Title: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Independent Presidential Campaign Gains Momentum with Ballot Access in Two Key Battleground States
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential bid has received a significant boost as the outside group supporting his campaign, American Values 2024, announced on Tuesday that they have gathered enough signatures to secure ballot access for Kennedy in two crucial battleground states: Arizona and Georgia.
These two states played a pivotal role in the 2020 presidential election, with narrow margins separating President Joe Biden from former President Donald Trump. The news release from American Values 2024 stated that they have successfully collected the required number of signatures to place Kennedy’s name on the ballots in these important swing states.
Co-founder of the PAC, Tony Lyons, expressed his confidence in their ability to qualify Kennedy for the ballots in the remaining states. In a statement, he said, “The grassroots energy and momentum give us more confidence than ever in our ability to knock out the remaining states on our list of states quickly.”
While it is highly unlikely that Kennedy’s longshot bid will garner enough support to win in November, his presence on the ballots in Arizona and Georgia could potentially reshuffle the electoral dynamics in a possible rematch between Biden and Trump. In 2020, Biden defeated Trump by less than half a percentage point in both Arizona and Georgia.
Currently, Kennedy is on the ballot in only one state – Utah. His campaign has managed to collect sufficient signatures to appear on the ballots in New Hampshire and Hawaii as well.
A poll conducted by The New York Times/Siena College among registered voters in Arizona revealed that Kennedy received 26% of the support, with Biden and Trump earning identical percentages at 33%. A similar poll conducted among registered voters in Georgia showed Kennedy trailing behind Trump with 24%, while Biden trailed slightly behind Trump with 29%.
American Values 2024 plans to continue their signature gathering efforts in ten other states, including Michigan – a battleground state – and large-signature requirement states such as Texas, California, and New York. In December, the group announced their intention to spend between $10 million and $15 million to help gather signatures for Kennedy’s campaign.
Kennedy has consistently maintained his intention to appear on the ballots in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., leading up to the November election.
Amidst Kennedy’s campaign, tensions have risen between his team and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). In early November, the DNC filed an FEC complaint against American Values 2024, alleging illegal coordination between the PAC and Kennedy’s campaign regarding their ballot access initiative. Both Kennedy campaign officials and American Values 2024 officials have denied any violation of FEC rules.
The FEC complaint is part of a broader effort by Democrats to counter Kennedy’s campaign. The DNC has rented billboards outside multiple Kennedy campaign events in recent weeks, highlighting Timothy Mellon – a GOP megadonor – and his substantial contributions to Trump-aligned groups.
Tony Lyons confirmed on Tuesday that American Values 2024 had not yet submitted their signatures to the elections offices in Arizona and Georgia. He assured, however, that they will do so in accordance with FEC guidelines, “Each state has specific rules about the timing and process of the submission. We will follow the exact rules and FEC precedent as explained by our attorneys and without coordinating with the campaign.”
