RFK Expected To Name Shanahan As VP Running Mate Today

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to name Nicole Shanahan as his running mate today, at an event in Oakland, California, according to sources cited by NBC News.

• Shanahan is a wealthy attorney and entrepreneur who, like Kennedy, has never before run for elected office.
• NBC notes: "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."
• If Kennedy gains ballot access in multiple states he could play a major role in determining the result of the presidential election, with polling indicating he could receive double digit support - the highest polling independent candidate since Ross Perot in 1992.
• The Democratic Party, operating under a belief that RFK's bid will syphon more votes from Biden than Trump, has established an operation tasked with scrutinizing RFK's campaign and publicising some of his fringe policy positions.
• Axios notes in reference to a recent Bloomberg poll of battleground states: "In all swing states combined, Trump led Biden 47-43. When other candidates were included, Trump's lead ticked up a point, to 43-38. Kennedy got 9%.”