Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Vivek Ramaswamy to speak at CPAC investor summit

October 12, 04:55 PM October 12, 04:55 PM

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Newly independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will pitch himself at a Las Vegas investor conference hosted by the Conservative Political Action Conference, a group best known for its annual February gatherings of conservatives.

Kennedy is scion of the nation’s most famous political family and a longtime conspiracy theorist, including most recently railing against COVID-19 vaccines. He had sought the Democratic nomination against President Joe Biden and gadfly candidate Marianne Williamson. But viewed by Democrats almost universally as a Biden spoiler, or even a Republican plant, Kennedy drew little support from party regulars.

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So, Kennedy on Oct. 9 became an independent presidential candidate. It’s an open question how much support he’ll draw in the 2024 White House race, likely a rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump. Far-left former academic and virulent Israel critic Cornel West is also in the race as an independent.

The Oct. 18-21 CPAC Investor Summit to Save America also will feature wealthy biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a rival of Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination. Details like the event’s location and speaker dates and times are still trickling out.

But the event comes less than three weeks before the third GOP debate in Miami on Nov. 8. And its speaker list outside of presidential candidates is a virtual who’s who of Trump-aligned, anti-Republican establishment conservatives: former Trump administration official Steve Bannon; Arizona GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake, who falsely claims she won her state’s 2022 gubernatorial race; Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT); and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was recently acquitted in a state Senate impeachment trial on corruption charges. Also set to speak is the Texas attorney general’s wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton.

GOP 2024 hopefuls bet big on Nevada, with a slew of coming appearances

The Iowa caucuses, New Hampshire primary, and South Carolina primary have received the bulk of media attention. But another early-voting state, Nevada, is increasingly drawing candidate attention ahead of its Feb. 6 primary, several weeks after Iowa and New Hampshire and 16 days ahead of South Carolina.

Las Vegas has long been a political fundraising goldmine, and the voting event adds urgency for candidates to visit the state. Several will participate in the Oct. 27-29 Republican Jewish Coalition event.

Yet a series of smaller gatherings, mostly of local and state GOP activists, offer many opportunities for candidates to pitch themselves to voters. Here are upcoming GOP events in Nevada, along with the other early-voting states.

And while candidates at this stage of the primary process usually confirm appearances relatively last-minute, camping out at these events yields a decent chance of hearing a 2024 hopeful speak, particularly for Trump rivals like Ramaswamy, along with Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Plus, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for nearly two years in the Trump administration, along with former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

Oct. 18 (Wednesday)

Reagan Breakfast – A Salute to Teachers

Hosted by the Linn County Republican Central Committee

Radisson Hotel Cedar Rapids

1200 Collins Rd. NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

7-9 a.m. CDT

Republican Women of Las Vegas Meeting

Lawry’s Prime Rib

4043 Howard Hughes Parkway Las Vegas, NV 89169

11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. PDT

Washoe Republican Women Meeting

Rattlesnake Club