John Francis Callahan, December 31, 1940 (Meriden, Conn.) -
VP candidate for Independent (1976)
Running mate with nominee: Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005)
Popular vote: 40,207 (0.05%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
After US Sen. Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) failed to secure the Democratic Party's nomination for President in 1968, a number of his followers campaigned for him as a third party candidate. McCarthy himself did not approve and in many but not all cases was able to have his name removed from the ballot. Different states ran his name under various party names with a variety of running mates, some of whom who were also not too thrilled to be listed: Coretta Scott King, Paul Newman, Dick Gregory, Paul O'Dwyer, and John Lindsay.
McCarthy made a brief foray into the Democratic Party primaries of 1972 but did not generate a lot of excitement. At some point after he dropped out of the race he left the Party, declared himself an Independent, and began a political journey to what could be described as libertarian centrism. As an Independent Presidential candidate in 1976 he is frequently better remembered for his high-profile legal battles to gain ballot access for third parties than for his political platform.
His 1976 VP situation made 1968 look tame. He was on the ballot in 29 states and a registered write-in in a few others. He had over 20 running mates. McCarthy himself said, "Vice-presidential candidates just clutter up the campaign. We should not ask the country to make two judgments. Everyone knows vice presidents have no influence on presidents once elected. Presidents' wives have much more influence. Perhaps we should have candidates' wives debate."
McCarthy's running-mate in Oregon was John F. Callahan of the Portland area. He had been a point man for McCarthy in Oregon in 1968. They were on the ballot under the Independent label.
In 1970 Callahan, then 29, was endorsed by McCarthy when he challenged a Democratic House incumbent in the primary.
In 1976 Callahan was just barely at the Constitutionally mandated age for holding the office of Vice-President.
McCarthy/Callahan won 3.90% of the vote in Oregon. It was by far McCarthy's strongest showing in any state. It was also the state where the winner, President Ford, had the thinnest margin of victory than any other jurisdiction-- a mere 0.16%. It is safe to assume the McCarthy/Callahan ticket were spoilers, denying Carter the six Electoral votes he probably would have won otherwise.
Nationally McCarthy won 0.91% of the popular poll.
Election history:
1970 - US House of Representatives (Or.) (Democratic) - primary - defeated
Other occupations: faculty at Lewis and Clark, novelist
Notes:
Moved to Oregon in 1967
Literary executor for Ralph Ellison
Extra special Washington trivia. Callahan was married to Susan Eve Kirschner on March 14, 1971.
The certificate was filed in Clark County, Wash. The Auditor was Don Bonker. I worked on Bonker's
successful first run for Congress in 1974. Pretty convoluted and rambling, but that's how I like my
trivia.
