John Richard Myers, January 3, 1963 (Great Falls, Mont.) -
VP candidate for Constitution Party of Idaho (2016)
Running mate with nominee: Arlon Scott Copeland (b. 1963)
Popular vote: 2,356 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
In a convention process that apparently created division and rancor, the Constitution Party nominated their 2008 VP candidate for President in 2016. Darrell Castle's running-mate was Scott N. Bradley of Utah.
Among the many factors that tore the Party asunder was Castle's own on-off-on again availability. He was one of the contenders early in the game, but withdrew for health reasons. After his healing had taken place, he was willing to be back in the arena.
Idaho [PNW trivia alert!!] walked out and nominated their own Constitution Party ticket of Arlon Scott Copeland and John Richard "J.R." Myers, but Castle and Bradley managed to also be listed in the Spud State under the banner of "Independent."
The Constitution Party actually held a primary in Idaho, where Copeland and Myers placed first and second. Castle did not run in that contest citing his health as a reason he failed to file, which did not sit well with the members of the Constitution Party of Idaho. State Chair Floyd Whitley told the press, "Mr. Castle is the insider, or the party elite or the establishment, if you will, in the Constitution Party ... He apparently did not believe he needed to compete in Idaho, because it was his party, so to speak."
Copeland filed with the FEC as a Constitution Party candidate on May 5, 2015. His campaign website provided a biography--
About Scott
Reverend Scott Copeland
Scott was born on October 7, 1963, in Jackson, Mississippi. The native Mississippian was transplanted by God to Texas. He married his wife Jackie on January 7, 2007. By a previous marriage he has two sons, Joshua (23) and Caleb (13). Scott’s family roots come from the area northeast of Philadelphia, Mississippi. He is a graduate of Mississippi College and attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
Scott is an ordained and licensed minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a minister of God, Scott served for three and one half years in the northwest part of the U.S. traveling with a mission group called “The Proclaimers Straight From The Carpenter’s Shop” . He also served as a Youth Minister for three and one half years in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, and as a Pastor for seven years in Mineral Wells, Texas. He helped in the development and structure of the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention and served on the Executive Board for three two year terms. Scott also served on the Credentials Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Scott has worked in several family owned businesses. Scott worked for the MSDOT in the Right of Way Division for over nine years becoming the youngest supervisor to date. He prepared the Engineering Section’s budget for personnel, computer request, and served as the Division PC Adminstrator & Education Coordinator for CADD Intergraph Systems. Upon departing MSDOT Scott started a CADD service business working with many clients in the Civil Engineering and Land Surveying business as well as bidding and working on projects for the MSDOT Right of Way Division as a sub-contractor.
Scott has been involved in problem solving and the implementation of new policies for most of his life. He has authored one book entitled “Your 2012 Middle Class President”. Scott is not a politician, but believes firmly God has called the United States of America to be a leader in God’s created world. Scott is committed to the Word of God as a life building guide to a personal relationship with God. The Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Ammendments are firmly based in Judeao-Christian values and morality, and the citizens have the God given rights to demand the government remain true to these documents and America’s politicians be held accountable for their actions. The videos and website have been developed as alternatives to the gridlock ideas of the establishment parties. Scott offers a sound restoration of intended constitutional tax structure (details maybe seen at www.constitutionparty.com/ttaxes), downsizing of the federal government, strengthening state rights, and increasing the military to protect our borders and interest abroad.
Scott, praise God, has never held public office. However, he has entered the 2016 Presidential race and is seeking the nomination of the Constitution Party.
Copeland's platform mirrored the same theocratic-leaning and conservative policies of the Constitution Party, although it would be safe to say he was probably more of a political purist than Castle.
J.R. Myers, more of a political animal and party hopper than Copeland, had also tried to gain the nomination of the American Independent Party in 2016. Plus he was also running for the Alaska State House of Representatives under the Constitution Party banner that year. Myers filed with the FEC as a Constitution Party candidate for President on Nov. 26, 2015. He has run for public office ever since he was in high school in Great Falls, Mont.
His campaign website included an autobiography--
I was born in Great Falls, Montana, January 3, 1963. My parents are still married to each other and reside on the East Shore of Flathead Lake in Montana. I have an older sister Rebecca, who lives in Montana, and a younger sister, Rhonda, who lives in Iowa. I have five nephews, a niece and many relatives across the USA. I am the descendant of pioneers from several Northern & Central European countries, as well as the Cree/Metis people of Canada and Montana.
I graduated from Charles Marion Russell (CMR) High School and while there, was a Peer Counselor, President of the Native American Club and a National Merit Semifinalist. I graduated a semester early and became the youngest Licensed Realtor in Montana. At that time, I was elected by the Great Falls Native American community to serve on the Board of Directors of the Great Falls Native American Association and Health Clinic. I was also a founding member of the Great Falls NAACP along with the late Reverend Philip Caldwell. I was a Reagan Republican and was later elected as a Republican Precinct Committeeman and Served on the Flathead County Republican Central Committee. I earned my B.S. in Liberal Arts, Cum Laude from the University of Great Falls, where I eventually earned both a Master of Human Services and Master of Professional Counseling degrees. My political resume includes affiliation, service and leadership in the Montana Republican, Libertarian and Reform Parties, the last two which I chaired. Since returning to Alaska in 2003, I was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party for seven years, rising to become AIP Vice Chair. In 2010 I founded and continue to Chair the Alaska Constitution Party, which is a formal affiliate of the national Constitution Party. I was also recently elected to a two year term as President of the Alaska Counseling Association by the annual conference of my peers.
My family has deep ties to Alaska that precede statehood. My late grandfather, Les Myers, called, "Mush", by his friends, first came to Alaska in the Army Air Force during WWII. My late grandmother, Eleanor, had worked for Alaska Airlines and always had a special love for Alaska. My grandparents homesteaded in the North Pole area in the 1950's. My father had his own sled dogs there. They were used for daily transportation. They did not have snowmobiles back then. Their refrigerator/freezer was a hand dug hole in the permafrost. Several of my aunts, uncles and cousins have called Alaska their home over the years. Many of my family lived through the Great Quake of 1964 in Anchorage, and I grew up listening to stories about that, the Northern Lights, volcanoes, wildlife, climate and the people of this Great Land. My father participated as a HAM radio operator in Anchorage to re-establish communications with the outside world after the devastating aftermath of the '64 Quake. I learned to talk in Anchorage in 1964. My first word was, "Peppermint". My parents, my sister Rebecca and I returned to Montana in 1965. I visited relatives in Alaska a couple times in the 1970s, driving up the AlCan with my grandfather once.
In 2003 I returned to Alaska, again for a third time via the Alaska Highway, to make it my home. Before moving to Haines over two years ago, I lived on the Kenai Peninsula for eight years, where I still own property. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, NationaI Certified Counselor and Chemical Dependency Counselor. I can usually be found every Sunday at the Haines Christian Center (Assembly of God) where I often teach adult Sunday School and sing in the Praise and Worship team. I have dedicated my life to the service of others, striving to provide hope and healing in the Last Frontier. I am stepping forth in faith to offer my service to the people of The United States of America as their President in 2016.
In the voters guide for the American Independent Party primary in California, Myers' entry included--
My Top 3 Priorities
Review and repeal of all unlawful Executive Orders.
Decentralize most government services and control of federal lands to the states.
Uphold immigration laws, protect our borders.
I Support the Seven Principles Of The Constitution Party:
Life: For all human beings, from conception to natural death;
Liberty: Freedom of conscience and actions for the self-governed individual;
Family: One husband and one wife with their children as divinely instituted;
Property: Each individual's right to own and steward personal property without government burden;
Constitution And Bill Of Rights: interpreted according to the actual intent of the founding fathers;
State's Rights: Everything not specifically delegated by the Constitution to the federal government, nor prohibited by the Constitution to the states, is reserved to the states or to the people.
American Sovereignty: American government committed to the protection of the borders, trade, and common defense of Americans, and not entangled in foreign alliances.
Myers formally ended his Presidential campaign on Aug. 6, 2016.
Copeland/Myers placed 7th out of 8 on the Idaho ballot, with 0.34% of the vote in that state, behind the Castle/Bradley ticket. The Constitution Party of Idaho chose to disaffiliate with the national party in 2018, other states would either follow suit or seriously considered it. Myers would go on to form the Life and Liberty Party as the Constitution Party experienced a serious meltdown in 2019.
Election history:
1981 - Great Falls School District Board (Nonpartisan) - defeated
1982 - Montana State Senate (Republican) - primary - defeated
1984 - Great Falls City Government Study Commission (Nonpartisan) - defeated
1994 - Montana House of Representatives (Republican) - primary - defeated
1994 - County Government Review Commissioner (Nonpartisan) - defeated
1996 - Montana House of Representatives (Libertarian) - withdrew
1998 - Montana Public Service Commission (Republican) - primary - defeated
2000 - Montana Secretary of State (Reform Party of the United States of America) - defeated
2014 - Governor of Alaska (Constitution Party) - defeated
2016 - American Independent Party nomination for US President - defeated
2016 - Constitution Party nomination for US President - defeated
2016 - Alaska State House of Representatives (Constitution Party) - defeated
2020 - American Independent Party nomination for US President - defeated
2020 - Constitution Party nomination for US President - defeated
2020 - US President (Life and Liberty Party) - defeated
2024 - US President - pending
Other occupations: realtor, counselor, Board of Directors of the Great Falls Native American Association and Health Clinic, Flathead County Republican Central Committee, Central Emergency Emergency Service Area Board of Directors (Soldotna, Alaska), Board Member Haines Borough Fire Service Area #1, Founder & Chairman Alaska Constitution Party, Vice Chairman Alaskan Independence Party, Chairman Montana Reform Party, Chairman Montana Libertarian Party
Notes:
Copeland/Myers placed 23rd nationally in tickets with ballot access. With Copeland from Texas and Myers living in Alaska, they definitely had the landmass advantage over other parties, whatever that means.
I had several relatives in Anchorage during that quake in 1964. When it hit, normal kids were watching Fireball XL-5, but the goody-goodies were viewing Davey and Goliath, according to my sources. A few months after Alaska, we in Washington experienced a 6.5 quake which I remember well.
