Phyllis Johnson Paine, September 29, 1922 (Fort McPherson, Ga.) - November 3, 2000 (Des Moines, Iowa)
VP candidate for Independent (1976)
Running mate with nominee: Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005)
Popular vote: 9409 (0.01%)
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 Nebraska was Phyllis J. Paine of Des Moines, Iowa. She had been a McCarthy supporter since 1948 when he first ran for Congress at a time she was a Minnesota resident. She helped coordinate Iowa delegates for McCarthy in the 1972 Democratic Presidential primary.
The information sources are a bit confusing but it appears Paine temporarily set up residence in Omaha during the campaign.
McCarthy's name had no party designation on the ballot like the other candidates. He wanted "Independent" but the Nebraska Secretary of State ruled that since the FEC had denied McCarthy's campaign organization party status in mid-October there would be no political descriptor on the printed ballot. Paine, who was one of McCarthy's more energetic and engaged Vice-Presidential nominees, said of the party omission: "This unique treatment of a presidential candidate is the direct result of partisan ineptitude and duplicity."
McCarthy/Paine won 1.55% of the vote in Nebraska, their 11th strongest showing. Nationally McCarthy won 0.91% of the popular poll.
Election history:
1970 - Iowa House of Representatives (Democratic) - primary - defeated
1970 - Iowa House of Representatives (Iowa New Party) - defeated
Other occupations: artist
Buried: cremated
Notes:
Baseball and basketball fan. Painted and sketched baseball subjects.
Moved to Iowa from Nebraska ca. 1966.
Grew up in an Army family.
