By JONATHAN J. COOPER (Associated Press)
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce his running mate Tuesday as he races to secure a place on the ballot for his independent campaign for president.
In advance of an event Tuesday in Oakland, Kennedy and his aides have circulated the names of several contenders, including celebrities with no political experience. Those names include NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, “Dirty Jobs” star Mike Rowe and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, who was a wrestler and actor. Speculation most recently has centered on Nicole Shanahan, a lawyer and philanthropist who funded a Super Bowl ad for Kennedy.
“This announcement is really going to shake up the political establishment,” Kennedy said in a video he posted on social media last week.
Two hours before Kennedy’s rally was scheduled to begin at a performing arts venue, a handful of supporters were lined up outside. Broken-down cars, discarded bicycles, tents and all manner of household goods took up the sidewalk and a park directly outside, a visual reminder of the housing crisis that has plagued California.
Dozens of men in black suits made up a heavy security presence for a candidate who has loudly complained that he has not been granted protection from the U.S. Secret Service. Kennedy’s campaign has spent millions of dollars with the security company owned by Gavin de Becker, who has been a major donor to his campaign and associated super PAC.
Kennedy’s campaign has worried Democrats, who are opposing third-party options that could take support away from President Joe Biden and help Republican former President Donald Trump. As they prepare for a 2020 rematch, Biden and Trump are widely unpopular with the U.S. public and will compete for the votes of people who aren't enthusiastic about either of them.
Without the support of a party, Kennedy faces a difficult task to get on the ballot, with different rules across the 50 states. He’s selecting a running mate now because about half of the states require him to choose one before he can apply for ballot access.
The requirement is already causing problems for Kennedy’s ballot access effort in Nevada, where Democratic Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said in a March 7 letter to independent candidates that they must nominate a vice presidential candidate before collecting signatures. The letter came days after Kennedy’s campaign announced he’d collected enough signatures in the state. If Aguilar’s opinion survives a likely legal challenge, Kennedy will have to start again in collecting just over 10,000 signatures in the state.
“This is the epitome of corruption,” said Paul Rossi, a Kennedy campaign lawyer, in a statement Monday, accusing Aguilar of doing the bidding of the Democratic National Committee.
Kennedy has gained access to the ballot in Utah. He and an associated super PAC, American Values 2024, say they’ve collected enough signatures to qualify in several other states, including swing states Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, but election officials there have not yet approved.
Kennedy comes from a well-known Democratic family with his father, Robert F. Kennedy, being a U.S. senator, attorney general, and presidential candidate, and his uncle being former President John F. Kennedy.
He initially started his campaign to challenge Biden in the primary, but later decided to run as an independent.
When his father, known as RFK, was running for president in 1968, Kennedy was a teenager. RFK Jr. himself became known as an activist, author, and lawyer who fought for causes like clean water.
Throughout his journey, his activism has… moved into conspiracies and contradicted scientific agreement, particularly concerning vaccines . Some members of his family have publicly disagreed with his views.Several Kennedy family members expressed criticism of his views by posing with Biden at a White House event, as shown in a photo posted to social media by his sister Kerry Kennedy. RFK Jr. is using the support of his loyal followers, many of whom are attracted to his anti-vaccine activism and his belief that the U.S. government is controlled by corporations.At the same time, the Democratic National Committee is preparing to oppose Kennedy and other third-party options, such as…
, a well-financed group that aims to recruit a centrist candidate. This initiative is led by veteran strategist Mary Beth Cahill, who previously served as chief of staff to the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, another of RFK Jr.'s uncles.
Many Democrats hold Green Party candidates responsible for Al Gore’s loss to George W. Bush in 2000 and Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016. No LabelsRobert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to reveal his running mate while striving to secure a spot on the ballot for his independent presidential campaign.
Many Democrats blame Green Party candidates for Al Gore’s loss to George W. Bush in 2000 and Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016.
