Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce Tuesday that he will join the campaign of Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy San Francisco Bay Area attorney and entrepreneur, as her vice presidential pick, according to two sources familiar with Kennedy campaign plans. .
Shanahan, who like Kennedy has never run for office, has contributed to his campaign and super PAC.
The Kennedy campaign has an announcement event scheduled for Tuesday in Oakland, California.
Kennedy’s selection comes at a major turning point for his campaign. Independent presidential candidates must navigate different rules to get on the ballot by state, mostly related to gathering thousands of petition signatures. But more than half of the states require independents to submit their nomination papers to a named candidate, and some of those deadlines are fast approaching.
During his search for the vice presidency, Kennedy considered a number of potential candidates, including New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former Minnesota governor Jesse Venturaformer Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and television host Mike Rowe. Rowe described the interview with NBC News, saying Kennedy went through key policy positions and defended his anti-vaccine advocacy.
Bridget Bowman and Alexandra Marquez contributed.