Wisconsin highlights a strong demand for an alternative in this crucial election,” West stated in a press release boasting about exceeding the needed 2,000 signatures.

In response, DNC spokesman Matt Corridoni emphasized: “Only two candidates have a viable path to 270 electoral votes: Donald Trump and Vice President Harris. Republicans are aware that voting for a third-party candidate essentially aids Trump’s campaign, which is why they actively support spoiler candidates throughout this election.”

Similar reports in other states

Connections between West’s signature-gathering initiatives and Republican organizations have emerged in various other states too. NBC News has reported that workers from Republican canvassing firms have been gathering signatures in states like North Carolina and Arizona, both being crucial swing states.

Moreover, Trump’s supporters have expanded their focus in third-party campaigns beyond just West. For instance, in the strongly Republican state of North Dakota, YSL News found Charles Tuttle, a conservative activist, outside the state capitol in June, collecting signatures to place Kennedy on the ballot while sporting a Trump lanyard.

“I think RFK will pull votes away from Biden,” Tuttle said with a chuckle, a month before President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, making way for Harris to become the new Democratic nominee.

West has been approved to appear on the ballot in eight states, though only North Carolina is deemed a battleground. Other states, including Wisconsin, are currently assessing West’s petitions.

The operation of the West campaign is rather limited, as it reported having just $24,520 left to spend at the end of June, despite raising $1.22 million during the second quarter from April 1 to June 30, but also spending nearly the same amount, $1.19 million.

Currently, West’s support is under 1% nationwide according to the Real Clear Politics polling average, which is lower than Kennedy’s 5% and Stein’s 1%.

“We need to observe how things unfold in real-time,” West stated in a CNN interview in April when asked if he feared that his campaign might aid in Trump’s election. “Our aim should be to stay true to our principles, speak the truth, seek justice, and stand together with oppressed individuals both here and globally.