(NewsNation) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Nicole Shanahan running mate at an event in Oakland, California.
Kennedy spoke on his choice, touting Shanahan’s passion for nutrition and healthy lifestyles, as well as her work with technology and artificial intelligence.
Shanahan spoke about her life as a child of immigrants and the child of a parent who struggled with mental health issues and substance abuse, something she called the epidemic of our time.
“The purpose of wealth is to help those in need,” Shanahan said. “I want to bring that back to politics, too.”
She also spoke about why she previously gravitated toward the Democratic party but called it an institution that had “lost its way.” Shanahan praised Kennedy’s anti-war stance and talked about how she had come to support Kennedy after getting to know his views apart from what she called the media narrative of his views.
Shanahan, 38, grew up as the daughter of Chinese immigrants in a home where the family often relied on public assistance. She later married Google co-founder Sergey Brin but the couple divorced following rumors she had an affair with Elon Musk, something both she and Musk denied.
Shanahan’s causes include criminal justice reform, mental health, autism research, research into infertility and aging, regenerative agriculture and carbon sequestration. While she has denied being anti-vaccine, Shanhan has questioned screening for vaccine injuries.
Kennedy said he chose Shanahan in part because of her age, pointing to aging politicians in Washington, D.C. and a lack of representation for millennials who feel frustrated by decisions made by previous generations.
Shanahan has never held elected office and has a history of donating to Democratic candidates.
His shortlist of possible running mates as of Monday included NFL player Aaron Rodgers, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe, author Tony Robbins, Bia-Echo Foundation founder and president Nicole Shanahan, and civil rights and constitutional law attorney Tricia Lindsay.
Kennedy dropped his Democratic presidential bid in October, opting instead to run as an independent.
In a three-way race between Kennedy, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, RealClearPolitics polling averages show Kennedy at 12%, while Biden and Trump are polling at 35.3% and 40.7%, respectively.
He’s leading a campaign largely powered by new donors who aren’t political mainstays.
Kennedy is already on the ballot in Utah and has collected all the necessary signatures to be on the ballot in New Hampshire and Nevada. In Hawaii, the Hawaii Office of Elections has confirmed Kennedy supporters have collected the required signatures to establish the “We The People” party in Hawaii, according to a news release from Kennedy’s campaign.