Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement as vice president, scheduled for Tuesday, could bring a large influx of money to third-party candidates and boost their campaigns, according to reports.
Mr. Kennedy’s plan to announce his running mate means that 24 states have met the necessary criteria to appear on the ballot, which could happen in November. More independents will advance toward a showdown between the highest-ranking former Republican president, Donald Trump, and the incumbent Democratic president.
Many in the Democratic establishment expect Mr. Kennedy’s campaign to falter early, and the selection of a vice president is likely to result in an increase in approval ratings. RFK J. originally ran for president as a Democrat last April, but announced his candidacy as an independent in October after the DNC did not hold a primary debate and instead endorsed the current president.
Tony Lyons, co-founder of the Kennedy American Values Super PAC, said in an interview with The Hill last week that “the fact that the vice president is on the list means he’s moving forward. It shows that.” “Then voters will know he is very serious about becoming president.”
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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)
Kennedy’s campaign has been tight-lipped about his choice, but reports indicate that Nicole Shanahan, a lawyer and major donor, is the frontrunner for running mate. Kennedy insisted that access to Mr. Shanahan’s funds was not the reason she was being considered, but she does have deep ties to Mr. Shanahan. She is from Silicon Valley and is the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
Other names that have surfaced include NFL star Aaron Rodgers, wrestler and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, former Hawaii state representative Tulsi Gabbard, and technology entrepreneur Andrew Yang. .
A person familiar with Kennedy’s strategy told The Hill that the funding needed to take on Democrats and Republicans could be a daunting hurdle. Biden enjoys a comfortable war chest as a sitting president, with $21 million in donations in February and $7,100 in cash on hand, according to the latest report filed by the Biden campaign with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) last week. It is reported to be $1,000,000.
“It costs a lot of money,” a pro-Kennedy official reportedly said of the candidate’s operation. “This is one of the other problems with running an independent rebel campaign. It’s difficult to counter these two campaigns economically. They seem to have unlimited funds. .”
From left to right: Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Jill Stein, President Joe Biden, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The announcement of Mr. Kennedy’s running mate marks the election of a third-party candidate to challenge the incumbent. It is expected to support the movement. (Fox News)
Who is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and why is he running for president?
“Anything that gets him closer to voting in all 50 states and the District of Columbia is progress and shows people that he’s hanging in there until the end,” he said. said Lyons, whose PAC produced the Super Bowl ad. The Hill noted that Shanahan played a key role in its ad buys.
“I think that’s really important to donors,” he said.
RFK Jr.’s campaign announced that he is eligible to vote in New Hampshire, Utah and Hawaii.
Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin attend the 2020 Breakthrough Awards Red Carpet held at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California on November 3, 2019. (Breakthrough Prize Ian Tuttle/Getty Images)
Lyons said Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and South Carolina were also added to the list. Notably, the battleground states of Michigan and Georgia are already showing signs of caution toward Mr. Biden.
“I’m so happy it’s finished,” Lyons said.
Richard Winger, political analyst and publisher of Ballot Access News, told The Hill that after announcing his running mate early in the campaign, other third-party candidates performed well. He pointed out how President Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 used the star power of being a U.S. senator.Hiram Johnson of California
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“Having a vice president already makes RFK Jr. look somewhat attractive,” he said.
Winger also argued that Ross Perot, who was seen as a “spoiler” candidate, did not have a fixed choice for vice president and relied on “stand-in” candidates who were not taken very seriously, leading to Perot’s election. He also mentioned that it had a negative impact.
