Key battleground states keep RFK's name on ballot, potentially helping Harris-Walz campaign

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently endorsed former President Donald Trump and set the election world on fire.

Despite it being a massive boon for Trump to have a large chunk of Kennedy's supporters in November, in at least two battleground states, Kennedy's name will remain on the ballot despite requests to have his name removed.

According to Fox News, Kennedy's name will not be removed from ballots in both Michigan and Wisconsin.

Both states have different laws and rules that ultimately led to the decision to keep his name on the ballot, which could potentially be a win for Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign in those particular states.

Cheri Hardmon, senior press secretary for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, explained why Kennedy's name will remain on the ballot in her state.

"Minor party candidates cannot withdraw, so his name will remain on the ballot in the November election," Hardmon said.

Former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker told Newsmax on Thursday that Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson needs to stop playing "partisan games" and remove Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name from the state ballot, as he requested pic.twitter.com/1ioDHVxF41

— Mike Netter (@nettermike) August 30, 2024

Notably, in Wisconsin, election officials voted to keep Kennedy's name on the ballot, which is an obvious play to give Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, a much-needed assist in the state.

Fox News noted:

The Wisconsin Elections Commission, meanwhile, voted Tuesday to keep Kennedy on the presidential ballot, despite his request to be removed, and also rejected a Democratic attempt to oust independent candidate Cornel West. A move by Democratic elections commissioners to keep Green Party candidate Jill Stein off the ballot also failed.

Kennedy had previously explained his thoughts on why he would seek to withdraw his name from the ballots in 10 key battleground states, noting that by remaining on those ballots, it would likely help Harris instead of Trump.

"In about 10 battleground states where my presence would be a spoiler, I'm going to remove my name, and I've already started that process and urge voters not to vote for me," Kennedy said.

He added, "Our polling consistently showed by staying on the ballot in the battleground states, I would likely hand the election over to the Democrats, with whom I disagree on the most existential issues."

Since the decision was made, efforts continue to have Kennedy's name removed on the Michigan ballot, though it's unclear whether it's still possible to make it happen outside of litigation.

If his name stays on the ballot and Harris wins either state, litigation is all but guaranteed.