Nevada election officials have confirmed that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign has gathered enough signatures to appear on the Nevada ballot, marking a significant development in his bid to challenge the dominance of the Republican and Democratic parties in U.S. elections. Kennedy, leveraging his famous name and a dedicated support base, has emerged as a formidable independent candidate with the potential to outperform any such candidate in recent history.
Despite facing hurdles such as being excluded from the CNN debate in June, Kennedy has continued to make his mark by engaging with voters through alternative means. Notably, he held a separate event where he responded to questions posed to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in real-time.
However, Kennedy's candidacy has not been without controversy. State and national Democrats recently filed a lawsuit challenging his eligibility as an independent candidate in Nevada due to his past affiliations with political parties in other states.
Following clarification from the Nevada Secretary of State's office regarding the requirement to name a running mate, Kennedy's campaign swiftly submitted a new petition to meet the criteria. The initial petition faced potential nullification as it did not include a vice-presidential selection.
After resolving the running mate issue, Kennedy selected California lawyer and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan as his vice-presidential candidate in late March. Subsequently, state and county election officials verified over 22,000 signatures on the revised petition, well surpassing the threshold of just over 10,000 required signatures.
While Kennedy's presence on the Nevada ballot marks a significant milestone for his campaign, potential legal challenges loom on the horizon. Nevertheless, his ability to mobilize support and navigate obstacles underscores the impact he could have on the upcoming election, prompting concerns among strategists from both major parties.
