RFK Jr. files papers to run as independent presidential candidate in Illinois

The pool of presidential candidates widened in Illinois on Monday, now including five new names alongside President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Among them, the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign submitted its nomination papers — containing more than 60,000 signatures according to campaign officials — with the Illinois State Board of Elections Monday afternoon.

If the election board confirms the validity of the papers, Illinois would become the ninth confirmed state that the independent has made it on the ballot.

Kennedy Jr., nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, tried to secure the Democratic Party's nominee over Biden. Having lost that bid to the presumptive nominee, he began an independent run in October.

More: Party infighting leads to Illinois GOP chairman stepping down

Seen as an underdog in the election now approaching four months away, RFK supporters Sean Phillips and Kirsten Bonanza of Springfield see the candidate as a needed change of pace from Biden and Trump.

"Most of the way that I create my life is by asking the question, 'What will my life be like in next five years if I make this choice.'... And when I ask that about him (RFK) it's just off the hook," said Bonanza, one of approximately 30 supporters gathering outside the election board's Springfield office. "Bobby Kennedy is a statesman, when the rest are just politicians."

Phillips added that Kennedy Jr.'s ideas for handling the border crisis and tackling the national debt had garnered his support. Still, the Kennedy political family is not getting behind him and instead urging voters to back Biden. Gov. JB Pritzker, a Biden surrogate, previously told CNN that Democrats supporting anyone else but Biden would be "throwing away" their vote.

Kennedy is trying to secure ballot access in all 50 states, but has seen objections filed in four states this month. Both Biden and Trump staved off challenges in Illinois to having their name appear on the November ballot earlier this year.

Who else is running?

Joining Kennedy in submitting papers to run as president was Green Party candidate Jill Stein and two Illinois residents — Christopher Cisco of Piper City and Heather Lynn Stone of Peoria. Not making the cut was independent Cornel West.

Former gubernatorial candidate Scott Schluter submitted papers for the Libertarian ticket. Justin Tucker, the state party's executive director, however confirmed with The State Journal-Register that Schluter is a placeholder for former Georgia Senate candidate Chase Oliver, who is the party's official nominee.

Having a stand-in candidate is necessary, Tucker said, because the party's petition drive started after the Libertarian Party's Presidential Nominating Convention held on Memorial Day weekend. Oliver's name will appear on the ballot, not Schluter's.

Objections to any of the candidates who filed between June 17 and June 24 can be filed now until next Monday. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 with early voting beginning on Sept. 26.

Contact Patrick M. Keck: pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. trying to enter presidential race in Illinois