New Jersey’s top elections official allows Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be included on ballot

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been given the green light to appear as an independent candidate for president on New Jersey’s ballot, as confirmed by the state’s top elections official, Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way. The official’s decision comes after an administrative law judge’s ruling was partially upheld, allowing Kennedy to proceed with his candidacy for the upcoming November election.

This ruling signifies that Kennedy successfully maneuvered New Jersey’s “sore loser” law, opening the door for his inclusion as an independent candidate on the ballot. Way’s order also overturned a portion of the judge’s ruling, which deemed the challenge against Kennedy by election attorney Scott Salmon as untimely, a decision the official deemed as mistaken.

In response to Way’s decision, Kennedy’s campaign delivered a statement applauding the outcome and emphasizing their victory over a complaint from the Democratic Party that they believed to be baseless.

The case brought against Kennedy invoked the sore loser law, which prevents candidates from transitioning to an independent bid in the general election if they have previously run in a primary. Salmon, the election attorney who initiated the challenge, had previously brought a lawsuit against Kanye West in 2020 for alleged inadequate signature gathering, a case that led West to withdraw his petition for the ballot.

Despite Salmon’s objections to Kennedy’s candidacy, he acknowledged Way’s decision to institute “reasonable guardrails,” effectively allowing Kennedy to continue with his independent bid for the presidency. Kennedy’s campaign has garnered attention due to his recognizable name and devoted supporters, concerns have been raised by strategists from both major parties about his potential impact on the election landscape.

Meanwhile, a parallel legal challenge is unfolding in New York regarding Kennedy’s residency claims, with the candidate asserting that he resides in the New York City suburb of Katonah. Despite facing obstacles, Kennedy remains steadfast in his pursuit of the presidency, countering arguments against his candidacy based on his prior filing as a Democrat and subsequent transition to an independent status.

Kennedy’s defense strategy included questioning Salmon’s standing to bring forth the lawsuit, asserting that the attorney lacks candidacy for the presidential position himself, among other legal arguments presented in the case.