Robert F. Kennedy Jr. races to make ballot in all 50 states
- RFK, Jr., entered the race as a Democrat but is now an independent
- He has seen increased support from young voters in polls
- His candidacy could peel votes away from both major parties
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 30: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a Cesar Chavez Day event at Union Station on March 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The 70-year-old candidate is pushing Latino outreach in a long shot Independent bid in the 2024 presidential race. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., isn’t stopping his effort to get on the ballot in all 50 states in November as he also faces the challenge of polling high enough to join the presidential debates.
Making the ballot
Kennedy’s campaign says it has secured enough money to gain ballot access in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C., as he is busy crisscrossing the country collecting signatures needed
His message? That voters “deserve a better alternative to the two-party system.”
He’s officially on the ticket in seven states, according to the campaign: Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, Oklahoma, Hawaii and Texas.
He’s also collected enough signatures for ballot access in eight others: New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio and now New Jersey.
Kennedy’s campaign
Kennedy initially entered the race as a Democrat but then switched to running as an independent. Kennedy has faced controversy over his views, including his anti-vaccine stance. He also recently made headlines by announcing doctors found that a parasitic worm had eaten part of his brain.
NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ polling shows 57% of voters between 18 and 34 have a favorable opinion of Kennedy, as do 48% of Republicans, 43% of independents and 35% of Democrats. That’s not great news for Biden, who has been seeing support from young voters and voters of color slipping away, in part because of his handling of the war in Gaza.
While Kennedy may have some support among voters, his family has made it clear they are backing Biden, saying there are only two viable candidates for the presidency.
Even if Kennedy isn’t a viable candidate, he could have a big impact on the race. In 2020, there were narrow margins of victory in some swing states. If Kennedy can peel voters off from Trump or Biden, it could be enough to tip the scales in favor of the other.
Making the debate
He claims he will meet the criteria to join the first presidential debate as well, before the June 20th deadline. According to the debate rules, he’ll have to poll at 15% in four different national polls that meet certain standards.
Currently, only President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive nominees for their respective parties, have met the criteria, according to the debate host.
Trump has said that he’ll welcome Kennedy if he makes it to the stage.
“I would have no problem if he got whatever the threshold is. But he’s very low and seems to be heading in the other direction, in the wrong direction,” Trump said.
NewsNation asked a senior advisor to the president and asked if Biden was concerned about Kennedy making the stage.
He said it is going to be a debate between the “two viable candidates for president.”
The debates came together suddenly, with the two rivals going back and forth on social media this week, ultimately accepting two presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. It will be the first time Biden and Trump are on a stage together since 2020.
