RFK Jr. forced to say on ballot in two swing state while Democrats seek to oust left-wing candidates
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made headlines last week when he suspended his campaign and called on supporters to back former President Donald Trump.
Kennedy's move has apparently left Democrats seething, as they are now fighting to keep his name on the ballot.
Officials in Michigan and Wisconsin reject removal request from Kennedy
According to WKAR, Kennedy was nominated in Michigan by the Natural Law Party at its convention held this past spring and officials say his candidacy must continue.
"Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign reached out to the Michigan Bureau of Elections late this afternoon in an attempt to withdraw his name," bureau spokesperson Cheri Hardmon was quoted as saying.
"The Natural Law Party held their convention to select electors for Robert Kennedy Jr.. They cannot meet at this point to select new electors since it's past the primary," she added.
Meanwhile, CNBC reported that the Wisconsin Elections Commission decided this week to keep Kennedy's name on the ballot in their state as well.
Democrats seek to remove left-wing candidates from Georgia ballot
Its members cited a Wisconsin law which states, "Any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination."
Michigan and Wisconsin are both considered to be critical swing states, both of which were narrowly won by President Donald Trump in 2016 and then carried by President Joe Biden four years later.
Another important swing state is Georgia, where Democrats succeeded in getting a judge to kick left-wing candidates off the ballot despite objections from Republicans.
As ABC News reported, Chief State Administrative Law Judge Michael Malihi ruled on Monday that four independent and minor party candidates may not remain on the state's ballot.
Polls suggest candidates' removal would help Harris
In addition to Kennedy, they are Green Party nominee Jill Stein, Party for Socialism and Liberation nominee Claudia De la Cruz, and independent candidate Dr. Cornel West.
However, ABC News pointed out that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger will have the final say over whether or not their names will show up on election day.
In an article published on Monday, Washington Post contributor Aaron Blake cited surveys from ABC News, Fox News, The New York Times, and Marquette University Law School which suggest that removing the names could help Vice President Kamala Harris.
The polling data show Stein and West could take anywhere from 1% to 6% of the Democratic vote, while no information on De la Cruz's impact was available.