Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will stay on Colorado’s presidential ballot despite suspending campaign, state confirms

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on the Colorado presidential ballot, his campaign told the Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday, despite Kennedy suspending his campaign and endorsing Republican Donald Trump last week.

His campaign said Kennedy did not plan to withdraw from Colorado’s ballot and “has encouraged all of his supporters to vote for him” in the state, according to communication shared by Colorado Secretary of State’s Office spokesman Jack Todd.

Kennedy’s campaign, which submitted enough signatures to appear on the ballot as an unaffiliated presidential candidate, did not return a request for comment from The Denver Post last week asking if he planned to pull his name from the ballot.

Kennedy, an anti-vaccine scion of a dynastic political family that has largely criticized his longshot pursuit of the White House, had tried to discuss administration roles with both Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, according to recent news reports. The former Democrat endorsed Trump last week but also said he wasn’t completely ending his bid — indicating he would leave his name on the ballot in states that were not likely to affect the outcome in the Electoral College.

The deadline to withdraw has passed even in some swing states, but Colorado’s ballot isn’t set until Sept. 6.

Kennedy has led a quixotic campaign in Colorado, sparking public and legal spats this summer among Libertarians as the state party attempted unsuccessfully to place him on the ballot using its line.

His continued presence on the ballot is unlikely to affect the presidential results here: Colorado is considered a safe Democratic state, one that President Joe Biden won by more than 13 percentage points over then-President Trump in 2020.

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