RFK Jr. withdraws from Maine’s ballot

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine advocate, visited Portland, Maine in November and spoke to a crowd of more than 500 people. (Photo by AnnMarie Hilton/ Maine Morning Star)

After suspending his presidential bid last week, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially withdrew from Maine’s ballot on Tuesday, the Maine Secretary of State’s Office confirmed.

On Friday, the independent presidential candidate announced he was ending his presidential bid and threw his support behind former Republican President Donald Trump, the Republican Party nominee.

At the time, Kennedy said he “cannot, in good conscience, ask my staff and volunteers to keep working their long hours, or ask my donors to keep giving when I cannot honestly tell them that I have a real path to the White House.”

However, Kennedy said that he was not terminating his campaign and planned to “remain on the ballot in most states.”

While Kennedy said he planned to remove his name from about 10 battleground states, he did not say which ones. Aside from Maine, Kennedy has also withdrawn from Arizona , South Carolina and Texas . Kennedy might not be able to withdraw from s ome key swing states, such as Nevada and Wisconsin , given variations with deadlines with regard to ballot access .

Kennedy qualified for Maine’s ballot earlier this month. He subsequently faced a challenge to his campaign petition from one citizen, James Stretch of Topsham, however Stretch withdrew his challenge only days later without explanation.

Mainers will use ranked-choice voting to designate their preference for president, as well as other races. Trump will appear along with Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris, Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver, Green Party nominee Jill Stein, and independent presidential candidate Cornel West, whose campaign recently overcame a challenge to the validity of its petition signatures.

More information about the candidates and questions that will appear on the November ballot can be found at Maine Morning Star’s 2024 Voter Guide .

DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST