Federal judge rules RFK will stay on Michigan's general election ballot

A federal judge has ruled that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s name will stay on the Michigan general election ballot.

U.S. District Court Judge Denise Hood denied a preliminary injunction request Wednesday, one day after she heard arguments from Kennedy's lawyers and lawyers for the Michigan Secretary of State's Office.

Kennedy is the presidential nominee in Michigan for the Natural Law Party. However, in late August, he suspended his campaign and threw his support behind former President Donald Trump. Since then, he's been fighting to get his name off the ballot in several states.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said last month in a post on X said Michigan law says candidates who accept a minor party's nomination shall not be permitted to withdraw.

In the 18-page ruling released on Wednesday, Hood disagreed with several claims made by Kennedy and his lawyers for reasons that he should be off the ballot.

"Plaintiff had the opportunity to bring his additional constitutional claims at the time that he filed his initial complaint with the Court of Claims. Plaintiff now pleads before this Court seeking a second bite at the apple, to which he is not entitled," Hood wrote in the ruling.

Kennedy sued Benson on Aug. 30, but in the hearing, lawyers for Benson said that as of Sept. 17, 90% of the total ballots had been printed, and it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to re-print them in Wayne County alone.

Michigan election law requires absentee ballots available to be issued starting Sept. 26 for voters in the state.

You can read the ruling below
Federal judge ruling keeping RFK on Michigan ballot by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd