Henning Albert Blomen, September 28, 1910 (New Bedford, Mass.) – July 14, 1993 (North Reading, Mass.)
VP candidate for Socialist Labor Party (aka Labor Party aka Industrial Government Party) (1964)
Running mate with nominee: Eric Hass (1905-1980)
Popular vote: 45,189 (0.06%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Eric Hass was nominated as the Socialist Labor Party choice for President for the fourth and final time in 1964. His running mate was a biennial SLP candidate in Massachusetts, Henning Blomen. Every two years from 1934 to 1970 Blomen was without fail on the ballot as a SLP candidate running for office never attaining even 1% of the popular vote in any of those races.
As usual, the SLP platform was presented in essay form. The 1964 platform is one of the more enduring documents to come from this party, not necessarily locked into the current events of that day. It chiefly addresses the existential disconnect felt by American workers in an industrial society and proposes their brand of socialism as the solution, interestingly without mentioning Marx or De Leon. Their comment on the Constitution can be applied to most of the other third parties using the election process to enact change:
The American Constitution, in effect, legalizes revolution. The right to alter or abolish the social system and form of government is implicit in Article V, the Constitution's amendment clause. The Socialist Labor Party proposes to the American workers that we use our huge majorities at the polls to outlaw capitalist ownership and to make the means of social production the property of all the people collectively.
The SLP placed fourth, after Unpledged Electors, just slightly below their 1960 results but it was still a relatively impressive finish compared with all the other third parties in the 1964 Presidential race. With votes recorded in 19 states they placed best in such varied states as Washington 0.62%, New Mexico 0.37%, Virginia 0.28%, and New Jersey 0.25%.
Election history:
1934 - Massachusetts Auditor (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1936 - Lt. Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1938 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1940 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1942 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1944 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1946 - US Senate (Mass.) (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1948 - US Senate (Mass.) (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1950 - Massachusetts Treasurer (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1952 - Massachusetts Treasurer (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1954 - Massachusetts Treasurer (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1956 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1958 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1960 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1962 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1966 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1968 - US President (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
1970 - Governor of Massachusetts (Socialist Labor Party) - defeated
Other occupations: stationary store shipper, machine assembler shipper for a coffee importer, chemical plant worker
Buried: ?
Notes:
His wife Constance "Connie" Zimmerman Blomen was the SLP VP nominee in 1976.
Winner of the 1946 race was Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., one of Blomen's other opponents was future
1964 Prohibition Party VP nominee Mark Revell Shaw.
One of his opponents in the 1956 race was Mark Revell Shaw.
Parents were Swedish immigrants, 1903-1906.
