Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Blocked from New York Presidential Ballot
Judge Determined RFK Jr.’s Residence as a ‘Sham’
In a sensational development on Monday, Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was denied a spot on New York’s November ballot. The decision came from New York Justice Christina Ryba, who cited a non-legitimate residential address provided by Kennedy. This judgement might open the doors for similar objections against Kennedy’s candidacy in different states.
The Ruling on RFK Jr.’s Candidacy
Judge Ryba declared that Kennedy falsely stated his “place of residence” on his nomination as the address in Katonah, N.Y. This record suggests that Kennedy only rents a room in that city, whereas his main residence is in California. Kennedy had purchased a home there in 2021 following his marriage to actress Cheryl Hines in 2014.
The subset ruling found Kennedy’s nominating petition invalid on grounds of false residency claim. Consequently, the New York State Board of Elections was directed not to include the Kennedy-Shanahan ticket for the 2024 general election ballot. The board is scheduled to certify the general election ballot in September.
Basis of the Ruling
In her 34-page ruling, Ryba stipulated that “based on clear and convincing credible evidence,” the submitted New York address was merely a ‘sham’ used by Kennedy to further his political ambitions. Kennedy’s testimony admitted that his rented residence in New York commenced “sometime around May of 2023”. Yet the court wasn’t convinced, as neither his pets nor family members resided at that location. Furthermore, a 35-year resident and neighbor testified he hadn’t ever seen Kennedy there.
In court, Kennedy admitted to only sleeping in the New York home once. However, he claimed his reason for not changing his voter registration to California post relocation was because he identifies as a New Yorker.
Challenging the Ruling
The lawsuit against RFK Jr. was brought forth by three New York residents, supported by the Democratic-aligned political action committee, Clear Choice. Kennedy’s campaign has vowed to appeal the verdict. Labeling the judgment as an “openly partisan ruling” by a Democratic judge, Kennedy, in his statement stated, “The Democrats are showing contempt for democracy…They aren’t confident they can win at the ballot box, so they are trying to stop voters from having a choice. We will appeal and we will win.”
Implications for the Presidential Elections
While Kennedy has been polling in single-digits in most national polls, his candidacy still muddies the waters. Democrats aim to portray him as a “spoiler candidate”, helping Donald Trump with vote splits that could potentially affect the election outcome.
In response to these developments, a Democratic National Committee spokesman said, “The RFK Jr. running for the president is the same RFK Jr. portrayed in this story: a deeply troubled, reckless, and dangerous man.” With New York considered a solid stronghold for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, Kennedy’s potential sway could matter in closely contested battleground states.
