RFK Jr. shouldn’t sidestep Nevada election law, Latino PAC says
A political action committee prioritizing the Latino community is seeking to intervene in the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign’s lawsuit against the Nevada Secretary of State over November ballot access.
Somos PAC, a sister organization to the Latino-focused Somos Votantes group, filed a motion Thursday to intervene in the lawsuit, arguing Kennedy is ineligible to appear on the ballot unless he resubmits a petition that complies with Nevada law.
Kennedy’s campaign filed a lawsuit last week alleging Nevada’s law requiring independent candidates to name their running mate by the time they start gathering signatures to appear on the ballot is unconstitutional.
“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, in a statement.
Morales said ballot access laws ensure voters are informed on who they are petitioning to be on November’s ballot. Nevada’s requirement for third-party candidates to include their running mate on petitions was established to protect Nevadans and ensure they know exactly which candidates are petitioning to be on the ballot, Somos PAC argued.
Kennedy’s campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.
Somos PAC also argues that allowing Kennedy to be placed on the ballot despite failing to comply with Nevada law will “frustrate Somos PAC’s mission and divert resources from crucial programs.”
It will force the organization to rework its voter engagement and paid media programs, the PAC argues.
“Being forced to pull resources away from other key states and divert them into Nevada so close to the General Election will compromise Somos’s ability to fulfill its mission of empowering Latinos to participate in the democratic process,” the motion says.
The political action committee plans to raise $33 million to support President Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates, according to the motion. It also plans on spending around $5 million on voter engagement programs to encourage Latinos to vote.
The group argues that staff and volunteers will have to spend more time at each potential voter’s door to explain why Biden is a better advocate for the Latino community than both Donald Trump and Kennedy, rather than just Trump.
Running ads opposing Kennedy will also reduce the pool of funds available for ads supporting President Biden or opposing Donald Trump,” the motion says.
Somos PAC motion to intervene by Jessica Hill on Scribd
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.