(DailyVantage.com) – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. achieved two significant legal wins on Friday, as judges in both North Carolina and Michigan ruled to remove his name from the presidential ballots. After dropping out of the race last month and endorsing Donald Trump, Kennedy has been working to have his name taken off ballots in key battleground states. His concern is that staying on the ballot could hurt Trump more than Vice President Kamala Harris.
In North Carolina, the Democrat-controlled State Board of Elections initially refused Kennedy’s request to withdraw his name. In response, Kennedy sued, but a judge ruled against him on Thursday, stating his name would remain. However, Kennedy was allowed to appeal, which he did. On Friday, the North Carolina Court of Appeals unanimously ruled in his favor, ordering his name to be removed from the ballot and blocking the distribution of any ballots with his name on them.
The North Carolina Board of Elections is now holding mail-in ballots while deciding whether to appeal the ruling. Paul Cox, General Counsel for the board, said, “Our attorneys are reviewing the order and determining how to move forward.”
In Michigan, a similar scene unfolded. Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson had also denied Kennedy’s request to be removed from the ballot. Kennedy sued again, and on Friday, a panel of judges ruled that Kennedy had the right to withdraw. They ordered Benson to remove his name, stating that there was no legal authority to prevent him from doing so.
Kennedy has opted to stay on the ballot in more solidly Democratic or Republican states, where his presence is unlikely to impact the election. However, his legal push to be removed from swing states like North Carolina and Michigan is part of a broader strategy to avoid taking votes away from Trump in close races.
Kennedy remains on the ballot in other states, such as Virginia and Wisconsin, but these courtroom wins are seen as significant steps in supporting Trump’s re-election efforts.
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