Joseph A. Zdonczyk, November 2, 1928 (Waterbury, Conn.) - February 19, 2008 (Wolcott, Conn.)
VP candidate for US Taxpayers Party (aka Concerned Citizens Party) (1996)
Running mate with nominee: Howard Jay Phillips (1941-2013)
Popular vote: 10,031 (0.01%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
The 1996 Presidential campaign for the US Taxpayers Party really begins with columnist, pundit, and speechwriter Pat Buchanan's bid for the Republican nomination. His surprisingly popular insurgent effort sounded the call for the forces of the rapidly growing hard Right and evangelical wings of the Republican Party. He called them his "Pitchfork Army" in the best of Populist demagogue traditions. Some of his critics called him "David Duke without the sheets" but the US Taxpayers Party really wanted Buchanan on their ticket and made no secret about it.
Howard Phillips, who basically was the US Taxpayers Party and had been the first Presidential nominee of the new party in 1992, watched as Buchanan gave Sen. Bob Dole a big scare early in the season but then bombed out on Super Tuesday in Mar. 1996 and suspended his campaign. This made Buchanan a free agent in the eyes of Phillips, who told a reporter, "My first choice is Pat Buchanan as an active candidate. My second choice is Pat Buchanan as an inactive candidate." The plan, if Buchanan was tied up, was to run someone else for President and still electioneer as the Party of Buchanan. Then, after they won the election, instruct the Electors to brush aside whatever name was officially in the ballot and cast their lots for Pat Buchanan.
For his part, Buchanan was playing coy and openly considered running in the third party if they gained ballot access in all 50 states (they didn't make it). He used that leverage to influence the Republican ticket, saying if Dole did not select a strong pro-life running-mate, then maybe a Party of Buchanan wouldn't be such a bad idea. Dole's subsequent selection of Rep. Jack Kemp was apparently sufficient and Buchanan came on board and endorsed the Republican ticket. So that was the end of that.
So once again the new party turned to Howard Phillips as the Presidential nominee. It would be the second of three runs for him. He described his long range plans for the US Taxpayers Party: "Our main constituencies are pro-lifers, home-schoolers and those concerned with the expansion of government. We want to establish a firm enough position so that as the Republican Party dissolves, as I believe it will, ours will be seen as an alternative."
Platform issues included: Balancing the Federal budget "immediately" -- abolishing the IRS, Dept. of Education, NEA, HUD, ATF, CIA -- Pull the US out of the UN, NATO, NAFTA, GATT -- Impose a moratorium on immigration -- Oppose abortion -- Support states' rights
Phillips opposed what he called the "Satanzation of America." He wrote, "The goal of the New World Order is to remove God from His throne and replace Him with power-seekers who desire not freedom UNDER God, but freedom FROM GOD." He also said, "My comprehensive object is to restore American jurisprudence to its biblical presuppositions and the federal government to its constitutional boundaries."
The campaign had some support from other third parties. The American Independent Party in California had become an affiliate and would remain so for the next decade. The Right to Life in New York, which had endorsed the Republicans in 1992, backed Phillips in 1996. The Concerned Citizens Party, based in Connecticut, signed on as well. The latter party was founded in 1975 by Joseph A. Zdoncyzk of Wolcott, Conn.
Zdonczyk was the USTP stand-in VP in Connecticut and Illinois. He at one time had studied to be a Catholic priest, and when he entered politics one of his priorities was opposing abortion. Although he opposed capital punishment he was generally a fiscal and social conservative and was a perennial candidate in local and state elections.
The Concerned Citizens Party seems to have had it's origins as a rallying point for residents of Wolcott, Conn. concerning land use issues after having no results from the Democratic Party local officials. In fact, the group was initially called Concerned Citizens for a Better Wolcott.
It appears the CCP became an affiliate of the USTP only shortly before the 1996 election. The CCP pretty much died with Zdonczyk when he passed away in 2008.
The Phillips/Zdonczyk ticket captured 0.17% of the popular vote in Connecticut and 0.18% in Illinois.
Election history:
1974 - Connecticut State House (Democratic) - primary - defeated
1975 - Mayor of Wolcott, Conn. (Concerned Citizens for a Better Wolcott) - defeated
1977 - Mayor of Wolcott, Conn. (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
1979 - Mayor of Wolcott, Conn. (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
1985 - Mayor of Wolcott, Conn. (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
1987 - Wolcott (Conn.) Board of Education (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
1990 - Governor of Connecticut (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
1991 - Wolcott (Conn.) Treasurer (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
1994 - Governor of Connecticut (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
1998 - Governor of Connecticut (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
2000 - US House of Representatives (Conn.) (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
2002 - US House of Representatives (Conn.) (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
2004 - Connecticut State House (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
2006 - Governor of Connecticut (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
2007 - Mayor of Waterbury, Conn. (Concerned Citizens Party) - defeated
Other occupations: US Army, amusement and vending machine company owner,
Buried: Calvary Cemetery (Waterbury, Conn.)
Notes:
Winner of the 1900 election was Lowell Weicker, also running third party.
Said he went to church daily.
Both parents were Polish immigrants.
