Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that he will not appear on Maine’s presidential ballot after suspending his independent campaign and endorsing Donald Trump. Kennedy made this decision in an effort to avoid being a spoiler in battleground states. He has withdrawn from the ballot in Maine and will not be listed as a candidate in November. This move comes after a spokesperson for the Maine Department of the Secretary of State confirmed that Kennedy filed a notice to withdraw from the ballot before the deadline.
Kennedy’s campaign did not respond to questions about which other states he will withdraw from, but this decision reflects a strategic move to avoid influencing the outcome in battleground areas. Maine, with its 1st and 2nd Congressional Districts, has shown a mixed political landscape in recent elections, making it a potentially influential state in the presidential race.
Other presidential candidates on the Maine ballot include Libertarian Chase Oliver, Jill Stein of the Green Party, and Cornel West. The election will use ranked choice voting, allowing for an instant runoff if no candidate receives 50% of the votes in the first round.
Kennedy’s withdrawal adds to the complexity of finalizing Maine’s presidential ballot, which has already seen challenges to Trump’s candidacy earlier in the year. While there were challenges to keep Kennedy and West off the ballot, both candidates have been confirmed to appear on the November ballot.
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Photo credit www.centralmaine.com