Oakland, California — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. introduced Tuesday that he’s choosing Nicole Shanahan, a donor and California-based lawyer and entrepreneur, as his operating mate in his long-shot unbiased bid for the White Home.Â
At an occasion in Oakland, Kennedy launched Shanahan as somebody who “who will converse for millennials and Gen Z. Somebody who cares about therapeutic our kids, defending the environment, restoring our soils, and getting the chemical substances out of our meals, and who understands how know-how will both enslave us or give us a path again to freedom and prosperity.”
Shanahan, 38, who can also be recognized for her high-profile divorce from Google co-founder Sergey Brin, was regarded as a number one contender for Kennedy, notably for the reason that marketing campaign would require substantial funding for its endeavors. She contributed $4 million to the Kennedy tremendous PAC American Values 2024 and was concerned in coordinating the manufacturing of an advert highlighting the Kennedy marketing campaign, which aired through the Tremendous Bowl.Â
Up to now, Kennedy is barely on the overall election poll in Utah.Â
The decide comes in the future after Kennedy’s marketing campaign threatened authorized motion in opposition to the Nevada Secretary of State’s workplace over his petition to seem on the poll after CBS Information reported that the signatures he had gathered could possibly be invalid as a result of his petition didn’t embrace a vice presidential candidate.
Paperwork requested from the Nevada workplace revealed that Kennedy solely named himself, and not using a operating mate, on his candidate petition, in violation of the principles, probably making the signatures collected within the state void.
The secretary of state’s workplace acknowledged its workers had misinformed Kennedy.
The Kennedy marketing campaign mentioned in an announcement Tuesday that, now that it has introduced a vice presidential decide, it should start gathering signatures this week in 19 extra states that require a operating mate for poll entry.
These states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.Â
Kennedy had earlier this month teased his vice-presidential announcement, placing ahead some large names reminiscent of soccer star Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Jesse Ventura.Â
Listed below are among the names Kennedy had thought of:
Aaron Rodgers, 40, is an expert soccer participant for the New York Jets and aligns with Kennedy in his skepticism in direction of vaccine mandates. In 2021, Rodgers confirmed his unvaccinated standing simply days after testing constructive for COVID-19, forcing him to sit down out a Sunday soccer sport in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. Kennedy instructed the New York Instances earlier this month that Rodgers was a number one contender for the job.
Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, 72, was additionally talked about by Kennedy as a high contender. Ventura, a former wrestler who received the governor’s race as a Reform Social gathering candidate, mentioned he’d think about the job, although he disagreed with Kennedy’s opposition to vaccines.
Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, 42, hasn’t denied she was approached by Kennedy, however when requested on about it, solely mentioned, “I am gonna let Bobby Kennedy converse for himself. He is a great pal and I actually love and respect him and his coronary heart and why he is doing what he is doing.” Nonetheless, she spoke at CPAC in February and showered reward on former President Donald Trump.
Mike Rowe, 62, former host of “Soiled Jobs” TV sequence, instructed CNN that he acquired a name from Kennedy about being his operating mate. He mentioned they mentioned vocational coaching and his basis, mikeroweWORKS.Â
“Sooner or later, he requested me if I might ever think about operating for public workplace, and I spit my espresso again into my cup and I mentioned, ‘Severely?'”Â