Kennedy convenes hundreds to seek ballot access

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launched a one-day blitz Saturday to gain access to Iowa's presidential ballot as an independent candidate. Whether he succeeded is an outstanding question.

Kennedy attempted to qualify by holding a convention with at least 500 eligible Iowa voters representing at least 25 counties. Before adjourning the convention Saturday, chair Dave Owen announced that 686 delegates representing more than 35 counties in Iowa were in attendance, figures that could not immediately be verified.

Kennedy and his allies are working to secure a ballot line in all 50 states as they mount a bid that has worried allies of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump about losing enough votes to swing the election. So far, Utah is the only state that has confirmed he is on the ballot.

A spokesperson with the Iowa secretary of state's office confirmed before Saturday's event that the office had been contacted by the Kennedy campaign and responded by providing this year's publicly available guide for candidates.

As people shuffled into a music venue Saturday, announcements from campaign staffers rang out over the speakers. The audience was told there were 300 people at 2:36 p.m. Central time; 400 about 20 minutes later. At 3:08 p.m., a staffer announced they had exceeded 500 people.

As he has in other campaign events, Kennedy drew longtime fans of his message as well as people who are frustrated by the impending rematch of the 2020 election.

Jeremy Youngers of Waukee, Iowa, said he doesn't like Biden or Trump. Youngers has been listening to Kennedy's podcast and his appearances on other podcasts for years and said he was excited when Kennedy announced his candidacy.

“This is an opportunity that we have to really make a difference,” the 42-yearold said, accompanied by his wife and two children.

Kristy Tierney, 45, drove about 180 miles from eastern Iowa to do her part in ensuring that voters have another option on the ballot in November.

“All they need is 500 people to show up here to get Bobby on the ballot,” the Bettendorf resident said. “So I thought, you know, I can drive a couple hours to make that happen.”

Tierney said she's fed up with the two-party system and voting against candidates, rather than for them.

“I haven't decided,” she said of her pick for president in November, “but I just think it's important to have another option.”

Kennedy is the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and son of Robert F. Kennedy, a former attorney general and U.S. senator. Both his father and uncle were assassinated. He has since built a reputation of his own as an activist, author and lawyer for environmental causes.