Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name is stuck on the ballot in Michigan and Wisconsin despite suspending his independent run for president and endorsing former President Trump days ago.
“Minor party candidates cannot withdraw, so his name will remain on the ballot in the November election,” a spokesperson for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told NBC News. Therefore, the famous Democrat turned independent will remain on the ballot in Michigan as a candidate for the Natural Law Party, a small party that nominated him during its convention this year.
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted Tuesday to keep Kennedy on the ballot, despite his request to be removed. It also indicated that Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Cornel West would also be on the ballot.
Wisconsin Election Commissioner Mark Thomsen, a Democrat, said that state law requires anyone who qualifies and files nomination papers must appear on the ballot and cannot decline the nomination.
“We know that Trump and Kennedy are playing games,” Thomsen said, according to Battleground Wisconsin. “Whatever games they’re playing, they have to play them with Kennedy on the ballot.”
The Trump campaign has recently become allies with other high-profile former Democrats. On Monday, Trump made Kennedy and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard honorary chairs of his transition team and has appeared at events with both individuals.
Kennedy announced during his suspension speech that he would remove his name from the ballot in battleground states where his candidacy could affect the outcome of the race, however, he provided the caveat that his supporters could continue to back him in safe red or blue states.
This has made the nephew of slain president John F. Kennedy and son of presidential contender Robert F Kennedy a Schrodinger’s cat of candidates, where he is both a candidate and not a candidate for president at the same time. Nevertheless, the Biden administration quickly ended Kennedy’s Secret Service protection.
Kennedy had previously been denied Secret Service protection for the majority of the race despite multiple attempts on his life. He was only granted the security afforded to most contenders after Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.