Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is nearing ballot access in the crucial battleground state of North Carolina, where polling suggests he pulls more support from President Joe Biden than former President Donald Trump.
Kennedy’s campaign announced on Monday that it collected the required amount of signatures needed to get his name on the ticket under the “We The People” party, according to a press release obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Trump’s lead against Biden grows from 4.4 points to 6.7 points in the RealClearPolitics (RCP) averages when Kennedy and other third-party candidates are on the ballot in North Carolina.
The independent’s announcement follows increased efforts from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and other liberal groups to combat the potential effects third-party candidates could have on Biden’s reelection chances.
“We have the field teams, volunteers, legal teams, paid circulators, supporters, and strategists ready to get the job done,” Stefanie Spear, press secretary for the Kennedy campaign, said in a statement. (RELATED: New Polling Reveals Why Dems Are Freaking Out Over RFK Jr.’s Candidacy)
In the five-way race with Trump, Biden, Kennedy, “Justice for All Party” candidate Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, the independent is pulling in 5.5% support in the battleground state the former president only won by 1.3 points in 2020, according to the RCP average.
Trump’s leads against Biden in the RCP averages also grow in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin when Kennedy and the other third-party contenders are on the ticket.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 26: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (R) and his vice presidential pick Nicole Shanahan take the stage during a campaign event to announce his pick for a running mate at the Henry J. Kaiser Event Center. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The DNC has formed its first-ever team to target third-party contenders, as well as a group of lawyers meant to police how Kennedy and other candidates secure ballot access.
In February, the party filed a complaint against the Kennedy-aligned super PAC, American Values 2024, for helping the independent collect ballot signatures.
Kennedy is only on the ticket in Utah, but is closing in on ballot access in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina and New Hampshire with the super PAC’s help.
The independent’s campaign announced on March 5 that it had surpassed the ballot signature threshold in the battleground state of Nevada, but Kennedy might have to restart the process due to not having a running mate at the time, according to CBS News.
With various other states requiring a vice presidential pick to qualify for the ballot, Kennedy announced that Silicon Valley lawyer Nicole Shanahan would run with him on Tuesday.
Biden’s campaign did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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