As the Republicans presented their vision of the country, Americans appeared to be hot on the hunt for an alternative presidential candidate.
Searches for “third party candidate 2016” soared by 1,150% in the past week during the Republican National Convention, according to Google Trends. The spike shown in the below chart spiked toward the end of what was at times a raucous and bizarre convention for the Republicans that ended with Donald Trump’s nomination:
Next week will see the Democratic National Convention kick off with Hillary Clinton expected to get the presidential nomination. Some polls indicate a tight presidential race, though Trump has gained more momentum in recent months.
Support for Trump edged ahead of Clinton, 43% support to 42%, according to a weekly online and national telephone survey from American polling group Rasmussen Reports that published July 21. But most other polls, including one from Reuters/Ipsos that found support for Clinton at 40% and Trump at 36%, give a slight edge to the former secretary of state.
Read: New Ohio poll shows Trump still has chance of winning
Jill Stein and Gary Johnson are the respective Green Party and Libertarian Party presidential candidates, but neither have had much traction against the traditional party candidates, according to polling data. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who ran a popular campaign, last week gave his endorsement to Clinton.
This article was originally published on Marketwatch.
