Jim J. Litzel, February 1, 1946 (Ames, Iowa) -
VP candidate for Independent (2012)
Running mate with nominee: Jerry D. Litzel (b. 1946)
Popular vote: 1,027 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Jerry Litzel of Ames, Iowa, a retired hardware store operator, was a collector and autograph hound. In order to accommodate his enormous collection of Americana, he had his ranch style home converted into a Southern plantation mansion that doubled as his personal museum. He also had been an Independent candidate for various offices since the 1990s.
Litzel ran for US President in 2012, but only in the State of Iowa. Apparently the Romney campaign challenged Litzel's right to be on the ballot due to what they contended were illegible signatures, but Litzel prevailed.
Self-described as "very conservative" and a "born again Christian," Litzel's platform included: no federal matching funds for presidential candidates -- cut salaries and eliminate health care benefits for members of Congress -- reduce food stamp distribution -- support literal interpretation of Second Amendment -- repeal Obamacare -- anti Gay marriage -- "A lot lot lot less government. I'm pro life. We need more common sense."
However, he told the Des Moines Register his only goal in running was to display a copy of the ballot with his name on it. He had the spot on his wall all picked out.
Litzel's brother, Jim of Harbor City, Calif., was his running mate. Other brother tickets have included: Larry Brant Sargeant/Perry David Sargeant - American Freedom Party (1976), Lowell Jackson Fellure/James Monroe Fellure - Independent (2000), Diddley Squat V/Bupkes - Hamster Party (2004), Keith Russell Judd/Monty Wayne Judd - Nonpartisan (2008), Randal Gene Trackwell/Byron Lee Trackwell - Bullmoose Progressive Party (2008), Theodore Cleaver/Wallace Cleaver - Give America the Business Party (2008), Diddley Squat/Squit Squat - Hamster Party (2012), Robert John Burck/Kenneth Robert Burck Jr. - Tea Party (2012), Richard Skeen McCormick/Stephen Albert McCormick - KIS Party (2012).
But what made the Litzels different was that they were, I think, the first pair of twin brothers to run on a ticket with ballot access. Kevin and Colin Thorne, another set of twins, also ran in 2012, but strictly as write-ins.
The twins finished 6th out of 8 on the ballot in Iowa with 0.06% of the vote in that state.
"Four years from now we’ve got big plans, but I won’t talk about that yet," Litzel said at one point to the Ames Tribune, but he did not appear to be a candidate in 2016 and in fact in 2015 was quoted speaking favorably of Trump.
Election history: none
Other occupations: engineering
Notes:
Registered Republican
