Michigan, a key battleground state in the upcoming presidential election, has thrown a wrench in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plans to boost President Donald Trump’s chances of winning by removing his own name from the ballot.
Kennedy, who previously ran as an independent presidential candidate, recently announced that he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Trump. As part of his efforts to help Trump win, he planned to remove his name from the ballot in 10 battleground states, including Michigan.
However, the Michigan Secretary of State’s office announced on Tuesday that it is too late for Kennedy to remove his name from the ballot. According to spokesperson Cheri Hardmon, “Minor party candidates cannot withdraw, so his name will remain on the ballot in the November election.”
Kennedy is listed on the Michigan ballot as the candidate for the Natural Law Party, which became his party’s nominee earlier this year. According to Hardmon, it is too late for the party to hold a convention and select new electors to replace Kennedy.
This development comes at a crucial time in the race, as the Real Clear Polling average shows Democratic nominee Kamala Harris with a 2-point lead over Trump nationally (46.4 to 44.4 percent), with Kennedy garnering 5 percent of the vote. In most battleground states, the race is even tighter.
Since Biden left the race and Harris took over as the Democratic nominee, Kennedy’s support has dropped by about 3 points. However, recent surveys have shown that he is pulling more votes from Trump than Harris. In a New York Times/Siena College poll, 41 percent of Kennedy’s supporters said they would vote for Trump in a two-way race, compared to only 27 percent who would choose Harris. An Emerson College poll also showed a majority of Kennedy’s supporters leaning towards Trump.
This suggests that Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump could potentially give the president a 1 or 2 percent bump in the polls, which could be crucial in determining the outcome of the presidential race in some battleground states.
While Kennedy has been successful in removing his name from the ballots of Arizona, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, he still remains on the ballots of Nevada and Wisconsin, and possibly North Carolina. This means that despite his efforts to boost Trump’s chances, he will likely not be able to have a significant impact on the race in Michigan.
Two months after the DNC sued to keep RFK Jr. off the ballot, Michigan’s Democratic Secretary of State won’t let him leave. https://t.co/7iRLZTv0Lf
— Derek P. Gilbert (@derekgilbert) August 27, 2024
Michigan’s decision not to allow Kennedy to remove his name from the ballot may come as a blow to Trump’s opponents, but it could also be seen as a blessing in disguise for the president. With Kennedy’s endorsement and continued presence on the ballot, Trump could potentially win over a larger share of independent voters who may have otherwise voted for Harris. As the race continues to tighten in the final stretch, this could be the boost that Trump needs to secure victory in the battleground state of Michigan.
h/t: Life and Liberty
h/t: Steadfast and Loyal
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