Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. qualified to be on New Mexico ballot

Jul. 3—Independent and minor party candidates were qualified to be on November's general election ballot by the state of New Mexico on Tuesday, including high-profile independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The deadline for independent, minor party and write-in candidates to submit materials like nominating petitions was last week.

The Kennedy campaign said it submitted 11,202 signatures, more than the 3,561 signatures needed. New Mexico qualified Kennedy as a candidate, along with his running mate Nicole Shanahan. Kennedy is officially on the ballot in at least eight other states — California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah — and has submitted signatures in at least 11 states.

"People in the Land of Enchantment support Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his efforts to revitalize the middle class and empower our youth," said Aaron Diaz, the campaign's New Mexico director. "With an alternative to the two-party system, New Mexicans can now cast their ballots with confidence and hope for a promising new future."

Shiva Ayyadurai, who is running for president as an independent, and his running mate Crystal Ellis have been disqualified to be on New Mexico's ballot, as has independent candidate Cornel West, a philosopher and former professor.

Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver also qualified to be on the ballot along with his running mate Mike ter Maat. Oliver is a high-profile Libertarian activist but is running in New Mexico as a candidate for a new minor political party that was just qualified.

The national Libertarian Party had selected Oliver as its presidential nominee in May. The Libertarian Party of New Mexico broke with the national party in 2022.

Libertarian presidential candidate Lars Mapstead is still pending qualification. Mapstead is listed as the Libertarian candidate on the Secretary of State's website, but Libertarian Party of New Mexico Chair Chris Luchini said that the party will select a different candidate in the coming weeks. The state Libertarian Party has major party status, which makes it easier to get candidates on the ballot.

The country's first president, George Washington, has been the only independent candidate to win the U.S. presidency. A third-party candidate has never claimed the presidency, although Theodore Roosevelt made a notable attempt, capturing 27% of the popular vote as a Bull-Moose party candidate in 1912, according to The American Presidency Project. Roosevelt already had served as president from 1901 to 1909.

In the District 22 state House of Representatives race, independent Zachary Withers qualified to be on the ballot. The incumbent, Republican Stefani Lord, and Democrat Fred Ponzlov are also running for the position, which represents Bernalillo and Torrance counties.