Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Independent candidate

Birth date: Jan. 17, 1954 (age 70)
Birthplace: Washington
Party: Independent
Spouse: Cheryl Hines
Education: London School of Economics (B.A.); Harvard University (B.A.); University of Virginia (J.D.); Pace University (LLM)
Current profession: Lawyer, Morgan & Morgan; partner, Kennedy & Madonna LLP; environmental activist; anti-vaccine activist (founder, Children’s Health Defense)
Former professions: Chief prosecuting attorney, Hudson Riverkeeper; president, Waterkeeper Alliance; assistant district attorney, New York

The son of Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of the former president, Kennedy Jr. is running in the 2024 race as an independent after first launching as a Democratic challenger to President Biden. With his unconventional views, Republicans fear he will divert votes from their nominee.

During his April 2023 announcement as a Democrat, Kennedy Jr. emphasized “clean government, civil liberties, peace, and economic revitalization” as his reasons for running. He railed against government and the media for “censoring dissonant voices” and said they “should start telling the truth to Americans.” A lawyer and environmental activist, Kennedy Jr. is also a prominent anti-vaccine activist, pushing disproven claims that childhood vaccines are linked to autism and spreading misinformation about coronavirus vaccines. Kennedy Jr. may have a hard time making the national stage; the Democratic National Committee plans to support Biden and hasn’t committed to intraparty debates.

This page is part of a series on 2024 presidential candidates.

A hand-curated collection of stories about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.