LANSING, Michigan — A Michigan judge has ruled that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must remain on the November presidential ballot, a blow to his crusade to strategically keep his ticket out of swing states.
Kennedy suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump in August. Since then, he has tried to withdraw his name in states — like Michigan — where the race could be close. At the same time, he is trying remain on the ballot in states making it unlikely that he will make a difference between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kennedy filed a lawsuit in Michigan’s Court of Claims on Friday against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in an attempt to withdraw his name. Michigan election officials had previously rejected Kennedy’s notice of withdrawal.
The Associated Press has reached out to the secretary of state’s office for comment on the appeals court ruling, issued Tuesday.
In a post on X Earlier in the day, Benson said that under Michigan law, candidates who are nominated and accept the nomination of a minor party “may not withdraw.”
Kennedy argued in the lawsuit that his notice of withdrawal was timely and that the electorate’s votes could be “diminished and nullified” if he remained on the ballot. He filed a similar lawsuit North Carolina on Friday, where he will attempt to withdraw his name from the ballot.
Judge Christopher P. Yates of the Michigan Court of Appeals concluded that the Secretary of State had properly denied Kennedy’s request to be removed from the ballot.
“Elections are not mere games, and the Secretary of State (SOS) is not obligated to honor the whims of candidates for public office,” Yates wrote in his opinion and order.
The Associated Press asked for comment from Kennedy’s lawyers on Tuesday.
Wisconsin Election officials said last week that Kennedy should remain on the ballot there, and rejected his request to withdraw.
Last week, another Michigan Court of Appeals judge ruled that the liberal independent presidential candidate Cornel West should remain on the ballot, a sentiment applauded by West’s campaign.
Kennedy and West, prominent third-party candidates, are at the center of multiple legal and political battles across the country as Democrats and Republicans attempt to leverage the impact of third-party candidates who could gain support from their opponents. Republican allies in multiple battlefield states such as Arizona and Michigan have tried to keep West on the ballot because Democrats fear he could steal votes from Vice President Kamala Harris.