VP candidate for Independent (1976)
Running mate with nominee: Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005)
Popular vote: 34,943 (0.04%)
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 Wisconsin was Magdalene R. Downey of Green Bay who described by a campaign official as a "close friend of the McCarthy family." They were on the ballot under the Independent label.
In an impassioned letter to the editor late in the campaign, Downey included: "Under tremendous odds and obstacles, his name has now been allowed to appear on the ballots of 31 states, with more to come. In these battles just to be allowed to register as an Independent candidate one sees clear evidence of the rigidity of the two-party system. If no other change were to come from his campaign, the change in many states' election laws alone would be a valuable contribution. Another great inequity in the system is the granting of government money to the candidates of the Democratic and Repubican parties. An Independent candidate receives no money."
McCarthy/Downey won 1.66% of the vote in Wisconsin, McCarthy's 9th strongest showing. Nationally McCarthy won 0.91% of the popular poll.
Election history: none
Other occupations: University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Extension
Buried: ?
Notes:
Born Magdalene R. Pifer, lived in the Findlay, Ohio area.
