Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 2024 presidential campaign

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for President 2024
Campaign2024 U.S. presidential election
2024 Democratic primaries (until October 9, 2023)
CandidateRobert F. Kennedy Jr.
Environmental lawyer
Nicole Shanahan
Attorney and technologist
AffiliationIndependent
Nominated by:
We the People Party
Natural Law Party
American Independent Party
Independent Party of Delaware
Running for nomination:
Alliance Party
Reform Party
Lost nomination:
Alaskan Independence Party
Unity Party of Colorado
Ecology Party of Florida
Withdrawn candidacy:
Democratic Party
AnnouncedApril 19, 2023
HeadquartersWalpole, Massachusetts[1]
Key peopleAmaryllis Fox Kennedy (campaign manager)
Dennis Kucinich (former campaign manager)[2]
Charles Eisenstein (senior advisor)[3]
John E. Sullivan (treasurer)[4]
Stefanie Spear (communications director)[5]
ReceiptsUS$15,078,528[6] (April 5, 2023)
SloganDeclare Your Independence[7]
Heal the Divide
The Remedy Is Kennedy
The America That Almost Was, and yet May Be
Website
kennedy24.com

The Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential campaign was launched on April 5, 2023, when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed with the Federal Election Commission to run in the 2024 United States presidential election.[8][9] He made his official campaign announcement on April 19 in Boston, Massachusetts.[10] Early polling put Kennedy down at 14% against incumbent Joe Biden,[11] who announced his own campaign on April 25.

Kennedy was the second prominent figure to launch a campaign for the Democratic Party's nomination, being preceded by Marianne Williamson, who launched her own campaign on March 4, 2023.[12]

He first ran for the Democratic Party nomination, but announced on October 9, 2023, that he would instead run as an independent candidate.[13][14][15] In January 2024, he formed the We the People Party in order to ease ballot access requirements.[16][17] In April 2024, he received the nomination of the Natural Law Party in Michigan[18][19] and the American Independent Party in California.[20][21] In May 2024, he received the nomination of the Independent Party of Delaware in Delaware.[22] Kennedy is also currently seeking the nomination of the Alliance Party and the Reform Party. Kennedy additionally wanted (but lost) the nominations of the Alaskan Independence Party, the Unity Party of Colorado, and the Ecology Party of Florida.[23]

Kennedy has received significant support from independents, youth, and those with low trust in traditional American politics.[24] A November 2023 poll showed that he would win 22 percent of the vote if the 2024 presidential election was held then.[25]

Attorney and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan was announced as Kennedy's running mate on March 26, 2024.[26]

Background[change | change source]

Kennedy is the eldest son of former U.S attorney general Robert Kennedy, who was a Democratic candidate for president in 1968. Kennedy is a nephew of John F. Kennedy, who was the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his death in 1963.

Kennedy is also the nephew of former U.S Senator Ted Kennedy, who was a Democratic candidate for president in 1980.

Ballot access[change | change source]

Ballot access has been a major issue for the Kennedy campaign. In some states, he has obtained signatures to be listed on the ballot as an independent candidate. In other states, he has been nominated by parties with ballot access or has formed political parties to obtain ballot access. Kennedy has obtained ballot access in the following states (with political party affiliations listed in paranthesis):[27]

Kennedy formed the Texas Independent Party in January 2024 to obtain ballot access in Texas,[16] but is reportedly still struggling to meet signature requirements.[28] He claimed in May 2024 that he has enough signatures to appear on the ballot in New York, but the campaign is hoping to gather even more before submitting their petition.[29]

Kennedy has attempted to get around ballot access signature requirements by seeking out the nominations of existing third parties that already have ballot access in certain states. On April 18, 2024, Kennedy got on the ballot in Michigan by receiving the nomination of the Natural Law Party.[19] On April 28, Kennedy got on the ballot in California by receiving the nomination of the American Independent Party.[21] On May 7, Kennedy got on the ballot in Delaware by receiving the nomination of the Independent Party of Delaware.[22]

Views[change | change source]

Abortion[change | change source]

See also: Abortion in the United States

In August 2023, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested that he would support a three-month federal abortion ban. The Kennedy campaign clarified afterwards that Kennedy is pro-choice.[30] In May 2024, Kennedy claimed that he didn't trust the government to interfere with abortion at all.[31] Kennedy's campaign website lists Kennedy as believing in "More Choices, More Life", a position of supporting reproductive rights and implementing government policies that make child care easier for parents, which keeps abortion legal while reducing the number of abortions.[32]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ "FEC Form 2 Statement of Candidacy". April 5, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  2. ↑ O’Brien, Rebecca Davis; Epstein, Reid J. (October 13, 2023). "Dennis Kucinich Leaves Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Presidential Campaign". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  3. ↑ Goldberg, Michelle (July 5, 2023). "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Coalition of the Distrustful". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  4. ↑ Bradner, Eric; Wright, David (April 5, 2023). "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. files paperwork to run for president as a Democrat". CNN. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023.
  5. ↑ "RFK Jr. says he's not anti-vaccine. His record shows the opposite". ABC News. July 31, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Kennedy, Robert F Jr". Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Kennedy24 website". October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  8. ↑ Garrity, Kelly. "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. running for president in 2024". POLITICO. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  9. ↑ Wright, Rashard Rose,Eric Bradner,David (2023-04-05). "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. files paperwork to run for president as a Democrat | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2023-04-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Zeleny, Eric Bradner,Jeff (2023-04-19). "Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launches 2024 presidential bid | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2023-06-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Exclusive: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launches unlikely presidential bid backed by 14% of Biden voters". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  12. ↑ Epstein, Reid J. (2023-03-04). "Marianne Williamson Wants a Debate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
  13. ↑ Pellish, Aaron (October 9, 2023). "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces independent run for president, ending Democratic primary challenge to Biden | CNN Politics". CNN. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  14. ↑ Keene, Houston (October 5, 2023). "RFK Jr announces independent run for president against Biden". Fox News. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ Gibson, Brittany; Zhang, Andrew (October 9, 2023). "RFK Jr. announces he will run as an independent candidate". Politico. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Astor, Maggie (2024-01-16). "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Tries Creating Own Party to Get on Ballot in 6 States". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  17. ↑ Bohannon, Molly. "RFK Jr. Starting New Political Parties In Effort To Expand Ballot Access". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  18. ↑ O’Brien, Rebecca Davis (2024-04-20). "How R.F.K. Jr. Got on the Michigan Ballot, With Only Two Votes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets spot on Michigan's ballot as Natural Law Party nominee". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  20. ↑ "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wins ballot access in California". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "American Independent Party of California Nominates Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. | Ballot Access News". 2024-04-29. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Independent Party of Delaware Nominates Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for President |". 2024-05-07. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  23. ↑ McDuffie, Will. "RFK Jr.'s 'clever move' to help earn ballot access nationwide: Allying with little-known parties". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  24. ↑ Staff (2023-11-01). "2024 Presidential Race Stays Static In The Face Of Major Events, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; RFK Jr. Receives 22% As Independent Candidate In 3-Way Race". Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. Retrieved 2023-11-02. With minority and younger voters seeming intrigued, Kennedy, for now, enjoys the kind of demographic support his charismatic father and uncles generated decades ago
  25. ↑ Staff (2023-11-01). "2024 Presidential Race Stays Static In The Face Of Major Events, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; RFK Jr. Receives 22% As Independent Candidate In 3-Way Race". Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
  26. ↑ Novelo, Allison (March 26, 2024). "RFK Jr. announces Nicole Shanahan as running mate for independent presidential bid". CBS News. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Ballot Access HQ". Kennedy24. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  28. ↑ Schneider, Andrew (2024-05-01). "Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. races against time to get on the ballot in Texas". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  29. ↑ Barber, Rachel. "RFK Jr. proposes 'no-spoiler' pledge with Biden to defeat Trump". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  30. ↑ Pellish, Aaron (2023-08-14). "RFK Jr.'s campaign tries to walk back his support of three-month federal abortion ban | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  31. ↑ McKend, Eva (2024-05-09). "RFK Jr. says he's against government limits on abortion | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  32. ↑ "More Choices, More Life". Kennedy24. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
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