Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to announce his running mate on Tuesday.
According to multiple reports, President Kennedy intends to nominate lawyer and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his running mate in an announcement scheduled for Tuesday at 2pm ET in Oakland, California. The New York Times and NBC News, citing people close to Kennedy’s campaign, reported that Kennedy considered several candidates and chose Shanahan.
Kennedy, a longtime environmental activist and well-known vaccine skeptic, is the scion of one of the nation’s most storied political dynasties and is urging voters across the country to refrain from supporting one of the two major parties in favor of the first. trying to persuade. The first independent presidential candidate since George Washington.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hosts a fireside conversation with rapper and producer Eric B. at the Gentleman’s Factory on February 18, 2024 in New York City. (John Nasion/Getty Images)
Before the announcement, Kennedy spoke with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura (who was selected as a third-party candidate) and “Dirty Jobs” star Mike Rowe. It was rumored that he was also considering his candidacy.
Choosing a running mate could further boost support for Kennedy, but many in the Democratic Party expected his campaign to wane quickly.
Kennedy initially ran for president as a Democrat last April, but later announced: independent execution in October after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced it would not hold a primary debate and would support incumbent President Biden.
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Democrats are concerned that Kennedy’s candidacy will hurt Biden’s re-election chances, so the DNC earlier this month launched a team focused on countering Kennedy’s presidential bid, and is seeking independent presidential candidates. Dr. Cornel West and the Green Party candidate will also form a team. . Jill Stein.
Left to right: Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Jill Stein, President Joe Biden, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Fox News)
The nomination of a vice presidential candidate will help President Kennedy achieve his goals. presidential ballot Many states require a co-runner to qualify, so he qualified in all 50 states.
More than 7 months left until the event presidential election, Utah is the only state in which Kennedy’s name is confirmed. His campaign says it has secured enough signatures to appear on the ballot in New Hampshire and Hawaii.
But on the eve of announcing his running mate, Kennedy ran into a major deadlock in Nevada. State election officials said signatures collected by his campaign may be invalidated because he does not have a running mate. His campaign fired back, claiming that Democrats were trying to keep him from voting in key battleground states in the West.
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According to RealClearPolitics’ latest polling average, Kennedy has 15% of the vote in a three-way race against Biden and former President Donald Trump. On average, Trump leads Biden by 4 points.
In a five-way race that includes West and Stein, Kennedy has an approval rating of 11%, giving Trump a two-point lead over Biden.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace, Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Joseph A. Wulfsohn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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