Over the weekend, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign hinted that Nicole Shanahan, a lawyer and investor from the Bay Area who was previously married to Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, is a top contender to be Kennedy’s vice-presidential candidate on his independent ticket.
Nicole Shanahan’s consideration for the vice-presidential role has sparked a lot of interest. Last week, The New York Times mentioned that Kennedy’s potential vice-presidential picks included NFL star Aaron Rodgers and Jesse Ventura, the former Governor of Minnesota. Since then, more names have come up, such as Tricia Lindsay, a lawyer known for her opposition to vaccine mandates. Although Kennedy mentioned talking to Lindsay last week, he did not bring up Shanahan’s name.
At 38, Shanahan played a key role and was the main financial supporter of a $5 million Super Bowl advertisement. This ad, which was both bought and produced by a super PAC supporting Kennedy, reimagined a 1960 campaign ad for Kennedy’s uncle, John F. Kennedy. While some praised the ad, it also faced criticism from members of Kennedy’s family, who have distanced themselves from his campaign.
Mediaite reported that Kennedy is expected to choose Shanahan as his running mate. According to someone close to the campaign, Shanahan’s name has been circulating recently, especially amid concerns about Aaron Rodgers. However, it remains unclear if a final decision has been made.
Neither Shanahan nor Kennedy has commented on these reports.
Stefanie Spear, speaking for the Kennedy campaign, mentioned that there’s been a lot of media speculation. She announced that the official decision would be shared on March 26 in Oakland, California.
Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, Kennedy’s daughter-in-law and campaign manager, shared on the social media platform X that the media had been confident about Rodgers and now Shanahan. She confirmed that both were under consideration but did not reveal Kennedy’s final choice, expressing excitement about his decision.
The website kennedyshanahan.com was registered on March 13. A payment page linked to Kennedy’s campaign was briefly live on Saturday but was taken down by Sunday.
In a discussion with The Times last month, Shanahan revealed she initially supported Kennedy’s Democratic campaign but became disillusioned when he left the party. Recently, she has rejoined Kennedy’s supporters, finding widespread but quiet support for him.