MADISON — State lawmakers are advancing a bill that would allow independent candidates to withdraw their names from the ballot in Wisconsin after independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fought unsuccessfully for months to get off the ballot last year.
Currently, a candidate who has successfully filed nomination papers can only be removed from the ballot if they die. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. David Steffen, testified Tuesday that Wisconsin and California are the only states with such strict requirements.
In 2024, Kennedy suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed President Donald Trump. He hoped to remove his name to avoid siphoning votes from Trump, but the Wisconsin Elections Commission voted to keep him on the ballot. Its decision was upheld by the courts.
Watch: State lawmakers consider bill to let candidates withdraw from Wisconsin ballot
The U.S. Supreme Court later rejected an emergency appeal from Kennedy seeking to remove his name from the ballot in Wisconsin and Michigan.
“There is no value in having an individual who has no interest and who will not serve on our ballot,” Steffen said.
Democrats on the Assembly’s elections committee did not object to the bill, which was written by Republicans.
To be passed into law, the bill must be approved by the full state Assembly and Senate, as well as be signed by the governor.
