VP candidate for Independent (2016)
Running mate with nominee: Santa Roy Allen Clark (1950-2020?)
Popular vote: 2 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Retired electrician Santa Roy Allen Clark of Ashland, Ky. registered as a Democrat with the FEC in Oct. 2015 as a candidate for President. In Jan. 2016 he amended his filing to reflect he was running as an Independent.
Clark (born on Christmas Day) said he added the name to "Santa" to his moniker in Sept. 2015 because he "wanted to have the Christmas spirit all the time." He contended his lack of public office experience and the fact he was "not a professional liar" was a plus, "I couldn't screw up the country any more than those people do."
Among his platform issues--
--Selling Air Force One on eBay. "It's a status symbol. It's not needed."
--Shorten the work week to 32 hours.
--Expand the VA health system to include anyone with a Social Security number, creating a new national health care. This includes treatment for addicts suffering from "Cocaine, Crack, Gambling, Heroin/Opiates, Alcohol, Overeating/ Sugar."
--"Stock Market is simply legalized Ponzi Scheme."
--"Changes in Law Enforcement. 1. Two Officers in police cars at all times and never the same two daily. 2. First two bullets in their guns be non-lethal."
--Listed as "Heros": "Sam Walton, Taylor Swift, Dr. Oz, Jimmy Carter, William Hershel Woodrow, Jack LaLanne, CVS Pharmacy, John Kasich, Bernie Barnard Sanders, Dr. Phil, Charlie Daniels, Rand Paul."
--Listed as "Zeros": "Barack Hussein Obama II, Affordable Health Care Act, Burger King, Home Depot, Self checkout lines, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, Bill Clinton (William Jefferson Blythe III), Mitch McConnell, Donald John Trump Sr., Ted Cruz."
--"Pass a law in simple English with no pork."
Clark's running-mate, David L. Knight of London, Ky., appeared to have been a fellow electrician and former co-worker.
The Clark/Knight ticket received a grand total of two votes in Kentucky, where they were registered as write-ins. Clark was able to demonstrate that even though he was registered, some of the write-in votes for him were thrown out because he was being confused with Santa Claus. The fact that both candidates were residents of the same state would have posed a potential problem if they had won, according to the Constitution.
There are suggestions on Facebook that Clark died in 2020, meaning that if elected Knight would have stepped in and finished the term.
Election history: none
Other occupations: electrician
Notes:
Clark should not be confused with Thomas Patrick O'Connor, who legally changed his name to Santa Claus in 2005 and ran for President in 2008 and 2012.
Knight should not be confused with David Drew Knight of Carson City, Nev., who filed with the FEC for the 2016 election as an Independent for President.
