Michigan judge rejects RFK Jr.'s lawsuit to have name removed from state's ballot
A Michigan judge ruled Tuesday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. must remain on the November presidential ballot.
Kennedy suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump in August. Since then, he has sought to withdraw his name in states — like Michigan — where the race could be close. At the same time, he is trying to remain on the ballot in states where he is unlikely to make a difference between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Kennedy filed a lawsuit Friday in Michigan's Court of Claims against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to withdraw his name. Michigan's election officials previously rejected Kennedy's notice of withdrawal.
In a post on X Tuesday, Benson said under state law, candidates who are nominated and accept a minor party's nomination "shall not be permitted to withdraw."
Kennedy argued in the lawsuit that his notice of withdrawal was timely and the electorate's votes could be "diminished and rendered invalid" if he remained on the ballot. He filed a similar lawsuit in North Carolina on Friday, where he is trying to withdraw his name from the ballot.
Michigan Court of Claims Judge Christopher Yates concluded that the secretary of state rightly rejected Kennedy's request to be removed from the ballot.
"Elections are not just games, and the Secretary of State (SOS) is not obligated to honor the whims of candidates for public office," Yates said in his opinion and order. "Months ago, Plaintiff Robert F. Kennedy Jr., obtained the nomination of the Natural Law Party to represent that party in 2024 as its candidate for President of the United States. But then, plaintiff changed his mind and attempted to have his name removed from the ballot for the 2024 general election. The SOS rejected that eleventh-hour change of heart, so plaintiff has come to the Court at the very last minute seeking immediate relief on the basis that the SOS has violated Michigan law in denying his request to be removed from the ballot."
Last week, another Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled that Cornel West must remain on the ballot, an opinion welcomed by West's campaign.
Read the full opinion and order below: