RFK Jr. names attorney Nicole Shanahan as his VP pick

OAKLAND, Calif. — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy attorney and entrepreneur in the San Francisco Bay Area, will be joining his campaign as his vice presidential selectionShanahan, who like Kennedy has never run for elected office, has contributed to his campaign and his super PAC. Kennedy made the announcement at an event in Shanahan's hometown of Oakland. Kennedy's pick comes at a key inflection point for his campaign. Independent presidential candidates have to navigate different rules for getting on the ballot state by state, mostly involving gathering thousands of petition signatures. But in more than half of states, independents are required to file their nominating papers with a named running mate, and some of those deadlines are approaching quickly. Even as it remains a question where exactly Kennedy will be able to get on the ballot, he is polling better than other third-party candidates. And while the results can vary depending on exactly how different surveys ask the question, those results suggest he could play a significant role in critical swing states if he's on the ballot this fall. In Arizona, Bloomberg/Morning Consult and Fox News surveys from this month show him garnering double-digit support. In Michigan, a Quinnipiac University survey from earlier this month also shows him attracting double-digit support while in Pennsylvania. And in North Carolina, a Marist College poll showed 11% of registered voters backing Kennedy. Kennedy considered a number of potential running mates during his vice presidential search, including New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and TV host Mike Rowe. Rowe described his interview to NBC News, saying Kennedy ran through key policy positions and defended his anti-vaccine advocacy. But ultimately, the sources said Kennedy homed in on Shanahan, who previously was involved in the production of an attention-grabbing Super Bowl ad supporting Kennedy in February. Shanahan told The New York Times that she helped make the ad and gave $4 million to the super PAC American Values 2024 last month to air it. Federal campaign finance records show a $4 million contribution to the super PAC on Jan. 31 from Planeta Management LLC, which bears a similar name to her venture fund, Planeta Ventures. But joining Kennedy's ticket appears to open a pathway for Shanahan to inject her own wealth directly into the campaign instead of into an outside group, which would allow Kennedy to use the funds for key projects like gathering petition signatures for ballot access. Federal Election Commission rules suggest that vice presidential hopefuls are free to contribute their own money to their campaign with no limitations — just like a presidential candidate, as long as the ticket is not seeking public funding.


All data is taken from the source: http://nbcnews.com
Article Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024...


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