KITTERY, Maine — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, will participate in a rally for third-party presidential candidates Thursday at the Kittery Community Center's Star Theatre.
The rally is part of a three-event series to introduce Kennedy to Maine voters and collect signatures as the effort continues to get Kennedy on the ballot in states across the country. Kennedy is not currently on the Maine ballot. A petition calling for ballot access will be available at the event.
The Kittery gathering, titled “Who Was Bobby Kennedy?”, will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Shanahan will address attendees and hold a Q&A session. A short film will also be screened.
more:Who is Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and why his 2024 presidential run matters
Who is Nicole Shanahan?
On March 26, President Kennedy announced Shanahan as his running mate in his hometown of Oakland, California.
Shanahan is a lawyer and philanthropist who was little known nationally before being selected as Kennedy's running mate. She founded the Via Echo Foundation, an organization that directs money to issues such as women's reproductive health and the environment, and is a registered Democrat. She is the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and had already donated more than $4 million to Kennedy's campaign by the time he chose her as his running mate.
Where is RFK Jr. on the ballot?
According to the Kennedy campaign, the Kennedy-Shanahan combination is officially on the ballot in seven states: Utah, Michigan, California, Delaware, Oklahoma, Hawaii and Texas.
He said he had collected enough signatures to get on the ballot in nine other states, including New Hampshire, Idaho and New York.
What is RFK Jr.'s voting eligibility in Maine?
According to the Maine Secretary of State's office, the Kennedy campaign has not yet secured a place on Maine's presidential ballot or submitted any signatures.
To appear on the ballot, Maine's independent presidential candidates must collect a minimum of 4,000 and a maximum of 5,000 valid signatures from registered voters, regardless of party registration, by the deadline of July 25. Registered voters attending Kennedy's upcoming rallies in Maine can sign a ballot access petition that will be available at the event.
Candidates must also submit a candidate agreement by that date. After July 25, there is a five-business-day challenge period during which any registered voter may challenge the validity of a nominating petition or a name on the petition. If no challenge is filed, candidates are notified that they will appear on the ballot.
In March, a federal court rejected Kennedy's attempt to collect signatures at polling places during the Super Tuesday presidential primary, finding that Maine law bars him from trying to influence voters in a contested election that day.
Two more RFK Jr. rallies to be held in Maine
The second of the three-part series will be held June 4th from 4pm to 7pm at Jeff's Catering & Events Center in Brewer. Speakers will include Dr. Merrill Nass, a COVID-19 vaccine skeptic whose eligibility for the vaccine has been suspended until April 30th, 2025;
The third event will be held June 6 at Carriage House Plus in Lewiston from 4 to 7 p.m., featuring Jeffrey N. Morris, professor of mathematics at St. Joseph's College in Standish, Maine.
