Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently suspended his third-party presidential campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump, is now seeking to remove his name from the North Carolina ballot, Fox News reports.
Kennedy filed a lawsuit against the North Carolina State Board of Elections last week, aiming to have his name withdrawn before the November election. He had previously stated his intention to keep his name on the ballot in states where he felt he wouldn’t be a spoiler, but opted to withdraw from battleground states, including North Carolina.
This move comes amid a tight race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in the state. Recent polls show a close contest, with Kennedy’s presence potentially impacting the outcome.
Kennedy’s legal maneuver follows a summer-long effort to secure a spot on the North Carolina ballot for his “We the People” party. He had garnered enough signatures to qualify but now seeks to reverse that decision.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections denied Kennedy’s request for removal on Thursday, citing the logistical and financial burden of reprinting nearly 2 million ballots already printed in 67 counties. The board argued that the cost of doing so, potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars, was too great, especially with the first deadline for absentee ballots approaching on September 6th.
Despite dropping out of the race, Kennedy maintains that he could still become president if neither Trump nor Harris secures the necessary 270 electoral votes. He recently joined Trump onstage at their first joint rally on August 23rd.
