Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has filed paperwork to get on the ballot for the November election in Pennsylvania. This move comes as both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump express concerns about Kennedy potentially playing a spoiler role in the close election, particularly in swing-state Pennsylvania. In order to qualify for the ballot, Kennedy must gather 5,000 signatures of registered voters in Pennsylvania, a state with 19 electoral votes that has swung between parties in recent elections.
In the 2016 election, Trump won Pennsylvania by a narrow margin of 44,000 votes over Democrat Hillary Clinton. In the 2020 election, Biden defeated Trump by 81,000 votes. Minor-party candidates on the ballot in previous elections, such as Libertarian Jo Jorgensen in 2020 and Libertarian Party’s Gary Johnson, Green Party’s Jill Stein, and Constitution Party’s Darrell Castle in 2016, have garnered a significant number of votes. Kennedy’s petitions to appear on the ballot could face challenges from the major parties, with legal challenges required to be filed by August 8.
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist, initially ran as a Democratic primary challenger to Biden before switching to run as an independent. One of the challenges he faces is securing ballot access state by state, which involves collecting millions of signatures that must be verified by election officials. Kennedy’s campaign claims to have met the requirements to appear on the ballot in 22 states with a total of 310 electoral votes, although not all states have confirmed that his name will be listed. Both Trump’s and Biden’s campaigns have sought to portray Kennedy as an opponent in the upcoming election.
With the November election approaching, all eyes are on the potential impact of independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the race in battleground Pennsylvania. The state’s history of swinging between parties and its 19 electoral votes make it a crucial prize for presidential candidates. Kennedy’s entry into the race has raised concerns among the major parties, and legal challenges to his ballot access could further complicate the election landscape. Voters will have to wait and see how Kennedy’s candidacy unfolds in the coming months leading up to the election.
As the 2024 election season progresses, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presence on the ballot in Pennsylvania has added a new dynamic to the race. With both major parties watching closely and potential legal challenges looming, the campaign ahead is expected to be highly contested. Kennedy’s background as an environmental lawyer and his anti-vaccine activism have shaped his platform and could influence voter sentiment. As the campaign heats up, voters will be following developments closely to see how Kennedy’s candidacy impacts the overall election landscape. Stay tuned for updates on the 2024 election and how Kennedy’s candidacy unfolds in the coming months.
