Kanye West to Appear on Oklahoma Presidential Election Ballot

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian in a file photo. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for EDITION

Rapper Kanye West has qualified to appear on the ballot in Oklahoma as a presidential candidate, coming a day after one of his advisers said that he is “out” of the 2020 race.

West filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on July 15, suggesting that he will try to run.

West listed his party as “BDY,” or possibly “Birthday” party. His custodian of records and treasurer is Andre Bodiford, while his bank or depository is the First Bank of Wyoming in Cody, Wyoming. West also listed his address in Cody.

On that day, a public affairs officer for the Oklahoma Board of Elections told New York magazine that a representative for West registered him in Oklahoma. He also paid $35,000 to get on the ballot. An Oklahoma Board of Elections spokeswoman, Misha Mohr, confirmed the development to The Associated Press.

A copy of the statement was uploaded to Oklahoma’s elections website.

West was one of three independent presidential candidates to pay the filing fee prior to the deadline, Mohr said. The others were concert pianist Jade Simmons and cryptocurrency entrepreneur Brock Pierce.

West has missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states, and it’s unclear if he’s willing or able to try to collect enough signatures required to qualify in others.

Then-President-elect Donald Trump and Kanye West stand together in the lobby at Trump Tower in New York City on Dec.13, 2016. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

West, who is married to reality television star Kim Kardashian West, initially announced his candidacy on July 4. Days later, he told Forbes magazine that he, who once praised President Donald Trump and said the two share “dragon energy,” was “taking the red hat off”—a reference to Trump’s trademark red “Make America Great Again” cap.

On July 15, an adviser to the rapper, Steve Kramer, told New York magazine that “he’s out” of the presidential race.

“We had overwhelming support to get him on the ballot,” he said of attempts to get West on ballots in Florida and South Carolina. “I have nothing good or bad to say about Kanye. Everyone has their personal decision about why they make decisions. Running for president has to be one of the hardest things for someone to actually contemplate at that level,” Kramer said.

West says he’s pro-life, pro-prayer in schools, and anti-death penalty, adding that he will run as an independent. He mentioned in the interview that it may be called the “Birthday Party.”

Trump brushed off West’s presidential aspirations in an interview last week.

“He is always going to be for us, and his wife is going to be for us,” Trump said of West on Fox News.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.