Former Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. successfully withdrew his name from the state of Wyoming's ballot, further minimizing his presence on the ballot box in the wake of his endorsement of former President Trump.
Kennedy, who suspended his White House bid and backed the GOP nominee in late August, notified the Wyoming secretary of State’s office on Wednesday that he planned to remove his name from the state’s general election ballot. The request was granted.
“Following his notice of withdrawal, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not appear on the ballot as a presidential candidate in Wyoming,” Secretary of State Chuck Gray said in a Thursday media release. “Our office is dedicated to providing continued, transparent service to the people of Wyoming.”
The environmental lawyer, who initially kicked off his presidential run as a Democrat, submitted petitions as an independent presidential candidate on Aug. 26.
The withdrawal comes as Kennedy looks to get off the ballot in battleground states to avoid potentially being a spoiler. When publicly announcing his support for Trump during an appearance in Arizona, Kennedy stated he would remain on the ballot in most red and blue states.
“I want everyone to know that I am not terminating my campaign,” Kennedy said. “I am simply suspending it and not ending it. My name will remain on the ballot in most states.”
Kennedy will not be on the ballot in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania, according to CBS News. Those are all swing states that could go either to Trump or Vice President Harris in November. In Michigan, a judge ruled Tuesday that the former White House candidate has to remain on the ballot. Similarly, Wisconsin, another likely battleground, declined to remove his name. A North Carolina judge denied Kennedy’s effort to take his name off the ballot, The Associated Press reported Thursday. Kennedy’s lawyer said the decision would be appealed.
Kennedy, who was tapped to be a part of Trump’s transition team, said Wednesday that he plans to do swing state rallies with the former president and his campaign surrogates.
