Kanye Was Supposedly Out. One State Says Otherwise

Rapper has filed necessary forms to qualify for general election ballot in Oklahoma
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 16, 2020 9:10 AM CDT
Kanye May Not Be Out of Race After All
This Nov. 17, 2019, file photo shows Kanye West on stage during a service at Lakewood Church in Houston.   (AP Photo/Michael Wyke, File)

As with many things Kanye, the latest Kanye West development is mired in confusion. After reports this week that the 43-year-old rapper and producer appeared to be dropping his 2020 presidential run, Business Insider reports he has officially been given the thumbs-up to be on the ballot in at least one state. "Independent presidential candidate Kanye West has qualified for the General Election ballot in Oklahoma," the state's Election Board tweeted Wednesday afternoon. Board officials tell KOCO they received "a properly executed statement of candidacy for Kanye West" in time to meet Wednesday's deadline for independent and unrecognized party candidates. A board spokeswoman says West also paid the necessary $35,000 filing fee, per the AP.

News of West's political demise came via a New York story earlier this week in which an election strategist told the magazine the rapper was "out." However, that was soon followed up by a report from TMZ that West had filed a "statement of organization" with the Federal Election Commission, the first form required by the agency. Per the outlet, West has yet to file the more crucial "statement of candidacy," which illustrates he's ponied up or raised more than $5,000 in terms of campaign activity. There's been no clue from West himself as to what's going on: Since a July 9 post showing him registering to vote, his Twitter feed has focused on his mom, Dennis Rodman, and different types of chairs. Even if West is still in the running for the Oval Office, there's one irrefutable fact—he's already missed the deadline to get on the ballot in at least four states: Indiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas. (More Kanye West stories.)

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