Paris Whitney Hilton, February 17, 1981 (New York, N.Y.) -
VP candidate for Independent (2012)
Running mate with nominee: Edward Ramsaur Ditmars (b. 1954)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Los Angeles-based performance artist Acid Head Ed (aka Edward Ditmars) had previously run for US President in 2008. In 2012 he was making another try but this time Ed named a running-mate, Paris Hilton. Apparently Ed had a long-standing obsession with the celebrity.
Ed's platform included the promise that every US citizen will receive one million dollars via an EBT card as a way to jump-start the economy.
On Apr. 20, 2012, Ed made a suggestion on Facebook--
If Obama wants to prove he is a good man, and a great president, he would immediately step down from his position, and declare me, Acid Head Ed, the new President of the United States of America, before his term is over. That would give me about 6 months to prove what i can do... all the time i need. Then if Obama wants he can be president after i'm finished for a while, and everythng is happy again, because he would have proved to the world his courage, intellience, and love of the communty!
On the same day Ed was featured for a few seconds on national television as part of a Jimmy Kimmel man-on-the-street segment.
As for Hilton, Ed said on Youtube he wanted her for VP and added, "I see her sort of like someone who needs a friend more than anyone else in this world." The cameraman made a crack about an existing restraining order and it is difficult to ascertain if he was joking or not.
In 2012 Hilton was busy starting a line of sunglasses, a new perfume, making her debut as a DJ, and appearing in a music video. She was caught in an audio recording making some anti-Gay comments and as a result of the backlash issued a public apology. Around the same time, Acid Head Ed had also made some comments along the same homophobic lines, but more virulent.
A victory by the Ditmars/Hilton ticket would have been invalidated by the Constitution since Hilton was under the age of 35.
Ed ran for President in 2016, but voted for Trump. In 2020 he tweeted, "I voted for Donald John Trump for a second term. President Trump is the greatest, most beloved President, our country has ever had, or will ever have."
Election history: none
Other occupations: model, actress, author, reality TV star, recording artist, entrepreneur
Notes:
Hilton has a fun cameo in the unfairly maligned Cat in the Hat movie (2003).
