John Russell, September 20, 1822 (Livingston, NY) - November 4, 1912 (Detroit, Mich.)
VP candidate for Prohibition Party (1872)
Running mate with nominee: James Black (1823-1893)
Popular vote: 5,607 (0.1%)
Electoral vote: 0/352
The campaign:
Between the creation of the Prohibition Party in 1869 and the 1872 presidential election they had already had some experience running candidates for local offices in nine states. After the Liberty Party in 1860, the Prohibitionists were among the early national political party conventions with female delegates.
Although they looked like a single-issue anti-alcohol party, they did include some other issues in their 1872 platform, such as:
10. That we favor the election of President, Vice-President and United States Senators by direct vote of the people.
13. That an adequate public revenue being necessary, it may properly be raised by impost duties and by an equitable assessment upon the property and legitimate business of the country; nevertheless we are opposed to any discrimination of capital against labor, as well as to all monopoly and class legislation.
16. That the right of suffrage rests on no mere circumstance of color, race, former social condition, sex or nationality, but inheres in the nature of man; and when from any cause it has been withheld from citizens of our country who are of suitable age and mentally and morally qualified for the discharge of its duties, it should be speedily restored by the people in their sovereign capacity.
17. That a liberal and just policy should be pursued to promote foreign immigration to our shores, always allowing to the naturalized citizens equal rights, privileges and protection under the Constitution with those who are native born.
The Black/Russell ticket of the new party was on the ballot in six states and even placed third in a four-way race in Ohio: Michigan 1271 (0.58%), Ohio 2,100 (0.40%), New Hampshire 200 (0.29%), Pennsyvania 1630 (0.29%), Connecticut 186 (0.19%), New York 201 (0.02%)
The Prohibition Party would grow and endure to the present day, becoming America's oldest third party.
Election history:
1870 - US House of Representatives (Mich.) (Temperance Party) - defeated
1876 - US House of Representatives (Mich.) (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1882 - US House of Representatives (Mich.) (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1884 - US House of Representatives (Mich.) (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1890 - US House of Representatives (Mich.) (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1892 - Governor of Michigan (Prohibition Party) - defeated
Other occupations: Methodist minister, newspaper publisher, 1st National Committee Chairman of the Prohibition Party, Prohibition Party Presidential Elector (Mich.) 1896, 1912.
Buried: Hart Cemetery (New Baltimore, Mich.)
Notes:
Reputed to be "The Father of the Prohibition Party"
Methodist minister known locally as "Father Russell" and was in fact the father of 8 children.
