Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is battling several lawsuits trying to block him from the presidential ballot.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s third party presidential campaign could clear a major hurdle in New York depending on a judge’s decision in a contentious lawsuit.
Clear Choice PAC, a Democratic political action committee filed the lawsuit in State Supreme Court on behalf of several New York voters.
It seeks to bounce Kennedy from the ballot, claiming he lied about living in the state on his ballot nomination. The suit alleges he lives in Los Angeles.
Kennedy testified during the trial, which began Monday and wrapped up on Thursday. He claimed he moved to California temporarily, even though he’s largely resided there since 2014, according to local press reports.
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His wife, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actor Cheryl Hines, is a Los Angeles resident.
Kennedy’s New York residence is a rented room in a friends house. Kennedy acknowledged he has only stayed in the room one time.
“This was the only residence I could use without getting successfully sued…you have to put the residence where I vote this is where I’ve always voted,” he said.
Kennedy said his campaign had collected more than 150,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot. “Those Americans want to see me on the ballot, they have a choice, what the DNC is doing in this case is lawfare…” he asserted.
Under a state law enacted in 2020, the threshold to obtain a so-called “ballot line” rose to 45,000 signatures, up from 15,000 over a six-week period.
The matter is now in the hands of a judge. Some reports expected a ruling as early as Friday (Aug. 9).
Kennedy filed a federal district court lawsuit (Team Kennedy v. Berger et al ) in 2021 to challenge state Board of Elections rules governing third-party candidates access to the presidential ballot.
“New York is now one of the most difficult states for political parties to obtain and maintain a ballot line, among those with the highest signature per day requirement,” said the Libertarian Party and Green Party in a statement.
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Both groups, this week (Aug 5), filed a motion to intervene in the case as plaintiffs. The Libertarian and Green parties were denied access to the ballot in the 2020 election.
“This is a clear attempt at voter suppression which is happening around the country, mostly initiated by the DNC [Democratic National Committee],” said Gloria Mattera, Co-chair of the Green Party of New York. in a statement.
“Now is the time that this country needs independent voices and choices,” she added.
The federal case claims the process of securing ballot access for third-party candidates is “draconian and frivolous.”
It cited the high number of signatures required in a short period of time, the high cost of collecting signatures, the laborious work of identifying towns/cities in each Congressional District that has no bearing or connection to a voter’s registration.
Independents must also name a slate of presidential electors that must be placed on the independent nominating petition while the two major parties can wait until their nominating conventions.
The Libertarian Party claims it spent nearly $300,000 in 2022 and failed to get Larry Sharpe, their candidate for Governor, on the ballot.
In 2024, the GPNY and Jill Stein campaign spent about $368,000 to get Stein on the ballot, and also fell short. Kennedy spent $1.1 million to get on the ballot this year.
Kennedy claims New York state has been his legal residence for most of his life. His father, Robert F. Kennedy, was a U.S. Senator representing the state.
Kennedy Jr. has worked for most of his career as an environmental lawyer, but recently has become an anti-vaccine activist and supports some anti-government conspiracy theories.
While he has little chance of winning the election, Kennedy has been viewed as a potential spoiler, although it’s uncertain whether he would siphon votes from Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.
Because his family has deep Democratic roots and name recognition, Kennedy Jr. was initially thought to be a liability for Democrat Joe Biden.
But with Harris now in the race, increasing evidence suggests his candidacy will pull votes from Trump, according to The Washington Post.
In recent polls that include third-party candidates, Harris has performed better, The Post noted.
She led by an average of 1.5 points in those head-to-head contests and 3.3 points in crowded fields.
Kennedy Jr. reportedly has enough signatures to qualify for the presidential ballot in 42 states, according to his campaign.
He’s still facing similar legal challenges in a number of states, but in a key victory, the Texas Secretary of State announced yesterday (Aug. 8) that he can appear on the November election ballot.
In New Jersey, Administrative Law Judge Ernest M. Bongiovanni said Tuesday (Aug. 6) Kennedy Jr. could also appear on the New Jersey ballot.
He was challenged under the state’s “sore loser” law which bans candidates from running as an independent in the state, if they initially sought a party nomination. Kennedy did not seek either party endorsement.
Clear Choice action is also challenging Kennedy in a Pennsylvania court.
Check out the video below.