Oakland, California – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that he will choose Nicole Shanahan, a donor and California-based attorney and entrepreneur, as his running mate.
Shanahan, 38, known for her divorce from Google co-founder Sergey Brin, was seen as a leading contender for Kennedy, especially since the campaign would need substantial funding for its efforts. He contributed $4 million to the Kennedy Super PAC American Values 2024 and was involved in the production of a commercial highlighting the Kennedy campaign that aired during the Super Bowl.
The pick comes a day after Kennedy's campaign threatened legal action against the Nevada Secretary of State's office over his petition to appear on the ballot. The signature he collected was invalid Because his petition did not include a vice-presidential candidate.
Documents requested from the Nevada office revealed that Kennedy only named himself on his candidacy petition, violating the rules and invalidating signatures collected in the state.
The Secretary of State admitted that his staff misled Kennedy.
Kennedy teased his vice presidential announcement earlier this month, putting forward some big names like football star Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota running back Jesse Ventura.
Here are some names Kennedy considered:
Aaron Rodgers, 40, a professional football player for the New York Jets and joined Kennedy in his skepticism of vaccine mandates. In 2021, Rodgers confirmed his unvaccinated status Days after testing positive for COVID-19, he was forced to sit out a Sunday football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Kennedy told the New York Times earlier this month that Rodgers was a leading contender for the job.
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, 72, was mentioned by Kennedy as a great contender. Ventura, a former wrestler who won the governor's race as the Reform Party candidate, said he would consider the job even though he disagreed with Kennedy's opposition to vaccines.
Former Hawaii Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard, 42, didn't deny she was approached by Kennedy, but when asked about it, said, “I'm going to let Bobby Kennedy speak for himself. He's a good friend, and I love and respect him and his heart so much. He does what he does.” However, he spoke at CPAC in February and showered praise on former President Donald Trump.
Mike Rowe, 62, said the former host of the television series “Dirty Jobs”. CNN He received a call from Kennedy about being his running mate. He said they discussed apprenticeships and his foundation, mikerowWORKS.
“At one point, he asked me if I would ever run for public office, and I spat my coffee back into my cup and said, 'Seriously?'
