BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., heir to one of the most storied names in American politics and an independent candidate for president in 2024, will visit Buffalo on April 27 for a pair of election-related events.
Son of the former U.S. Senator from New York — Robert F. Kennedy Sr. — the younger Kennedy is slated for two appearances at Salvatore's Italian Gardens.
According to Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph C. Lorigo, Kennedy will deliver a lecture followed by a fundraising event.
Lorigo developed a close relationship with the environmental activist after representing high-profile clients in litigation surrounding COVID-19 drugs. Kennedy has long questioned the value of many vaccinations routinely dispensed in the U.S. for various diseases.
"He's not really an anti-vaxxer," Lorigo said. "He's more against the way the vaccines have been rolled out, which he thinks is about money and Big Pharma more than people's health."
Kennedy, who is beginning to qualify for presidential ballots in several states across the country, draws as much as 15% of the vote according to the latest amalgam of surveys compiled by RealClearPolitics. Lorigo notes it remains unclear whether Kennedy poses a threat to either Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Joe Biden.
"There are Democrats who can't bring themselves to vote for Biden," Lorigo said. "Are they going to cross over and vote for Trump? That's the big question."
"I think he is a voice of reason," added Lorigo, whose party supports Trump this year. "In a different day when we were not so bifurcated, I think Kennedy would be that voice."
Lorigo is part of a unique group of supporters sponsoring Kennedy's local appearances, who would hardly be associated with the liberal politics of the elder Kennedy.
He said the April appearance is mostly coordinated by the Western New York Constitutional Coalition, which describes itself on Facebook as "a gathering place for Patriots and Protectors of The Constitution of the United States of America."
