To get additional ballot access for his unlikely presidential run, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed on Tuesday that tech lawyer and megadonor Nicole Shanahan would join his independent presidential ticket as his running mate.
RFK Jr.’s Latest Update On The Upcoming Election
Miles away from the center of the tech industry, Kennedy, 70, announced in Shanahan’s homeland of California that she would accompany him as his running mate. Formerly married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, a billionaire, Shanahan rose to fame as a Bay Area lawyer with strong ties to Silicon Valley.
Kennedy said he needed someone with a spiritual dimension, idealism, compassion, and a deep love for the United States of America. He then announced that he found all those qualities in a woman from Oakland who was the daughter of immigrants. Kennedy described Shanahan’s family as someone who overcame the daunting obstacles of being immigrants and went on to achieve the greatest principles of the American Dream. He claimed that one of the reasons he chose Shanahan was that he wanted someone who shared his beliefs about Big Tech, healthcare, and agriculture and who also fit with Kennedy’s idea of what a leader should look like. Shanahan being the daughter of Chinese immigrants, some Kennedy supporters believe that she may increase Kennedy’s appeal to youth and women and increase his chances of winning as a third-party candidate against the presumed contenders, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.
Who Is Nicole Shanahan?
38-year-old Nicole Ann Shanahan is an American technologist, attorney, and leading lawyer. According to campaign finance records, Shanahan, who has remained largely unknown in politics, backed Democrats from 2013 to the previous year. She contributed $25,000 to Joe Biden’s campaign in 2020. She has also contributed millions to Kennedy’s Super Bowl, including $4 million for a commercial that the team produced for him during the Super Bowl.
In her speech, Shanahan said that she had left the Democratic Party but took the best ideals and impulses with her. She cited the failure of both the Democratic and Republican parties to protect their founding principles, which contributed to the country’s decline. She encouraged the disillusioned Republicans to join her in the movement to unify and heal America.
Kennedy Addressed The People
Hundreds of supporters crowded the gymnasium, clapping and waving American flags as speeches preceded Kennedy’s declaration on Tuesday. Many addresses criticized vaccination programs and public health initiatives implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over an hour later, Kennedy took the stage to declare Shanahan his choice, praising her technological background in particular.
He charged that the military-industrial complex, the pharmaceutical industry, polluters, and the agriculture sector were all working together to subvert the government. Additionally, he charged that the two main political parties had merged and lost the support of the American people. He referred to Biden and Trump as “unpopular, tired heads of the uni party” and declared that his campaign was “a spoiler for both President Trump and President Biden.” He continued by saying that he and Shanahan would try to persuade voters that supporting Trump or Biden would mean “more of the same.”
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Kennedy, the independent candidate, aims to get on the ballot in the 50 states and Washington, DC. So far, he is only on the ballot for Utah. However, his campaign claims to have enough signatures to qualify in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Hawaii. The Kennedy campaign said that they had already collected signatures in 17 states and would kick off their petition-gathering in 19 additional states this week, requiring a vice presidential candidate.
In her statement on Tuesday, Shanahan stated that she plans to focus the next seven months of her life on helping Kennedy meet his ballot access goals.