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RFK Jr. submits signatures for ballot access in Texas

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign submitted signatures to the Texas Secretary of State's office Monday to place his name as a presidential candidate on the ballot for the November general election – as his campaign employs an aggressive and laborious strategy to stake its claim on the ballot to secure ballots in all 50 states.

Important facts

Kennedy Jr.'s campaign submitted 245,572 signatures to Texas election officials, more than double the number required to secure ballot access for him and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, his campaign said Monday.

Kennedy Jr. and Shanahan will also appear on the ballot in Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware and Oklahoma, his campaign said, adding that enough signatures have been collected to also appear on the ballot in New Hampshire, Nevada, Hawaii, North Carolina and Idaho appear, Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio.

Without the backing of an official political party, Kennedy Jr. must apply for ballot access in most states, although he has tried to get around this in several states by seeking nominations from lesser-known political parties, including Natural Law Party of Michigan and the Natural Law Party of Michigan American Independent Party in California.

Kennedy Jr.'s campaign has also filed lawsuits challenging ballot access rules in several states, including Utah and Maine, and his campaign admittedly delayed filing petitions until the last minute to avoid challenges from the Democratic Party, he said his campaign spokeswoman Stefanie Spear New York Times.

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tangent

The DNC filed a complaint against Kennedy Jr. with the Federal Election Commission in February, alleging that she illegally coordinated with the American Values ​​2024 PAC to secure his candidacy in order to secure access to the ballot.

Important background

Kennedy Jr. initially launched his presidential bid as a Democrat, but later switched to running as an independent so that he could continue his candidacy if he lost the primary to President Joe Biden. Polls are divided on whether Kennedy Jr., a scion of the country's most famous Democratic family but whose criticism of Covid-19 protocols resonates with Republicans, would get more votes from Biden or Trump. While Kennedy Jr. is currently polling at about 10% in a five-way duel that includes former President Donald Trump and Biden as well as independent candidate Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, one says Report from the New York Times/Siena/ on Monday. According to a Philadelphia Inquirer poll, his candidacy could influence the outcome of the race (particularly in battleground states), as Trump and Biden are within single digits of each other in the polls.

further reading

RFK Jr.'s candidacy hurts Trump more than Biden, poll reports (Forbes)

RFK Jr. demands Biden promise 'no spoiler' and drop out of race if polls show he can't beat Trump (Forbes)

Why RFK Jr. Could Hurt Biden More Than Trump — As Democrats Launch a Campaign Against Third Parties (Forbes)

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