Judge denies RFK Jr. ballot access in New York over residency issues

A New York judge told Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday that he will not appear on the ballot in New York after he failed to sufficiently prove his residency in the state. 

The Democratically aligned group Clear Choice Action filed a challenge to Kennedy's residency in the state, along with other third-party candidates, after Kennedy claimed he was still a New Yorker despite primarily living in California.

Judge Christina Ryba determined that the room Kennedy claimed was his residence in a New York City suburb was a "sham" residence used to maintain his voter registration. 

“Given the size and appearance of the spare bedroom as shown in the photographs admitted into evidence, the Court finds Kennedy’s testimony that he may return to that bedroom to reside with his wife, family members, multiple pets, and all of his personal belongings to be highly improbable, if not preposterous,” Ryba wrote, according to The Hill. 

The judge noted that Kennedy has a history of using the addresses of friends to keep his voter registration in the state.

“Using a friend’s address for political and voting purposes, while barely stepping foot on the premises, does not equate to residency under the Election Law,” she wrote. “To hold otherwise would establish a dangerous precedent and open the door to the fraud and political mischief that the Election Law residency rules were designed to prevent.”

The woman who owned the property testified that Kennedy pays her $500 a month for the room, and Kennedy admitted that he's only actually stayed there once since leasing it because of a busy campaign schedule.

The Kennedy campaign said it would appeal the ruling, and Kennedy slammed Democrats for the decision, claiming the party had become the party that uses "lawfare" in elections.

“The Democrats are showing contempt for democracy,” Kennedy said in a statement. “They aren’t confident they can win at the ballot box, so they are trying to stop voters from having a choice. We will appeal and we will win ... This case is an assault on New York voters who signed in record numbers to place me on their ballot."

Kennedy is hoping to appear on the ballot in 46 states this November, but has only been confirmed in 15 states so far. The places his candidacy could most sway the election are in the swing states of Michigan, North Carolina and Nevada.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.