Latino-led PAC Intervenes To Keep RFK Jr Off Nevada Ballot

Somos PAC, “a latino-led organization dedicated to electing progressive candidates” has filed to intervene in a lawsuit by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign against Nevada’s Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, claiming that “Team Kennedy is “attempting to circumvent Nevada state law and force himself onto the ballot this November.”

Last week, RFK Jr.’s campaign filed a lawsuit claiming that a Secretary of State staffer provided incorrect information to the independent candidate when he began the petition process to appear on the ballot in the Silver State. At that time, a staffer allegedly advised the campaign that Kennedy did not need to list his running mate on the petition. According to state law, an independent candidate must include a vice presidential candidate on the petition. Team Kennedy contends that the statute is unconstitutional.

In March, Team Kennedy announced they had collected more than 15,000 signatures in Nevada and had also announced his running mate, Nicole Shanahan. But without Shanahan listed on the petition, the 15,000 signatures are null and void.

Somos PAC contends that his appearance on the ballot will cause them to “completely rework both its voter engagement and paid media programs, thereby requiring it to divert critical and limited resources that were already earmarked for other states.”

Somos Votantes, a latino advocacy group who operates Somos PAC, has earmarked $57 million to mobilize the latino vote for the Biden-Harris campaign and for Democratic candidates down the ballot.

According to NBC:

Of the $57 million, $33 million will go to mobilizing Latino voters in support of Biden, as well as Democratic House and Senate candidates in eight states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin — primarily through door-knocking campaigns, bilingual paid communication and “robust” community organizing, according to the campaign plan. Its nonprofit will spend another $24 million to expand nonpartisan voter education programs, which include help in registration, information about voting and the election.

Somos plans to knock on over 1 million doors and spend nearly $5 million in bilingual paid communication to boost the campaigns of Biden and Sen. Jacky Rosen, whose re-election is also critical to the Democrats’ retaining control of the Senate.

“No one is above law, which is why today Somos PAC decided to push back on RFK Jr.’s desperate attempts to sidestep well-established law that protects hardworking Nevadans,” said Melissa Morales, President and Founder of Somos PAC. “Ballot access laws are an essential pillar of our community and our democracy that safeguards voters and ensures they are informed on who they are petitioning to be on November’s ballot. If RFK Jr.’s campaign cared about hardworking Nevadans, they would put all their efforts into collecting signatures and going through the proper channels to be included on the ballot while there is still plenty of time. Instead, he and his campaign have chosen not to do that. For several election cycles, Somos PAC has devoted resources to ensuring voters in Nevada have the information they need to fully participate in our democracy. And our commitment to that effort will continue.”

After Team Kennedy’s announcement in March, the Secretary of State’s office acknowledged the error, but in a recent statement to CBS News, Aguilar is looking forward to “seeing Mr. Kennedy’s team in court.”

“Nevada has a rich history of independent and third party candidates for office. Each of those candidates managed to attain ballot access by following the law. We look forward to seeing Mr. Kennedy’s team in court,” Aguilar told CBS news.

American Values 2024, the super PAC supporting Kennedy, claims it has collected enough signatures for RFK Jr. to appear on the ballot in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and South Carolina and intended on spending an additional $10-$15 million on collecting signatures in other states. However, the Democratic National Committee “filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Kennedy’s independent presidential campaign and the super PAC supporting him, American Values 2024, alleging the two were illegally colluding on ballot access for Kennedy.”

Kennedy announced he was running as an Independent for President of the United States back in October 2023 stating at a campaign stop in Philadelphia, “We declare independence from the two political parties and the corrupt interests that dominate them, and the entire rigged system of rancor and rage, corruption and lies. “I haven’t made this decision lightly,” he said, “It is very painful for me to let go of the party of my uncles, my father.”