Kennedy has previously faced some challenges in gaining ballot access as an Independent, including having a completed haul of signatures rejected in Nevada over a technicality. This led to Kennedy keeping his options open and considering leading the Libertarian ticket to secure nationwide ballot access.

After a Super PAC gathered over the required 15,000 signatures, the Nevada Secretary of State sent a memo to Independent candidates highlighting the statutory requirement for a running mate to appear on the petition. In communications with the SOS office, signature-gathering organizers were told it was not a requirement, information the SOS later called erroneous. Notably, the approved petition didn’t have a space to fill in with the name of a vice presidential candidate. In response, Kennedy has threatened to sue the Secretary of State.

Libertarian Party Chair Angela McArdle stated that she wouldn’t be commenting on Kennedy’s pivot for several days. Kennedy had been a hot topic among libertarians, some expressed reservations about Kennedy’s choice for vice president, attorney Nicole Shanahan, who was absent from Saturday’s event, while others questioned if he was a dues-paying member of the LP. 

The Kennedy campaign has announced securing ballot access in North Carolina, Idaho, and Nebraska, in addition to Saturday’s event in Iowa. According to the campaign, signature-gathering initiatives have been completed in Hawaii, Utah, and New Hampshire, while the official determinations on Nevada remain in the air. 

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