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From The Hill: Michigan’s Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name would remain on the presidential ballot, which served as a blow to his efforts to aid former President Trump in the key battleground state.
Once Kennedy ended his campaign as an independent presidential candidate and threw his support behind Trump, he mounted an effort to remove his name from the ballots in states where he thought he might draw votes away from Trump. He sued Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in Michigan to do so.
Benson had rejected his initial request to remove his name from the ballot, citing a state law that says candidates nominated by a minor party “shall not be permitted to withdraw.” Kenney was nominated by the Natural Law Party in the state.
An appeals court had reversed a lower-level court decision that agreed with Benson on Friday, resulting in a win for Kennedy. The Monday decision reverses the state appeals court ruling.
The state supreme court ruled that Kennedy had not proven he had a right to remove his name for the ballot, and declared in the ruling, “Thus, the plaintiff has not shown an entitlement to this extraordinary relief, and we reverse.”
Townhall columnist Dustin Grage wrote, “Now The Michigan Supreme Court is ruling that Robert F. Kennedy must stay on the ballot. A candidate that dropped out of the race. The party of Democracy, folks.”
Now The Michigan Supreme Court is ruling that Robert F. Kennedy must stay on the ballot.
A candidate that dropped out of the race.
The party of Democracy, folks.
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) September 9, 2024
Journalist Charlie LeDuff added some insight. He wrote:
It should be noted that the Michigan Supreme Court did not rule today that RFKJr’s name must remain on the ballot as a matter of law.
Rather, the high court ruled there is no law PREVENTING Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson (D) from keeping his name on the ballot, even though Kennedy wants his name removed. That is, Benson doesn’t have to, and she doesn’t want to.
The Math — Benson tried (and failed) to remove Dr. Cornell West, a black man, from the ballot because that will help Harris.
She hamstrings Kennedy, a white man, because it will hurt Trump.
Scale tipping our “sacred elections.” These are troubling days.* Also — Benson sent the official slate of candidates to the various clerks on Friday as required by law. Kennedy’s name was not among them.
See you in court again, I guess.
It should be noted that the Michigan Supreme Court did not rule today that RFKJr’s name must remain on the ballot as a matter of law.
Rather, the high court ruled there is no law PREVENTING Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson (D) from keeping his name on the ballot, even though Kennedy… pic.twitter.com/Ok4Gx533yb— Charlie LeDuff (@Charlieleduff) September 9, 2024
Michigan’s top court rules RFK Jr.’s name will remain on ballot https://t.co/1utGDD2ROY
— The Hill (@thehill) September 10, 2024
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