On Sunday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a surprising announcement by entering the race for the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination, a move that stirred speculation about his potential to garner enough votes to challenge Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the November election.

Kennedy, who had delivered a speech at the convention on Friday, received a nomination from a delegate during Sunday’s convention session to become the party’s presidential candidate. However, his candidacy faced opposition, evident in the boos from other delegates.

Despite the initial buzz surrounding his candidacy, Kennedy’s bid was short-lived. Following the first round of voting, he was ousted from contention, having secured support from only 19 delegates, accounting for a mere 2.07% of the vote.

Initially, there was some uncertainty surrounding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stance on accepting the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination, given his independent bid. Kennedy had stated his intention to remain an independent candidate rather than representing the Libertarian Party.

Amid this confusion, party chair Angela McArdle took to the podium and reached out to Kennedy to clarify his position. Stepping away from the microphone to converse with him, McArdle could be overheard asking Kennedy if he would accept the nomination.

Returning to address the delegates, McArdle relayed, “He’s going to get back to us,” indicating Kennedy’s response was pending. Ultimately, Kennedy decided to accept the nomination. McArdle also confirmed that all necessary paperwork had been filed, qualifying Kennedy as a candidate for the party.

To formally accept the nomination, Kennedy participated in a FaceTime call during the convention, which was broadcast on the big screen to the attendees gathered in the convention center.

Over the weekend, Libertarians convened to select their presidential nominee. Despite a nomination for Trump emerging from the floor on Sunday, he couldn’t become the top contender due to legal constraints in nearly all states, as individuals cannot be nominees of two parties simultaneously. Furthermore, a Trump campaign official clarified that Trump wouldn’t have been eligible for the Libertarian nomination anyway, as he never formally joined the party.

The swift defeat of Kennedy at the convention dealt a blow to his independent presidential aspirations. The roster of candidates was extensive, including some unconventional write-in votes for figures like Stormy Daniels, Sean Lennon, and even Denali The Cat.

Had Kennedy secured the nomination, it would have bolstered his quest to appear on ballots across all 50 states, posing a significant challenge to both Biden and Trump’s reelection bids. The Libertarian Party already boasts ballot access in at least 37 states, including crucial battlegrounds such as Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.

As an independent candidate, Kennedy must navigate the ballot access process in each state individually, each with its own set of procedures. However, had he clinched the Libertarian nomination, he would have automatically appeared on the ballot in enough states to potentially amass the 270 Electoral College votes required to qualify for the presidential debates and even contend for the presidency itself.

In a hypothetical scenario where Kennedy secured the nomination and triumphed in all 37 states with Libertarian ballot access, he could potentially garner 380 electoral votes. This surpasses the 15 states where the Kennedy campaign currently claims to be pursuing ballot access.

Kennedy’s candidacy also raises the possibility of influencing swing states’ outcomes, thereby impacting whether Biden or Trump emerges victorious in crucial battlegrounds, ultimately shaping the overall outcome of the presidential election.