April 5 (UPI) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of former U.S. attorney general and slain 1968 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, is running for president in 2024 as a Democrat, according to paperwork filed Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission.
Kennedy, who is also the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, filed his statement of candidacy Wednesday. He is the second Democrat to enter the presidential race after self-help author Marianne Williamson launched her second White House bid last month.
Kennedy is an environmental lawyer and longtime anti-vaccine activist who founded the anti-vaccine organization Children’s Health Defense. During the pandemic, Kennedy repeatedly spoke out against the COVID-19 vaccine and accused leading infectious disease doctor Anthony Fauci of orchestrating “fascism.”
In 2021, Instagram shut down Kennedy’s account “for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines.”
Kennedy tweeted last month that he was considering a run for president to “restore America’s democracy.”
“If I run, my top priority will be to end the corrupt merger between state and corporate power that has ruined our economy, shattered the middle class, polluted our landscapes and waters, poisoned our children and robbed us of our values and freedoms,” Kennedy wrote.
Kennedy’s tweet also asked followers to help him “decide whether to run for president” and directed them to his exploratory committee website to volunteer or contribute.
“If it looks like I can raise the money and mobilize enough people to win, I’ll jump in the race,” he said.
Both Kennedy and Williamson are considered long shots for the Democratic nomination in 2024 as President Joe Biden is expected to announce his bid for a second term.
Former President Donald Trump announced last year that he would make another run for the White House. While former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have not announced their intentions to join the Republican race for president, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are already in the race.