Another court has ruled against former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in his quest to have his name removed from Michigan’s presidential ballot ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
On Friday, the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals declined to overturn a previous ruling from a federal judge in Detroit who agreed with both Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and the Michigan Supreme Court that it was too late to have Kennedy’s name removed from the state’s presidential ballot.
Kennedy could still appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which would be under no obligation to hear the case when justices return to the bench in October for their 2024-2025 term. But with absentee ballots already available to voters in Michigan, it’s unclear how removing Kennedy’s name could actually work.
The appeals panel ruled 2-1 , with Circuit Judges Eric Clay and Rachel Bloomenkatz affirming a decision made by U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood. Circuit Judge David McKeague dissented. Clay is an appointee of former President Bill Clinton; Bloomenkatz is an appointee of President Joe Biden and McKeague is an appointee of former President George W. Bush.