Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running for president as an independent after ending his primary challenge against President Joe Biden as a Democrat, has reached the signature requirement in Utah, making it the first state where he has cleared the necessary hurdles to get his name on the ballot.
Kennedy turned in at least 1,000 signatures, according to the Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office, meaning that he will be on the 2024 presidential ballot in Utah as soon as he officially files. The official paperwork to run for president as an independent candidate is required to be submitted between January 2 and March 5.
In a statement to CBS News, Kennedy campaign press secretary Stefanie Spear declared: “We will be announcing Jan. 3 our ballot access status in Utah at a press event in Salt Lake City.”
On Jan. 3, I will announce my ballot status in Utah, the first state where the campaign has submitted signatures. #Kennedy24 https://t.co/g7K27xqYFB
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) December 28, 2023
Kennedy had previously sued to challenge Utah’s required signature deadline of January 8, arguing that it was not fair to independent candidates and was much earlier than past deadlines.
“The current deadline is the earliest deadline ever sought to be imposed on independent presidential candidates in the modern era. No federal court has ever upheld a January deadline [for independent presidential candidates],” the lawsuit stated.
Meanwhile, a super PAC backing Kennedy’s candidacy is still working on getting him on the ballot in numerous other states — spending millions of dollars in their efforts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New York and Texas.
Kennedy’s running as an independent has been hotly debated by many analysts who cannot seem to agree which political party’s chances will be spoiled by his candidacy. Democrats insist that Kennedy’s skepticism about the COVID-19 vaccine and his anti-establishment views will appeal to supporters of former President Donald Trump, while conservatives are adamant that his opposition to the Second Amendment and numerous other far-left views are clear barriers to Republican support — meaning that he will siphon votes from President Joe Biden.
As The Daily Wire noted, “Kennedy initially began running as a Democrat challenger to President Joe Biden but announced he was mounting an independent campaign in October. The independent candidate splits with most Democrats on the issues of vaccines and Ukraine, but still takes traditional Democratic stances on issues like abortion and affirmative action.”
