Robert F. Kennedy Jr. submits petition signatures in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD — Supporters and staffers of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Independent presidential campaign gathered in Springfield on Monday, June 24 to turn in petition signatures to get Kennedy on the Illinois ballot. The event kicked off with a celebratory lunch at Home Plate Bar and Grill with the group turning in signatures with the Illinois State Board of Elections shortly after 1 p.m.

Kennedy initially ran in the Democratic Party primary but announced in October 2023 that he would run as an independent. His campaign has been confirmed to be on the ballot in eight states: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah, totaling 108 electoral votes. Petition signatures for his campaign are being reviewed in 11 other states, including Illinois, with ballot access yet to be confirmed in those states.

Kennedy’s campaign had approximately $6 million on hand, according to the most recent FEC filings. A large majority of his campaign funding is from American Values, a political action committee affiliated with his campaign. The organization has raised $14 million for Kennedy’s campaign. His running mate, technology and patent lawyer Nicole Shanahan, donated $8 million to the campaign in April.

To qualify for the presidential ballot in Illinois as a third-party candidate or an independent, a candidate must gather 25,000 signatures. By contrast, a candidate for either of the major parties must only collect 5,000.

George Kemper, state director for the Kennedy campaign in Illinois, said the campaign turned in approximately 60,000 signatures.

Kemper joined the campaign in an attempt to bridge the political divide in the country and have productive political discourse. The campaign aims to focus on reaching people from all across the political spectrum who are disillusioned by the two major parties.

“We welcome you to the campaign,” Kemper said.

The campaign will focus on issues such as housing affordability with a signature proposal to give first-time homebuyers a government-backed mortgage at three percent interest, funded by tax-free bonds. Reducing military intervention abroad, aiming to root out chronic diseases, and preserving free speech are other signature campaign themes, according to the campaign’s website.

The campaign plans to have two events in Illinois in July with the possibility of more being scheduled. “We’ll be in Wheaton for the Independence Day parade and at the Dixon Petunia Festival Parade in Dixon on July 7,” Kemper said.

Other candidates who filed for the presidential race, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections, are independent Heather Stone, Terry Randall of the Constitution Party, Christopher Cisco of the Greener Peace Party, Jill Stein of the Green Party, and Scott Schluter of the Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party’s petition currently has placeholder candidates, intended for nominee Chase Oliver, known for his 2022 run for U.S. Senate in Georgia, and his running mate Mike ter Maat.

Petitions for all filed candidates are under an objection period until 5 p.m. on Monday, July 1, after which candidates will make it on the ballot, barring any special objections by the Illinois State Board of Elections at their August meeting. There are pending objections in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Nevada, according to Ballot Access News, whether they are direct objections or lawsuits against electoral bodies calling for Kennedy’s removal from the ballot.

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Jacob Hamm

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I am a college senior at Eastern Illinois University. I cover a wide variety of topics across Central Illinois such as protests, artistic and cultural events, local economic development, and the occasional column.

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