Robert F. Kennedy Jr. qualifies for Texas ballot as an independent presidential candidate

John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·3 min read
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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has submitted more than enough valid petition signatures to have his name on the Nov. 5 ballot, the Texas secretary of state's office has announced.

"After review, your application has been accepted. Your name will appear on the ballot for the 2024 General Election as an Independent candidate for the Office of President of the United States," Christina Worrell Adkins, the state's elections director, said in a letter to Kennedy, the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy. "Nicole Shanahan will also appear on the ballot as the Vice-Presidential candidate."

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., waves to the crowd at a campaign rally at Brazos Hall on May 13. Many members of the extended Kennedy family have made clear that they do not support his run for office.
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., waves to the crowd at a campaign rally at Brazos Hall on May 13. Many members of the extended Kennedy family have made clear that they do not support his run for office.

According to state law, an independent candidate for president in 2024 must submit a petition with 113,151 signatures from Texans who are registered to vote but did not vote in the March primary elections. Kennedy's petition contained 122,513 valid signatures, the secretary of state's office said in the announcement Thursday.

More: RFK Jr. posts video admitting to dumping dead bear in NYC's Central Park in 2014

Kennedy, because of his famous last name and his family's historical ties to the Democratic Party, has caused some concern that his long-shot candidacy might benefit Republican nominee Donald Trump. Last month, a lawyer for the Texas Democratic Party sent a letter to Secretary of State Jane Nelson saying that the party's review of Kennedy's petition signatures found strong evidence that many of them were invalid and that he should be denied ballot access.

Recent national polling has suggested that Kennedy's support, never particularly strong, is fading as the race crystalizes as a contest between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, who swiftly became the presumptive Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden ended his bid for reelection July 21.

The Texas Politics Project,  a unit of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas, has yet to release statewide polling data since Biden's exit. But in the spring, its poll and that of the nonpartisan Texas Hispanic Policy Council found that Kennedy's support did not materially detract from the major-party candidates.

Downballot, however, the polls showed Kennedy's presence might be a factor. The Hispanic Policy council found that nearly half of the independent presidential candidate's voters would mark their ballots for Democrat U.S. Rep. Colin Allred in the race for U.S. Senate while fewer than 3 in 10 would vote for Republican incumbent Ted Cruz.

Kennedy and Shanahan were in Austin for a rally in May after they hand-delivered their petition signatures to the Capitol. Kennedy, whose father, U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy of New York, was gunned down in June 1968 while seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, invoked the imagery of his uncle and father during the Austin appearance and said it pained him to abandon the party of his family.

Many members of the extended Kennedy family have made clear that they do not support his independent presidential run, and in April they released a video endorsing Biden's reelection.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. qualifies for Texas ballot as independent