At a voter rally in South Carolina, the independent candidate reiterated his vow to be on the ballot of every state and in Washington D.C.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made multiple stops in South Carolina since announcing his candidacy in April to challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic Party nomination. Mr. Kennedy was back in South Carolina on Nov. 14, this time as an independent candidate with the purpose of collecting signatures to get on the state’s presidential election ballot.
“We’re building an army. And, you know, we’re going to get on the ballot,” Mr. Kennedy said.
“We’re going to use volunteers to get on the ballot. And then we’re going to have an army in place in November, like no other campaign.”
In Philadelphia on Oct. 9, Mr. Kennedy stood in front of the National Constitution Center within view of Independence Hall, where the first and only independent candidate to win the U.S. presidency, George Washington, helped establish the new country’s government.
On that day, he told supporters that he believes that he’ll take a similar path to the White House.
“There have been independent candidates before. But this time is different,” Mr. Kennedy said.
“This time, the independent is going to win.”
The campaign stops he called “town halls” and “meet and greets” as a Democratic candidate are now billed as “voter rallies” at which he delivers his independent campaign platform, answers questions, poses for selfies, and encourages attendees to sign petitions to get him on the ballot.
The challenge of getting on the ballot in every state and in Washington D.C. is grueling, time-consuming, and expensive.
Mr. Kennedy estimated that it’ll take “around $15 million” to accomplish the task of accumulating enough nominating petitions to secure a place on the ballot. He has raised more than $15 million dollars since his campaign began. Federal Election Commission campaign filing information shows that he entered October with $6.1 million in cash on hand.
