After endorsing Trump, many thought RFK Jr. wouldn’t cause any problems. But that is far from the truth.
Because RFK Jr. handed Donald Trump a surprise he wasn’t prepared for.
In a move that could frustrate attempts to simplify the ballot for conservatives, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must remain on the state’s ballot.
This decision effectively halts Kennedy’s efforts to remove his name from this key swing state, potentially complicating former President Trump’s path to victory.
The ruling overturns a Friday opinion from the Michigan Court of Appeals, which previously argued there was no valid reason for Kennedy to be blocked from withdrawing his name.
The state’s high court, however, took a harder stance, signaling that Kennedy’s challenges in Michigan are now over.
“[Kennedy] has not shown an entitlement to this extraordinary relief,” the court’s ruling declared.
Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, clung to a Michigan state law that restricts minor party presidential candidates from pulling out once they’ve qualified for the ballot.
Kennedy secured his spot after being nominated by the Natural Law Party, leaving him locked into a race he no longer wished to contest in Michigan.
A Michigan judge had already sided with Benson on this issue.
“Elections are not just games, and the Secretary of State (SOS) is not obligated to honor the whims of candidates for public office,” Michigan Court of Claims Judge Christopher Yates opined last week, dismissing Kennedy’s request in a four-page opinion.
“Because the Court concludes that the SOS acted well within the bounds of the law, the Court shall deny the requests by plaintiff for (relief),” Yates continued.
Back in August, Kennedy dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Donald Trump, clearly recognizing that his candidacy was siphoning off critical support from Trump’s base in key battlegrounds.
He had urged his supporters in safe Democrat or Republican states to vote for him, but aimed to remove himself from ballots in swing states to prevent splitting Trump’s vote further.
In another similar ruling, the Michigan Supreme Court also decided that Left-wing independent candidate Cornel West must remain on the Nov. 5 presidential ballot, rejecting an appeal from Mark Brewer, a former Michigan Democratic Party chairman.
This decision ensures that liberal-leaning votes will also have another candidate to consider, adding further uncertainty to the Democrat vote.
With Kennedy and West both locked into the Michigan race, this could prove beneficial to Trump, as voters on the Left may be divided.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
