Harold Franklin Moore, August 6, 1945 - December 1, 1989 (Portland, Ore.)
VP candidate for Independent (aka New Alliance Party) (1988)
Running mate with nominee: Lenora Fulani (b. 1950)
Popular vote: 6,487 (0.01%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
In 1988 Lenora Fulani was the nominee for the New Alliance Party. She managed to achieve the nearly impossible task of gaining ballot status in all 50 states + DC. In some cases the NAP worked with already existing third parties such as the Solidarity Party and United Citizens Party. In California they tried but failed to take over the Peace and Freedom Party and in the process temporarily derailed the PFP for that election year.
Meanwhile, Dennis L. Serrette the NAP Presidential nominee for 1984, denounced the Party as a toxic cult during the 1988 election season. This point of view would be shared by several in the cultbusting community.
Fulani had eight running-mates in 1988, stating "If we got elected, we'd figure it out." Her running-mate in Oregon was Harold F. Moore.
Moore, who confessed to "a long and complicated criminal history" including long periods of incarceration, was a Portland, Oregon-based HIV-infected Gay activist who had originally been involved in the Democratic Party supporting Dukakis in a lukewarm way but was won over by Fulani and the New Alliance Party partly as a result of the Democratic failure to adequately address the AIDS crisis. Moore told the press, "I used to feel isolated" but thanks to the NAP "the hole inside me is gone." Three months after joining the Party, he found himself in the position of VP nominee on the Oregon ballot.
It is important to remember that during both of his terms, President Reagan never addressed the AIDS pandemic in public.
Not all Gay activists were so enthralled by the NAP's outreach program and a considerable body of critical literature exists.
In 1987 Fulani said the NAP was prepared to endorse Jesse Jackson in the event he won the Democratic nomination, but in case he didn't her campaign was forging ahead.
The NAP platform included national health care, support for AIDS victims, recognition of Native American treaty rights, stronger environmental regulations, a freeze on military spending, ending aid to South Africa-Contras in Central America-Israel, support of pro-choice laws, support of public transportation.
Nationally Fulani gained 217,221 votes (0.24%) and placed 4th, a truly impressive and historic finish on many levels-- for openers, Fulani was the first African American woman to be listed on every US ballot. The Fulani/Moore ticket finished with 0.54% of the popular vote in Oregon, the 4th best showing for Fulani among the 50 states + DC.
Election history: none
Other occupations: journalist for Gay publications
Buried: ?
Notes:
Would have died in office if elected.
