Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer, anti-vaccine activist, and the son of a former senator, is expected to announce on Monday in Philadelphia that he is dropping his Democratic Party bid for president and will run as an independent.

Kennedy’s campaign flagged the announcement late last month in a video posted on YouTube, promising a “sea change in American politics.”

Kennedy’s combination of deep-pocketed backers, a famous name, and a lack of enthusiasm for the leading Republican candidate, Donald Trump, or Joe Biden, the Democratic president seeking re-election, could give his campaign a boost, political strategists say.

He could draw the support of about one in seven U.S. voters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week, and pull votes from both Biden and Trump.

At a Democratic National Committee gathering in St. Louis last week, party faithful were both dismissive and concerned.

“Outside of his name, what does he have? He’s an anathema to his family’s legacy. It’s sort of a disgrace,” said Ken Martin, head of Minnesota’s Democratic Party.

Many Democrats also point to the challenges independent candidates face getting on general election ballots in many states, such as collecting tens of thousands of signatures.

Others expressed caution.

“It’s going to be a very, very close race, so every vote counts. We can’t go into this election with rose-colored glasses,” said Charles Wilson, chair of Washington DC’s Democratic Party.

Source: with agencies