Robert Kennedy Jnr files as 2024 presidential candidate in Utah, first state to grant him access
- Kennedy met the 1,000-signature requirement needed to appear on the ballot, making Utah the first state where the independent candidate has qualified
- Kennedy, nephew of President John F Kennedy, rose to prominence during the coronavirus pandemic for his embrace of public health conspiracy theories
Flanked by volunteers at a campaign event on Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Kennedy announced he had filed for candidacy in the state that morning.
Utah is the first state where his campaign submitted signatures and qualified for ballot access, campaign spokeswoman Stefanie Spear said. She expects Arizona may be next.
Kennedy criticised the many barriers to ballot access for candidates not backed by a major political party, saying the requirements in some states make it almost impossible to challenge the “chokehold” that Republicans and Democrats have over US politics.
“This process is forcing us to build our army now,” he said. “And we’re going to have a better army on the street and in the trenches in November 2024.”
A scion of one of the nation’s most famous Democratic dynasties, the long-time environmental lawyer veered from the party last autumn and announced his independent bid for the White House. He is a son of former senator and US Attorney General Robert F Kennedy and a nephew of Democratic president John F Kennedy.