Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate, has chosen Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy attorney and entrepreneur from the San Francisco Bay Area, as his vice-presidential running mate. Shanahan, who has never run for elected office before, has contributed to Kennedy’s campaign and super PAC. The Kennedy campaign has planned an announcement event in Oakland, California, to introduce Shanahan as the vice-presidential selection. This decision comes at a crucial time for the campaign as they need to navigate various state-specific requirements to get on the ballot.
Independent presidential candidates like Kennedy have to comply with different rules in each state to get on the ballot, including gathering thousands of petition signatures. Shanahan’s selection as the vice-presidential running mate is essential due to the requirement in over half of the states for independents to name a running mate when filing their nominating papers. Kennedy’s campaign has shown promising poll results, with support from critical swing states like Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. The selection process for the vice-presidential candidate included consideration of several potential running mates, including figures like Aaron Rodgers, Jesse Ventura, Tulsi Gabbard, and Mike Rowe.
Shanahan, who was involved in the production of a Super Bowl ad supporting Kennedy in February, has contributed $4 million to the super PAC American Values 2024. Joining Kennedy’s ticket allows her to contribute directly to the campaign instead of an outside group, enabling Kennedy to utilize the funds for essential projects like obtaining petition signatures for ballot access. With a background as a tech lawyer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Shanahan’s life in California has been intertwined with tech industry giants. She founded ClearAccessIP, a venture that utilizes AI technology to help patent holders manage their intellectual property, which was acquired by IPwe in 2020.
Shanahan’s personal life has been the subject of media attention, including her marriage to Google co-founder Sergey Brin and a reported affair with billionaire Elon Musk. Shanahan has denied the affair allegations, calling them senseless and cruel. Her foundation, the Bia-Echo Foundation, focuses on issues like reproductive longevity and equality, criminal justice reform, and environmental sustainability. Shanahan has an autistic daughter, leading her to fund research into the causes of autism. Her support for Kennedy is motivated by concerns about children’s health and the environment, including the issue of vaccines, which aligns with Kennedy’s anti-vaccine advocacy through the Children’s Health Defense organization.
At Kennedy’s announcement event, speakers included prominent anti-vaccine activists like Del Bigtree and Jay Bhattacharya, as well as Angela Stanton-King, a one-time GOP congressional candidate pardoned by Trump for her involvement in a stolen car ring. Stanton-King has made controversial statements comparing LGBTQ+ individuals to pedophiles and accusing the Black Lives Matter movement of covering up pedophilia and human trafficking. The partnership between Kennedy and Shanahan, as well as the inclusion of anti-vaccine advocates in the campaign, underscores the controversial and divisive nature of Kennedy’s platform and the challenges he may face in gaining broader support for his presidential bid.
