Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is one step closer to appearing on Ohio's ballot for the November election.
Kennedy's campaign submitted paperwork Friday to get him on the ballot as an independent presidential candidate, according to the Ohio Secretary of State's office. Under state law , independents must gather between 5,000 and 15,000 voter signatures and provide a list of 17 delegates who would represent them.
Local boards of elections will now review the petitions to ensure Kennedy met Ohio's requirements. A spokesman for Secretary of State Frank LaRose said the campaign submitted 13,000 signatures.
Kennedy's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kennedy, the son of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, both Democrats, announced last year that he would leave his family's party and run for president as an independent. While Kennedy is considered a longshot, Republicans and Democrats worried early on whether he'd strip votes from major party candidates in key battleground states.
That's been less of a concern in Ohio, which former President Donald Trump easily won in 2016 and 2020.
Recent shifts in the presidential race may have lessened those fears. Politico reported that the assassination attempt against Trump and President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the race is unifying their parties. Vice President Kamala Harris has not formally clinched the Democratic nomination, but delegates have coalesced around her in recent days.
Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moves to appear on Ohio ballot in presidential race
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