Despite Ending Campaign, RFK Jr. Will Be on Wisconsin Ballot in November
Independent candidate dropped out and endorsed Donald Trump, but could still draw votes.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at Legends Event Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo by Gage Skidmore. (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear on Wisconsin ballots this November, despite attempts to remove himself from consideration in some swing states after he ended his candidacy last week.
That follows a Wisconsin Elections Commission meeting Tuesday, at which commissioners voted to place eight independent and third-party candidates on the presidential ballot.
The bipartisan commission also voted on the Kennedy challenge, guided by state law that says a candidate who properly files nomination papers cannot decline to be on the ballot.
“The only way he gets to not be on the ballot is to up and die, which I’m assuming he has no plans of doing,” said Democratic commissioner Ann Jacobs, chair of WEC.
Bob Spindell, a Republican commissioner, was the only vote in support of removing Kennedy from consideration.
Kennedy ended his candidacy Friday and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
He has since requested removal from other battleground state ballots, expressing concern that he’ll be a spoiler for the Republican ticket.
He filed such a request in Wisconsin, but commissioners pointed to state law about his qualification.
“Any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination,” the statute reads. “The name of that person shall appear on the ballot, except in case of death of the person.”
During their Tuesday meeting, commissioners debated the purpose of that law.
“Before we set the ballot, it seems to me that it makes sense to allow candidates withdraw, and that’s what I’m struggling with,” said Republican Don Millis.
Jacobs said it was not the group’s job to argue what the law should be, but to interpret it as-is.
“You’re giving me this touchy feely, like, ‘I feel like that shouldn’t be the law,’ like the law in this case is crystal clear,” she said. “It literally says you are on the ballot if you submitted nomination papers and qualified, unless you die. And so I don’t see what choice we have. We can’t just say, ‘It’s weird, and therefore we’re not going to follow it.’”
Kennedy has also filed requests to remove his name from ballots in other swing states including Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. His attempts have so far been unsuccessful in Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina.
Wisconsin commissioners also approved the candidacy of seven other independent and third-party candidates. That includes Green Party candidate Jill Stein. The Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to hear a Democratic National Committee challenge to her candidacy on Monday.
Independent candidate Cornel West will also be on the ballot, after a separate Democratic National Committee challenge was also rejected.
Despite ending campaign, RFK Jr. will appear on Wisconsin ballots in November was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
So much for the ridiculous and transparent mutual and very public butt-kissing episode displayed this past weekend between RFK and DJT. The RFK announcement was meant to get him off the ballots in battleground states to protect the vote for Frump. If all battleground states follow suit with Wisconsin Frump’s hair just might blow right off of his head!
RFK Jr doesn’t want to run for President. He tells the world, I don’t want to run for President. Then why would his name still be on the ballot?
Prehaps the law should be changed?
8.35 Vacancies after nomination.
(1) Any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination. The name of that person shall appear upon the ballot except in case of death of the person. A person who is appointed to fill a vacancy in nomination or who is nominated by write-in votes is deemed to decline nomination if he or she fails to file a declaration of candidacy within the time prescribed under sub. (2) (c) or s. 8.16 (2).
There is something to be said for following the law. And, if you don’t like the law – work to have it changed.
I don’t understand why there is backlash against the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court states “bumb stocks are legal [given the way the law is written].” Then everyone is upset with the court. Why aren’t they upset with the likes of Representative Fitzgerald for not introducing legislation to clearly say “bumb stocks are not legal and can not be sold or owned by individuals.”
robertm60a3:
The assumption is that if a person submits their name for candidacy for POTUS they WANT to run for the office. It’s just too frickin’ bad that a better option comes along and they change their mind. Screw him, and Frump for trying to play the system…again.
Fitzgerald won’t have the the support within the candy-a$$ GOP, plus he and anyone that would support him would face the backlash of 2nd Amendment zealots, along with losing all of that easy NRA cash. Money talks. People’s lives don’t matter to Republicans, unless they are in the womb. Once a person is born, the ReTrumplicans feel survival is just a matter of natural selection.
I don’t believe that Representative Fitzgerald would do much that is positive. Yet, he was reelected. There is very little information provided to the voter on what those Representing us in government are doing or not doing.
Look at the failure in Afghanistan, running out of baby formula, problems with student aid applications, billions spent protecting the United States from China. . . yet, there are drugs, human trafficking, poor education, . . .. we have billions for aircraft carriers. . . but, . . .
Look at the Fat Leonard Scandal—no one is held accountable. For those who were retired, there was no reduction in retired pay, and there was nothing but a letter from the censor. Our elected officials are okay with all of it. Look at the number of shootings in Milwaukee and Chicago. President Trump did say that the Chicago Police should go back to stop and frisk – taking guns away from those walking around armed.
We should expect more from those in Washington.