The Williamson-style spiritual leftism to which Shanahan appears to adhere may have appealed to Kennedy’s sensibilities: her selection, along with the pride of place offered to the Muwekma Ohione during her announcement event and her recent political alliances, has certainly given his campaign an overtly left flavor. This could be a cause of worry for the Biden campaign; while some polls have shown the Kennedy run pulling more votes from the former President Donald Trump than from Biden, Shanahan shifts the ticket to appeal directly to disaffected Democratic voters.

“I am leaving the Democratic Party,” Shanahan said in her acceptance speech. “I do believe they’ve lost their way and their leadership.”

In his introduction, Kennedy highlighted Shanahan’s appeal to a historically blue constituency, young voters. “I want Nicole to be a champion to the growing number of millennials and Gen Z Americans who have lost faith in their future and lost their pride in our country,” he said.