What to know about Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jr.’s pick for VP

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who considered names like NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura as potential running mates, announced his pick for vice president during an event in Oakland, California Tuesday afternoon.

The independent presidential candidate announced Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy patent attorney, tech entrepreneur and philanthropist, will join him on the ballot. The California-based attorney has never run for elected office.

Shanahan founded Bia-Echo Foundation to direct money towards issues including women’s reproductive science, criminal justice reform and environmental causes. She is also a CodeX fellow at Stanford Law School’s Center for Legal Informatics.

“She has spent the last decade relying on neural networks, artificial intelligence and cutting-edge science to identify abuses in our government,” Kennedy said.

It’s not clear if she would use her own money on the campaign, but she previously contributed $4 million towards a Super Bowl ad backing Kennedy in February.

“The purpose of wealth is to help those in need. That’s what it’s for. And I want to bring back, I want to bring that back to politics too,” Shanahan said.

According to campaign finance records, the 38-year-old has donated to Democratic presidential campaigns before. She has previously donated to Pete Buttigieg and Marianne Williamson. Shanahan also contributed to the Biden Victory Fund in 2020.

She was previously married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin from 2018 to 2023.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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