When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the presidential race this year and endorsed Donald Trump as his candidate, he vowed to remove his name from the ballot in battleground states. At least two of those crucial battleground states, Wisconsin and Michigan, rejected his request.
In Michigan, Kennedy is listed as the candidate of the Natural Law Party, which nominated him at a small convention in April. In Wisconsin, Kennedy and his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, are listed as candidates for the independent People's Party.
During a campaign stop last week, Kennedy announced he would petition battleground states to remove him from the ballot in the hopes that his supporters would vote for Trump, whom Kennedy supports.
In about 10 battleground states where my presence would jeopardize their vote, I intend to remove my name. I have already begun that process and am urging voters not to vote for me. Polls consistently show that if I remain on the ballot in battleground states, I would likely hand the election to a Democrat with whom I disagree on the most fundamental issues.
But at least two battleground states had other plans.
Wisconsin and Michigan
In the Badger State, election officials cited Wisconsin law in their decision, said Ann Jacobs, chairwoman of the Wisconsin State Elections Commission.
The law literally says, “Any person who has filed his or her candidacy papers and is eligible to appear on the ballot may not withdraw from the race. Except in the case of the death of that person, his or her name shall appear on the ballot.”
She told the opposing committee members:
You're saying to me emotionally, “I don't think this should be the law.” The law in this case is very clear. I don't disagree with you. It's odd, but I don't think we have any discretion here.
Jacobs reached out to X to make her point more clear, and she posted a statute stating that the only way an approved candidate can be removed from office is by death.
Michigan's Secretary of State blamed the minority party that nominated him for refusing to remove Kennedy from office. Sheri Hardmon, a senior spokesperson for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, told the Daily Caller:
His name will remain on the ballot in the November election because minority party candidates cannot withdraw. Under Michigan election law, presidential electors are selected at a fall state convention, which must be held no later than the day of the primary election. The Natural Law Party held a convention to select electors for Robert Kennedy Jr. Because the primary election is over, they cannot meet at this time to select new electors.
Other Battleground States
In North Carolina, another battleground state, Kennedy is listed as the Populist Party candidate, but at least half of the counties have already printed ballots with his name on them. The party hasn't filed paperwork to remove him, so his name is likely to appear on the ballot in North Carolina.
Other battleground states, Nevada and Pennsylvania, appear to be considering Kennedy's wishes not to run, after he told state officials he would no longer fight lawsuits aimed at blocking him from running.
Kennedy has successfully cleared his name in Texas and Arizona, where Trump is leading in the polls, and appears to have been successful in Ohio and Florida, where filing deadlines have yet to come. In Georgia, an administrative judge ruled to disqualify Kennedy due to inconsistencies in the petition process.
