A Michigan decide dominated that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should stay on the November presidential poll, dealing a blow to his campaign to strategically take away his ticket from the battleground state.
Kennedy suspended his marketing campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump in August. Since then, he has sought to withdraw his identify in states—like Michigan—the place the race may very well be shut. On the identical time, he’s attempting to stay on the poll in states the place he’s unlikely to make a distinction between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kennedy filed a lawsuit Friday in Michigan’s Court docket of Claims in opposition to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in an effort to withdraw his identify. Michigan’s election officers had beforehand rejected Kennedy’s discover of withdrawal.
The Related Press requested the secretary’s workplace for touch upon the Court docket of Claims order that got here down Tuesday.
In a submit on X earlier within the day, Benson mentioned underneath Michigan legislation, candidates who’re nominated and settle for a minor occasion’s nomination “shall not be permitted to withdraw.”
Kennedy argued within the lawsuit that his discover of withdrawal was well timed and the voters’s votes may very well be “diminished and rendered invalid” if he stays on the poll. He filed an analogous lawsuit in North Carolina on Friday, the place he’s attempting to withdraw his identify from the poll.
Michigan Court docket of Claims Decide Christopher P. Yates concluded that the secretary of state rightly rejected Kennedy’s request to be faraway from the poll.
“Elections are not just games, and the Secretary of State (SOS) is not obligated to honor the whims of candidates for public office,” Yates mentioned in his opinion and order.
The Related Press requested a remark from Kennedy’s attorneys Tuesday.
Wisconsin election officers mentioned final week that Kennedy should stay on the poll there, rejecting his request request to withdraw.
Final week, a unique Michigan Court docket of Claims decide dominated that liberal impartial candidate for president Cornel West should stay on the poll, an opinion welcomed by West’s marketing campaign.
Kennedy and West, distinguished third-party candidates, are on the heart of a number of authorized and political battles throughout the nation as Democrats and Republicans search to make use of the impacts of third-party candidates who may take assist from their opponents. Republicans allies in a number of battleground states reminiscent of Arizona and Michigan have sought to maintain West on the poll amid Democratic fears he may siphon votes from Vice President Kamala Harris.
