John E. Clay, November 27, 1921 (Kansas City, Mo.) – October 17, 2015 (Sarasota, Fla.)
VP candidate for Independent (1976)
Running mate with nominee: Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005)
Popular vote: 55,939 (0.07%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
After US Sen. Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) failed to secure the Democratic Party's nomination for President in 1968, a number of his followers campaigned for him as a third party candidate. McCarthy himself did not approve and in many but not all cases was able to have his name removed from the ballot. Different states ran his name under various party names with a variety of running mates, some of whom who were also not too thrilled to be listed: Coretta Scott King, Paul Newman, Dick Gregory, Paul O'Dwyer, and John Lindsay.
McCarthy made a brief foray into the Democratic Party primaries of 1972 but did not generate a lot of excitement. At some point after he dropped out of the race he left the Party, declared himself an Independent, and began a political journey to what could be described as libertarian centrism. As an Independent Presidential candidate in 1976 he is frequently better remembered for his high-profile legal battles to gain ballot access for third parties than for his political platform.
His 1976 VP situation made 1968 look tame. He was on the ballot in 29 states and a registered write-in in a few others. He had over 20 running mates. McCarthy himself said, "Vice-presidential candidates just clutter up the campaign. We should not ask the country to make two judgments. Everyone knows vice presidents have no influence on presidents once elected. Presidents' wives have much more influence. Perhaps we should have candidates' wives debate."
McCarthy's running-mate in Illinois was John E. Clay where they ran under the Independent label. Clay had been one of the agitators to draft Adlai Stevenson for President in 1952. In 1968 he had a been a McCarthy supporter.
Operating with his own funds, Clay crisscrossed the state handing out literature at shopping centers and festivals, and showing up for Q&A with college students.
Clay, a resident of Chicago in 1976, predicted McCarthy would win 20% and then later 10% of the vote in Illinois. That was optimistic. They won 1.19% of the vote in that state, McCarthy's 18th best showing nationally where he won 0.91% of the popular poll.
Election history: none
Other occupations: soldier (WWII), attorney, Executive Director of the Public Interest Law Initiative, author
Buried: ?
Notes:
Harvard Law School graduate
His book Snollygosters, Airheads and Wimps was published in 2000.
Worked on the John Anderson campaign in 1980.
