Will RFK Jr. qualify for the 2024 Texas ballot? Here's why he's running for president

Fresh from submitting more than twice the number of petition signatures needed to qualify for a place on the 2024 Texas ballot in November, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a cheering audience in Austin on Monday night that he aims to shake the country out of the two-party morass that compounds the nation's problems instead of solving them.

Kennedy, the son and namesake of the New York senator who was assassinated during his own quest for the White House 56 years ago, invoked the imagery and idealism of his father and of late uncle, President John F. Kennedy, who too was cut down by an assassin. But many of the issues defining the Kennedy who came Monday to downtown Austin bore little resemblance to those of his relatives who came to power in the 1960s.

The younger Kennedy, who is 70, offered a mix of environmental activism and skepticism of many modern medical practices as he promised a presidency that would restore the physical and mental well-being of Americans, who he said "have the worst health outcomes in the world."

"The more we spend on medicine, the unhealthier we get," Kennedy, an anti-vaccination activist, told the audience that packed into the Brazos House, which has capacity of 500, in Austin's entertainment district.

His speech was preceded by music from a band that covered folk-rock music from the late 1960s and early '70s, a standup comic, some supporters and running mate Nicole Shanahan, a California attorney and tech entrepreneur who described herself as a former donor to Democratic causes.

Kennedy, who launched his campaign last year as a primary challenger to Democratic President Joe Biden, said he was pained by the decision to leave the party his family had been aligned with dating back to the earliest days of the 20th century. But it soon became clear that Kennedy would not have the backing of most members of his politically active extended family who less than a month ago made a show of their support for the Democratic incumbent.

And much of what Kennedy espoused during his 45-minute remarks veered from modern mainstream Democratic values. He made no mention of racial equality, which since the days of late uncle's presidency and embraced by Robert F. Kennedy Sr. has been one of the sturdiest pillars holding up the party's platform.

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The younger Kennedy mentioned abortion and LGBTQ+ rights only in passing, noting that they "are all important."

"But none of them are existential; none of them are the issues that really matter to you, to me, our children," he said.

Earlier Monday, Kennedy and Shanahan helped carry boxes containing 245,572 petition signatures — more than twice the required amount — into the Texas Secretary of State's Office on the first floor of the Capitol to get their names on the Texas ballot.

But simply submitting the signatures does not ensure ballot access. The office's Elections Division must certify that at least 113,151 of those who signed are registered Texas voters who did not vote in either the Republican or Democratic primaries in March.

Jay Ryu, who was born in South Korea and is now a naturalized American citizen, attended the rally Monday with his wife, Hannah. Jay Ryu, who wore a "Kennedy for President" ballcap, said he is "super patriotic and very excited" about the prospect of casting his first vote for Kennedy this fall.

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Hannah Ryu, a native-born American, called herself "a former Republican" who was drawn to Kennedy's candidacy because he broke free from the two-party system.

"He's not talking about the things the other candidates are talking about," Hannah Ryu said.

'Heal the divide'

About two hours before the rally, a truck outfitted with an animated screen began circling the block outside the venue carrying the message that Kennedy's campaign is being bankrolled in part by donors associated with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump under the notion that the former Democrat would siphon votes away from Biden.

But two recent polls of Texans showed that Kennedy's name on the ballot would not alter the separation between the former president and the incumbent.

Kennedy said that neither major-party candidate can be expected to unite a divided nation.

"We're going to heal the divide," Kennedy said. "President Trump can't heal the divide, and President Biden can't either. Both acknowledge the country is divided in a way that is more toxic, more dangerous than any time since the American Civil War. They're not able to do anything because they feed that division."

Jaime Iturbide, an Austin mechanic, showed up at the rally wearing campaign buttons from bygone eras. Two were from lifelong Democrats, former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Harry Truman. One simply said "Ike," a reference to Republican President Eisenhower, who preceded Kennedy's uncle. The other bore the name of John Connally, the 1960s-era Texas governor who switched his allegiance from the Democratic Party to Republican Party after leaving office.

Iturbide said he identified mostly with Connally.

"Call me disillusioned with politics," he said while standing a few feet from a row of Kennedy campaign paraphernalia that included hats, T-shirts and buttons being offered for sale. Iturbide, who said he leans toward Trump, wasn't quite ready add to his collection.

"I want to hear what Kennedy has to say," said Iturbide, noting that the independent candidate appears more fit and vigorous than Biden, 81, and the 77-year-old Trump. "At least he's healthy."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: RFK Jr. visits Austin, Texas, says he'll be on 2024 Texas ballot