Democrats Challenge Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Ballot Access in Texas

The battle to get independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the ballot in Texas has hit a roadblock, as Democrats are challenging the validity of the petition signatures submitted by his campaign.

Kennedy’s campaign turned in more than double the required number of signatures in May, but a review by the Texas Democratic Party’s voter protection director found that a staggering 69% of the signatures were invalid. This means that Kennedy may have failed to submit the necessary 113,151 valid signatures to appear on November’s ballot.

In a letter to the secretary of state’s office, the Democrats’ lawyer, Chad Dunn, stated that even if the remaining signatures were all valid, Kennedy still fell short by approximately 37,000 signatures. The campaign, however, maintains that their signatures were thoroughly reviewed and are sufficient to secure a spot on the ballot.

This challenge comes as President Joe Biden suspended his reelection campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, and as a recent poll showed Kennedy with only 5% support among likely Texas voters.

Democrats have been challenging Kennedy’s ballot access in several other states as well, and the Democratic National Committee has launched a team to counter third-party candidates this election cycle.

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa criticized Kennedy’s campaign for attempting to “overwhelm the system with bad signatures” and urged the secretary of state’s office to reject the application.

The validity of the signatures is crucial, as Texas election code requires that signatures come from registered Texas voters or those with a registration certificate that will be effective by Election Day. The voter’s address, registration number, signing date, and printed name must be included, and the voter cannot have participated in either major party’s presidential primary this year.

Dunn emphasized that the law requires Kennedy’s application to be rejected due to the deficient number of signatures submitted, and urged a prompt decision from the secretary of state’s office to allow for any aggrieved party to seek court review. The outcome of this challenge could have significant implications for Kennedy’s campaign in Texas and beyond.