RFK Jr running mate announcement may boost his presidential ballot access bid

 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be in the national campaign spotlight Tuesday as the Democrat-turned-independent presidential candidate is set to announce his running mate.

The highly publicized move would attract media attention for Kennedy, a longtime environmental activist and high-profile vaccine skeptic who is the scion of the country's most prestigious political dynasty.

However, it would also help Kennedy in his goal of obtaining the presidential nomination in all 50 states, as he needed a potential running mate to qualify in many states.

With a little more than seven months until the presidential election, Utah is the only state where Kennedy has been confirmed. His campaign says it has garnered enough signatures to get on the ballot in New Hampshire and Hawaii.

But on the eve of announcing a running mate, Kennedy faced a major problem in Nevada, when state election officials said signatures collected by his campaign might be invalid due to the lack of a running mate. The campaign hit back, claiming that Democrats were trying to keep them off the ballot in key Western battleground states.

The campaign tells Fox News they plan announcements each week regarding their ballot access efforts.

While Kennedy is confident he will reach his ballot access goal, achieving it is an expensive and time-consuming venture for any candidate who is not affiliated with a major political party.

Who is Robert F Kennedy Jr? And why is he running for president?

However, one more move could propel Kennedy onto the ballot from coast to coast.

Kennedy, who is polling in the low double digits in a potential 2024 contest with President Biden, former President Trump and other third-party or independent contenders, has had occasional conversations with Libertarian Party leaders since last summer, Tickets to possibly walk with them in November

"The Kennedy campaign is keeping all of its options open," campaign spokeswoman Stephanie Speier reiterated to Fox News in a statement.

It's the same line Kennedy told reporters when he raised eyebrows by speaking at the Libertarian Party of California's annual convention in late February. His presence helped the state party draw record-breaking crowds.

The Libertarian Party, which has gained ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the last few presidential elections, will choose its presidential ticket when its unbound delegates convene in Washington, D.C., at the end of May this year. Will gather for its annual conference in.

Libertarian Party Chairwoman Angela McArdle has talked several times with Kennedy about seeking the party's nomination. Their most recent discussion took place at the California conference in late February.

McArdle stressed on Fox News that for candidates seeking the Libertarian Party presidential nomination, "it is important to appear at state conventions" to gain delegate support.

While Kennedy has not appeared in person at any other Libertarian gathering, his campaign had a table at the New York convention earlier this month.

Kennedy appealed to many libertarians, partly because of his repeated criticism of vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Kennedy's policy differences with Libertarians, including his strong support for Israel in its war in Gaza with Hamas, could be major sticking points for delegates attending the national convention later this spring.

Many liberals are opposed to allowing a candidate on their ballot that does not match 100% with their anti-war and non-interventionist positions.

While Kennedy is receiving plenty of media attention, more than a dozen declared candidates are already competing for the Libertarian Party nomination.