Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name may not be on the New York State ballot in November. New York Justice Christina Ryba, a judge from Albany County, ruled that the Westchester address under which RFK Jr. registered is not his “place of residence,” thus invalidating his application to run for office in other states as well. The rule will be confirmed in September. Meanwhile, RFK Jr.’s campaign has announced it will appeal.
“The overwhelming credible evidence introduced at trial established that Kennedy’s connections with the [Westchester] address existed only on paper and were maintained for the sole purpose of maintaining his voter registration and political standing in the State of New York,” Judge Ryba wrote in the 34-page decision following a short trial.
“The Democrats are showing contempt for democracy. They aren’t confident they can win at the ballot box, so they are trying to stop voters from having a choice,” RFK Jr. responded to the decision.
Robert Kennedy K Jr. had used the Westchester address to file his candidacy in other states, including Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The Democratic Clear Choice Action had sued him claiming that the address referred to a place he had visited once and that his current residence is, instead, in California, providing reliable press releases. During the trial, RFK Jr. confirmed that he had spent only one night in Westchester, but that soon after he began renting the home, bought in 2021, and that he also kept relations with New York state by being a partner attorney in a law firm with a license valid only for this territory. But the version did not convince Judge Ryba.
The sentence is a further obstacle to RFK Jr.’s already difficult campaign. The independent candidate is at least 40 points behind the other two, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, who lead the field in a neck-and-neck race. With the assassination attempt on the former President and the entry of the Vice President into the race, Republicans and Democrats have tightened around their representatives and RFK Jr. finds himself trailing.
