Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on the Michigan presidential ballot, despite his announcement Friday that he is suspending his campaign and backing former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s 2024 nominee.
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign reached out to the Michigan Bureau of Elections late this afternoon in an attempt to withdraw his name,” said bureau spokesperson Cheri Hardmon. She told Michigan Public Radio the campaign was informed the deadline had passed to remove his name from the ballot.
Kennedy is on the state ballot as the nominee of the Natural Law Party of Michigan. That party's state nominating convention was held back in April.
Hardmon said the party could have held a new nominating convention any time until the state’s August primary.
“The Natural Law Party held their convention to select electors for Robert Kennedy Jr.,” she said. “They cannot meet at this point to select new electors since it's past the primary.”
Kennedy’s quixotic campaign sought the Natural Law Party of Michigan nomination because it was easier and less expensive than gathering thousands of signatures required to get on the state ballot as an unaffiliated independent candidate.
Now, Kennedy said, he wants to be removed from the ballot in states where his candidacy could hurt Trump's chances. Michigan is considered a swing state, and recent polls show Trump in a close race with Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Natural Law Party seeks to apply the principles of transcendental meditation to government. Kennedy has no prior affiliation with the party or the transcendental meditation movement. The advantage of a big name for a minor party is the likelihood of winning enough votes to automatically qualify for ballot access in future elections.
The Natural Law Party of Michigan and the Kennedy campaign did not respond to messages seeking comment.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly placed the state primary in February instead of August.
