Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has chosen Nicole Shanahan as his running mate in his independent presidential campaign, a surprising move considering Shanahan has no prior experience in elected office. At 38 years old, Shanahan brings youth and significant financial resources to Kennedy's unlikely bid for the presidency, although she is not widely recognized beyond the tech hub of Silicon Valley.
Shanahan is the head of the Bia-Echo Foundation, a non-profit she established to support various causes such as women's reproductive science, criminal justice reform, and environmental initiatives. Additionally, she serves as a fellow at Stanford University and previously founded and led ClearAccessIP, a company focused on patent management that was acquired in 2020.
Shanahan was previously married to Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, from 2018 to 2023, and the couple shares a young daughter. She was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the same location where Kennedy unveiled his decision to select her as his running mate.
During a conversation on Tuesday, Shanahan recounted her challenging upbringing in Oakland. She grew up as the daughter of a mother who immigrated from China and an Irish and German-American father who struggled with substance abuse and employment stability. Despite later achieving significant wealth, Shanahan expressed her ability to empathize with Americans who are just one misfortune away from crisis due to her family's reliance on government aid.
"The purpose of wealth is to assist those in need. That's its true essence," Shanahan emphasized. "And I aim to reintroduce this concept into politics as well. This is the essence of privilege."
Prior to the official announcement, Kennedy's campaign manager and daughter-in-law, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, commended Shanahan's efforts in promoting "transparent governance, racial equality, sustainable agriculture, and the health of children and mothers." She highlighted that Shanahan's work addresses several of the most pressing issues in the country.
In an interview on Monday with "The State of California" on KCBS radio, Kennedy mentioned that his search for a vice president focused on finding someone capable of representing the interests of young people. On Tuesday, he emphasized that Shanahan, who like him has distanced herself from the Democratic Party, also shares his concerns about government intrusion and his skepticism about the ability of major political parties to drive lasting change.
"She'll tell you that she now understands that the defense agencies work for the military industrial complex, that health agencies work for big pharma and the USDA works for big ag and the processed food cartels," Kennedy said at his Oakland rally. "The EPA is in cahoots with the polluters, that the scientists can be mercenaries, that government officials sometimes act as censors, and that the Fed works for Wall Street and allows millionaire bankers to prey upon on Main Street and the American worker."
Kennedy also said that, in part, Shanahan's heritage played at least some role in his selection of her.
"I wanted someone who would honor the traditions our nation, as a nation of immigrants, but who also understands that to be a nation, we need to secure borders," he said.
Kennedy had previously signaled interest in picking a celebrity or a household name such as NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, "Dirty Jobs" star Mike Rowe or former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, who was a wrestler and actor.
According to campaign finance records, Shanahan has long donated to Democratic candidates. It was unclear if Shanahan would use her own money on the campaign, but she has already opened her wallet to back Kennedy, giving the maximum amount allowed to Kennedy when he was still pursuing that party's nomination before switching to an independent bid in October.
She was a driving force and the primary donor behind a Super Bowl ad produced by a pro-Kennedy super PAC, American Values 2024, for which she contributed $4 million. In response to criticism following the ad's release, the super PAC said its "idea, funding, and execution came primarily" from Shanahan.
While the super PAC supporting Kennedy can accept unlimited funds, it is prohibited by law from coordinating with Kennedy's team.
However, as a candidate for vice president, Shanahan has the ability to contribute unlimited amounts directly to the campaign. This could potentially provide a significant boost to Kennedy's costly effort to secure a spot on the ballot in all 50 states. Kennedy has estimated that this endeavor will require $15 million and the collection of over 1 million signatures.
