By Ahraya Burns and Meredith Yeomans -
NBC
5
The latest polls show that some voters are not very enthusiastic about the current slate of presidential candidates, but one North Texas resident decided to take the reins of the battle for the White House in his hands.
A North Texas school teacher and U.S. Army veteran has legally changed his name to Literally Anybody Else and announced he is running in the U.S. presidential election.
Else, formerly known as Dustin Ebey, said he is deeply dissatisfied with the 2024 presidential candidates, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, so he legally changed his name in January to make his point clear.
Driver's license with the name Literally Anybody ElseNBC5
“The United States wants something different. We want something better. “We deserve better,” Else said.
The teacher lives in North Richland Hills and teaches seventh grade Mathematics.
Else said it purchased the domain LiterallyAnybodyElse.com early last year and began designing t-shirts with the name. She admitted that it all started as a joke, but explained that she got serious when she realized that Biden and Trump would be back on the ballot.
[Trump sells Bibles for $60. In some churches they give them away and websites send them for free]
“I didn't change my name when it was a joke. I wouldn't have changed my name. “My father-in-law said it wasn’t worth it,” she stated.
Else knows he is facing almost impossible odds and getting his name on the ballot is going to be difficult.
To do this, he needs a certain number of signatures from voters who have not voted in the primaries before May 13 so that his peculiar name appears on the ballot. In Texas, an independent candidate needs 113,151 signatures from registered voters who have not voted in either party's presidential primary, according to state law.
So Else encouraged voters to handwrite Literally Anybody Else on their ballot.
[What happens if there is a tie between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the November elections?]
Else campaigned before a Dallas Stars game and is thinking about hosting a rally this month. Other than that, she's hoping the word will spread.
Else hopes to soon hire an assistant to help him take calls from media and supporters.
“Literally Anybody Else is not just a person,” Else wrote on her website:
“For too long, Americans have been victims of their political parties, which put their partisan loyalty to the government above them. Together let's send this message to Washington and say: 'Represent the people or be replaced.' America should not have to choose between the 'Debt King' (in his own words) and an 81-year-old man. Literally Anybody Else
is not just a person, it is a rallying cry.”