6 names being floated as potential RFK Jr. VP picks

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made a decision about his 2024 vice president, a pivotal step toward becoming an independent option for voters on Election Day in November. 

The environmental lawyer’s forthcoming announcement, planned for Tuesday in Oakland, Calif., brings him closer to meeting a necessary ballot qualification for a number of states.

Here are six people Kennedy is considering as a possible running mate.

Nicole Shanahan 

Kennedy has advertised his idiosyncrasies since dropping the Democratic Party platform to run as an independent. While his vice president list is packed with attention-grabbing figures, the current front-runner, Nicole Shanahan, has mostly flown under the radar. 

The 38-year-old Shanahan, who spent time in Oakland as a child, is not a household name, but she shares similarities to the insurgent candidate, including her career as a lawyer and her ground-level support of his bid. 

She’s already poured considerable resources toward Kennedy. She was the main financier for his biggest ad, a throwback with old images of former President Kennedy that ran during this year’s Super Bowl. Shanahan gave millions to the super PAC that paid for the ad. 

The former wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Shanahan is enmeshed in the California tech world and would bring strong funding to his expensive independent push for ballot access.

“I would never choose a vice presidential candidate based on how much money that they have,” Kennedy said in an appearance with NewsNation, which is owned by The Hill’s parent company Nexstar. “Our campaign is one of the principal priorities.”

Still, Shanahan’s deep pockets would be an undeniable asset to Kennedy, who will have to compete with the party apparatus in his effort to win the White House.

Mediaite was first to report about Shanahan, noting a registered domain name kennedyshanahan.com.

Jesse Ventura

If anyone on Kennedy’s shortlist knows how to surprise a national electorate, it’s Jesse Ventura.

Best recognized for his career as a WWE wrestler, Ventura entered the political fray by bucking the establishment in Minnesota in the 1990s. His successful third-party gubernatorial bid gives some context and credibility to the argument that Kennedy is making with his campaign.

Ventura, 72, served one term as a Reform Party candidate before officially bowing out of the political arena. His time in the governorship, however, inspired populist fans who saw him as a trailblazer. In the decades since Ventura left office, the ex-governor maintained a following on both the progressive left and former President Trump-aligned right. 

The New York Times first reported last week that Ventura was among those being seriously considered.

Tulsi Gabbard

Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been central to the vice-presidential chatter during Kennedy’s expedited search. The two kindred spirits both ditched the Democratic Party while criticizing its leadership. 

Throughout Kennedy’s campaign, Gabbard has been a vocal defender, accusing her former party of spreading “baseless lies” about the candidate, as she told Fox News last June. After leaving elected office, Gabbard, 42, has been outspoken about censorship and has insisted Democrats are wrong on a number of issues, including downplaying Kennedy. 

While the two outsiders are closely aligned in some respects, she’s also inched farther to the right than he has, with a source close to Kennedy and Gabbard telling The Hill she’s “definitely moving in a MAGA direction.”

Gabbard appeared at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, which has increasingly become an event aligned with Trump.

Aaron Rodgers 

The NFL quarterback was considered a top vice presidential pick as Kennedy’s search continued in earnest this month.

He was elevated for sharing similar anti-vax theories about COVID-19. Kennedy praised Rodgers, formerly an MVP with the Green Bay Packers who now plays for the New York Jets, as someone who can question conventions and authority and promote a broader health agenda.  

“He’s very aware of health issues,” Kennedy said about the 40-year-old Rodgers. “That’s one of the key parts of my agenda, is to get the country healthy again.”

Rodgers, however, was seemingly downgraded after it became public that he privately talked up conspiracy theories about the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 as being made up, CNN reported. Rodgers denied the allegations.

Rand Paul

When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he will not run for a leadership position again this fall, Kennedy moved quickly to endorse Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), citing a generational shift he believes is necessary on Capitol Hill.

Paul, a 61-year-old freedom-minded, vaccine-skeptical Republican who comes from a Libertarian family, has been outspoken against a big U.S. footprint in wars abroad. Kennedy shares much of his anti-interventionist approach and pointed to Paul’s defiance against high defense spending as an asset. 

“It’s time to promote leaders in Washington, D.C., who won’t kowtow to the military contractors or push us deeper into foreign conflicts,” Kennedy said in backing Paul. 

The Kentucky senator said during the search process, however, that he would not take on the position if offered, Politico reported.   

Andrew Yang

After running against President Biden and a slew of other Democrats for the White House in 2020, Andrew Yang has stayed relevant by keeping with politics.

He ran a rocky campaign for New York mayor and more recently endorsed Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) against Biden’s reelection.  

Kennedy’s allies know and like Yang, who shares his outsider take on Washington. But Yang has reportedly been hesitant to say whether he’d accept the job, according to Puck News, despite being asked by Kennedy.