Challenge to RFK Jr. on Maine presidential ballot withdrawn

A banner outside Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign event at the Ocean Gateway cruise terminal in Portland. (AnnMarie Hilton/ Maine Morning Star)

The Topsham resident who challenged independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being on the presidential ballot in Maine has withdrawn his petition.

James Stretch filed a petition challenging Kennedy’s spot on the ballot last Thursday, but withdrew it without explanation in a letter received by the Secretary of State’s Office Tuesday. Because that was the only challenge brought against Kennedy, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows canceled the hearing that was scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.

Bellows’ office confirmed Kennedy and another independent candidate, Cornel West, had qualified for Maine’s November general election ballot on Aug. 2, after both had secured the 4,000 signatures from Maine voters needed by Aug. 1.

Kennedy — nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, lawyer and activist, whose views have veered into conspiracies, notably on vaccines — filed his petition with running mate Nicole Shanahan, who is a lawyer and philanthropist.

Originally, Stretch argued that Kennedy’s petition was invalid because it contained more than the signatures permitted under state law and too few valid signatures. His letter withdrawing his challenge did not explain why he changed his mind.

Maine law requires at least 4,000 signatures from voters, but no more than 5,000 to be on the general election ballot as a presidential candidate. Stretch wrote in his challenge that Kennedy’s petition contained 5,853 signatures. He also claimed that thousands of the signatures were deficient for various reasons including illegible dates or the signer not being a registered Maine voter.

In his original petition, Stretch also took issue with the New York address Kennedy listed claiming it was publicly confirmed that Kennedy had moved to California.

Bellows will still preside over a hearing at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the State House in Augusta for two challenges brought to another independent candidate on the presidential ballot, Cornel West, for similar reasons.

Under state law , any registered Maine voter can challenge the validity of candidate petitions. This is the same challenge process that initiated the debate about former President Donald Trump’s primary ballot eligibility in Maine late last year.

At each hearing, both the challengers and the candidate will have the opportunity to argue their side, including through oral testimony of witnesses and documentary evidence. Bellows must then rule on the validity of the challenges within five days of the completion of the hearing, as required by Maine election law .

West — a well known Black scholar and former professor at Harvard and Princeton universities — is running with Melina Abdullah, who is a university professor and Black Lives Matter activist.

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