Decision 2024: RFK Jr. will likely appear on South Carolina ballot
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The nephew of the 35th president of the United States might appear on the South Carolina ballot this election season.
The Kennedy campaign announced on Friday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gained ballot access in the Palmetto State, and has been nominated to run for president as a third-party candidate with the Alliance Party. Nicole Shanahan was nominated for vice president.
“I proudly accept the Alliance Party’s nomination for president of the United States,” said Kennedy. “Their leadership and have demonstrated an inspiring commitment to values that revitalize our representative democracy.”
Campaign officials said its aggressive ballot access plan will ensure the Kennedy-Shanahan ticket is on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“After thoroughly reviewing Presidents Biden and Trump’s past performance in office, their platforms, and their extremely narrow, ultra-partisan view of how democracy should be allowed to work to benefit all Americans, we believe Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to be the only logical choice for president,” said Jim Rex, former South Carolina State Superintendent of Education and national chair emeritus of the Alliance Party.
RFK’s spot on the presidential ballot hasn’t been set in stone yet, as per the SC Election Commission. The potential nominee will have to withdraw a separate petition; one that would have allowed Kennedy to be on the ballot without winning a party nomination.
From SC Election Commission: “The Alliance Party has informed us that RFK Jr. will be their nominee for President in 2024. One thing to note is that the candidate also submitted a nominating petition to us back in March. County election offices are still counting valid signatures on the petition to see if he would appear on the ballot as a petition candidate for President.”
“South Carolina state law prohibits a candidate from appearing on a ballot more than once for any single office for the same election. While our understanding from the party is that RFK has accepted the party’s nomination and will be withdrawing the petition, the candidate has not yet confirmed this to our office.”
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The Kennedy-Shanahan ticket is also on the ballot in Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Texas.
Officials say the campaign has collected the signatures needed for ballot access in 17 states, totaling 238 electoral votes. They said they collected enough signatures for ballot access in nine other states — New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey, and New York.
The campaign has also submitted the necessary signatures to the respective Secretary of State offices or achieved party ballot access in California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.
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