Washington gets its first presidential candidate. It’s RFK Jr.

Independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign rally at Legends Event Center on Dec. 20, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Washington voters will likely see Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as one of their choices for president this fall.

On Friday, Kennedy filed to represent the We the People party on the November general election ballot. He would appear with Nicole Shanahan, his pick for vice president. 

Kennedy is the first minor party candidate to submit the required paperwork plus signatures of at least 1,000 registered voters. A total of 4,181 signatures were turned in, the campaign reported.

State election officials have until Aug. 24 to certify him for the ballot.

“We look forward to helping get Mr. Kennedy elected as president so he can bring back the American dream and inspire better human and environmental health for generations to come,” said Bonnie Gerber, Washington State Regional Coordinator for the campaign.

According to the campaign, the Kennedy-Shanahan ticket will be on the ballot in eight states — Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Texas, and South Carolina. 

The campaign has collected enough signatures for ballot access in 14 other states including Washington.

Presidential hopefuls for minor parties have until Aug. 2 to submit the requisite documents to secure spots on the ballot.

Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump, the presumptive nominees of their respective parties, are not on yet. They will be once formally nominated at their party’s national convention, according to state election rules. Republicans’ national convention will take place next month, and Democrats’ will take place in August.

In 2020, there were four presidential candidates in addition to Biden and Trump. Those choices were Alyson Kennedy of the Socialist Workers Party, Gloria La Riva of the Socialism and Liberation Party, Howie Hawkins of the Green Party and Jo Jorgensen of the Libertarian Party.

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