Kennedy Attracts More Republican Donors Than Democrats
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised more money from Republican donors than Democrats before announcing his independent presidential run last month.
A Politico analysis found that $2 million of Kennedy’s large-dollar donations through September 30 came from supporters who previously gave money to Republicans, while $1.4 million came from those who previously contributed to Democrats.
Another $5.1 million came from small-dollar donations.
Kennedy’s Independent Run Could Hurt Both Biden and Trump
New polling suggests that Kennedy’s independent run could hurt both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
A McLaughlin & Associates poll found that Trump’s five-point lead over Biden dwindled to two points when Kennedy was added to the equation.
When progressive academic Cornel West was also added to the ballot, Trump’s lead extended back to three points.
Two earlier polls, one by Zogby and one by Fox News, showed Kennedy’s entrance into the race tying Trump and Biden.
It Is Unclear If Kennedy and West Will Be on the Ballot in Every State
It is unclear if Kennedy and West will be able to get their names on every state’s general election ballot.
West had initially said he would run as the Green Party’s candidate, making ballot access less challenging, but later announced he would run simply as an independent.
Kennedy is also running as an independent, but has had conversations with the Libertarian Party, which also has a secured spot on states’ ballots. Libertarian Party members will hold a convention in May to determine their presidential nominee for 2024.