Gov. Cooper says Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is potential ‘spoiler’ in NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has the potential to be a “spoiler” in the presidential race in North Carolina as Kennedy tries to get on the ballot in the Tar Heel State.

Kennedy’s campaign said Monday they’ve gathered more than enough signatures to gain formal recognition for the new “We The People Party,” which would have Kennedy as its nominee.

State law requires 13,865 valid signatures for a new political party. Kennedy’s campaign says it’s obtained more than 23,000 in case some of those signatures don’t count.

“He’s being funded by Trump supporters. This is an intentional effort to be a third-party spoiler. I don’t think he has any chance of winning. So, I think it’s pretty clear what this is all about,” Gov. Cooper said.

Cooper has worked closely with the Biden campaign, helping to raise money and speaking at various events as both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have traveled to this critical battleground state.

The Biden campaign is attempting to flip North Carolina after former President Donald Trump won the state twice. In 2020, Trump won by 1.3 percent, which was his smallest margin of victory in any state he won that year.

“I hope that people can see through that, realize that this is a real binary choice that people are going to have between someone who has already talked about his autocratic tendencies, his encouragement of the attack on the Capitol, the threat to democracy, the threat to women’s reproductive freedom and then Joe Biden, who wants to protect those freedoms,” said Cooper.

A poll in February that Emerson College conducted showed Trump over Biden in North Carolina 47-44.

However, when RFK Jr. and other third-party candidates were included, Trump’s margin over Biden grew to nine points. Kennedy had 5 percent of the vote.

“This is the election where lesser-of-two-evils voting ends. For the first time in decades, we have a viable independent candidate, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., running against two deeply unpopular opponents. The American political system no longer runs on binary choice,” said Stefanie Spear, Kennedy campaign press secretary.

Trump and his allies have been critical of Kennedy, but Trump also has publicly suggested he believes RFK Jr. will pull more votes from Biden than him.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a far-left radical that supports reparations, high taxes and called the NRA a ‘terror group.’ North Carolina socialists have more choices than ever,” said Alex Pfeiffer, a spokesman for Make America Great Again Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC.

In February, a poll CBS17 conducted in partnership with Emerson College and the Hill found in a head-to-head matchup, Trump had 47 percent support in North Carolina compared to Biden’s 44 percent.

When third-party candidates, including Kennedy, were included, Biden’s share of the vote dropped. Trump had 46 percent compared to Biden’s 37 percent. Five percent of voters polled said they would support Kennedy.

The Biden campaign is investing in North Carolina this year as Democrats attempt to win the state for the first time since 2008. CBS17 reported Tuesday, the Biden campaign is expanding its staff in the state as it also opens 10 field offices across North Carolina.

“Of course, he’s not going to win North Carolina’s Electoral College votes. I don’t think anybody expects that. But, we are talking about somebody who could absolutely change this election,” said Chris Cooper, an expert on state politics at Western Carolina University. “In terms of polling, I think it’s pretty clear in North Carolina and elsewhere, he pulls from Biden more than he pulls from Trump.”

Chris Cooper said he’s watching to see what happens if the We the People Party is approved and if there end up being any candidates for other offices beyond the president.

“Those are the kinds of elections where really they can have the biggest impact. So, yes, we should be looking at the top of the ballot. But, let’s not ignore the fact that they could decide to participate lower down that ballot. Not as many headlines, but potentially bigger impact,” he said.

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