Robert F. Kennedy Jr., West approved for ballot in Wisconsin after attempts to oust them fail

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted Tuesday to keep Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the presidential ballot, despite his request to be removed, and also rejected a Democratic attempt to oust independent candidate Cornel West.

A move by Democratic elections commissioners to keep Green Party candidate Jill Stein off the ballot also failed. The vote to approve her came the day after the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit by Democrats to remove Stein from the ballot.

Ultimately, the commission approved eight presidential candidates for the ballot in Wisconsin: Democrat Kamala Harris; Republican Donald Trump; Randall Terry of the Constitution Party; Chase Oliver of the Libertarian Party; Claudia De la Cruz of the Socialism and Liberation Party; and Kennedy, West and Stein.

The commission did oust one presidential candidate — independent Shiva Ayyadurai — an anti-vaccine activist who was born in India to parents who weren’t United States citizens. The U.S. Constitution requires presidential candidates to be natural born U.S. citizens.

Kennedy’s campaign sent the Wisconsin Elections Commission a letter dated Friday asking that his name be removed from the ballot. Although Kennedy has said he would try to remove his name from the ballot in battleground states, he has made clear that he wasn’t formally ending his bid and said his supporters could continue to back him in the majority of states where they are unlikely to sway the outcome.

Republican members of the commission pushed to grant Kennedy his wish to no longer be on the ballot after he suspended his campaign last week and endorsed Trump. But the commission deadlocked under opposition from Democrats who pointed to Wisconsin state law that says once a candidate has filed for office, they must remain on the ballot unless they die.

“We know Trump and Kennedy are playing games," Democratic elections commission member Mark Thompson said. "Whatever games they’re playing, they have to play them with Kennedy on the ballot.”

Republican commissioner Don Millis said he struggled with the state law requiring candidates to be on the ballot once they have filed. After his motion to remove Kennedy failed on a 3-3 vote, Millis and one other Republican commissioner sided with all three Democrats in voting to place Kennedy, West and De la Cruz on the ballot as independents.

Republican commissioner Robert Spindell, a Trump supporter who served as a fake elector for him in 2020, cast the lone no vote.

The commission voted 4-2 to approve Trump, Harris, Terry, Russell and Stein for the ballot. Two Democratic members voted against it, citing concerns raised in the lawsuit challenging whether Stein had met qualifications to be on the ballot.

The presence of independent and third party candidates on the ballot could be a key factor in a state where four of the last six presidential elections have been decided by between 5,700 votes and about 23,000 votes.

In 2016, Stein got just over 31,000 votes in Wisconsin — more than Trump’s winning margin of just under 23,000 votes. Some Democrats have blamed her for helping Trump win the state and the presidency that year.

Ayyadurai's candidacy was challenged by Mike Hoffman, an employee of the Republican National Committee.

Ayyadurai was born in India, immigrated to the U.S. at age seven and became a naturalized citizen at 20. That made him eligible to run for other offices, including for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in both 2018 and 2020.

Ayyadurai, who represented himself on Tuesday, did not refute the fact that he was born in India, but instead argued that the Wisconsin Elections Commission didn't have the legal authority to remove him from the ballot.

The commission voted 5-1 to remove him without discussion.

An employee of the Democratic National Committee challenged West's ballot status, claiming that his nomination papers were not properly notarized. West argued that his nomination papers were substantially in compliance with the law.

The commission rejected the complaint on a 5-1 vote, siding with West.

West, a left-wing academic and progressive activist, is at the center of multiple legal and political battles as Democrats and Republicans seek to use the impacts of third-party candidates who could take support from their opponents.

Republicans and their allies have worked to get West on the ballot in Wisconsin and other states in the hope that West will help boost Trump’s chances of winning by pulling support from Harris. West does not need to win a state to serve as a spoiler candidate — a few thousand votes in battleground states could be decisive.

FILE - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to reporters at the Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola, N.Y. on Aug. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, Pool)

Cornel West survives Democratic challenge in Wisconsin, will remain on state's presidential ballot

FILE - Cornel West speaks at a campaign rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in Detroit, March 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

Cornel West survives Democratic challenge in Wisconsin, will remain on state's presidential ballot

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities in Mexico's resort-studded Los Cabos area warned tourists and residents alike to stay inside Friday as Tropical Storm Ileana began to pound the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula with rain.

Ileana formed Thursday off the Pacific coast of Mexico and was lumbering north-northwest at 7 mph (11 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The forecast path would take it over or near the twin resorts of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas.

Ileana was centered about 35 miles (90 kilometers) east-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, the center said in a Friday afternoon advisory. Maximum sustained winds were at 45 mph (75 kph), and Ileana was expected to reach the coast in the next few hours.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for portions of the Baja California Peninsula, including Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Forecasters predicted 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rain would fall with Ileana, and up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) was possible for coastal areas of Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco states through Friday.

Ileana is expected to move across the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula Friday and over the southern and central Gulf of California this weekend.

Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in portions of Baja California Sur during the next several hours where Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect. This heavy rainfall will bring a risk of flash flooding and mudslides to portions of western Mexico and southern Baja California.

Los Cabos Civil Protection issued a red alert for Los Cabos and La Paz on Friday morning. “Stay totally indoors, do not go outside until authorities advise, and be aware of alerts issued by authorities,” they shared on Facebook.

They also urged residents to avoid crossing rivers, streams, and low areas where they can be swept away by water.

All schools in Los Cabos were also suspended Friday due to the storm.

Óscar Cruces Rodríguez of Mexico’s federal Civil Protection said in a statement that residents should avoid leaving their homes until the storm passes and if residents are in an area at risk of flooding to find temporary shelters.

Authorities prepared 20 temporary shelters in San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, according to Los Cabos Civil Protection.

At the Hacienda Beach Club and Residences in Cabo San Lucas, valet worker Alan Galvan said the rain arrived late Thursday night and has been constant. “The rain isn't very strong right now, but the waves are choppy," he said.

“The guests are very calm and already came down for coffee,” Galvan said. “There's some flights canceled but everything is ok at the moment.” Galvan said they are awaiting further advisories from authorities.

Felipe Gomez, a worker at the Vibrant Cabo San Lucas Marina Restaurant was the first to arrive at work, but was awaiting orders from management on whether they would close.

“Honestly it’s pretty ugly right now, the whole main boulevard is flooded and all the businesses are closed,” he said.

“I’m waiting for them to confirm and then I’ll go home," he said. "I hope it gets better and conditions don’t worsen.”

Hotels stand along the shore before the arrival of Tropical Storm Ileana in San Jose de los Cabos, Mexico, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Armando Figaredo)

This satellite image taken at 12:40 pm ET on Sept. 13, 2024, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows Tropical Storm Ileana at Mexico's southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. (NOAA via AP)