American Values 2024, the external group backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign, announced on Tuesday that they have successfully collected the requisite signatures to place Kennedy on the ballot in Arizona and Georgia, two crucial battleground states, for the upcoming November elections.
These two states played a pivotal role in President Joe Biden’s narrow victory over former President Donald Trump in the 2020 elections. Kennedy’s inclusion on the ballot in these swing states could potentially alter the electoral dynamics in a potential Biden-Trump rematch.
“The grassroots energy and momentum give us more confidence than ever in our ability to knock out the remaining states on our list of states quickly,” said Tony Lyons, PAC co-founder, in a statement on Tuesday.
Despite Kennedy’s bid being considered a longshot, his campaign has already secured a spot on the Utah ballot and collected enough signatures for ballot access in New Hampshire and Hawaii. Kennedy has consistently expressed his intention to appear on the ballot in all 50 states and Washington, DC, ahead of the November election.
A New York Times/Siena College poll from October showed Kennedy earning 26% support among registered voters in Arizona, with Biden and Trump each garnering 33%. Similarly, in Georgia, Kennedy trailed Trump (36%) and Biden (29%) with 24% support.
The PAC plans to continue its signature gathering operation in ten other states, including Michigan, another battleground state, and states with large signature requirement thresholds such as Texas, California, and New York. The group has previously announced plans to spend between $10 million and $15 million to assist Kennedy’s signature gathering efforts.
Earlier this month, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) filed an FEC complaint alleging illegal coordination between the PAC and Kennedy’s campaign regarding the group’s ballot access initiative. Both Kennedy campaign officials and PAC officials have denied any violation of FEC rules.
The DNC has also launched a campaign against Kennedy, including billboards outside multiple Kennedy campaign events highlighting contributions to the PAC from Timothy Mellon, a GOP megadonor, who has previously donated large sums to Trump-aligned groups.
Lyons confirmed to CNN on Tuesday that the PAC has yet to submit its signatures to the elections offices in Arizona and Georgia, but plans to do so in compliance with FEC guidelines. “Each state has specific rules about the timing and process of the submission. We will follow the exact rules and FEC precedent as explained by our attorneys and without coordinating with the campaign,” Lyons said.