Sally Jane Goodknight

Sally Jane Goodknight, July 23, 1943 -


VP candidate for Poor Americans' Party (1992)

Running mate with nominee: Kelsie Carter Miller (1951-2002)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

When Kelsie Carter Miller filed with the FEC he was under the impression that was all he needed to do in order to qualify for the ballot. He was disappointed when he did not see his name listed among the choices in the voting booth, but on the other hand his entire campaign expenditure was the 29 cents for the stamp when he sent his form to the FEC.

Miller had run away from home (Midwest City, Okla.) at age 16, joined the Marines, and after he became a civilian again he drifted around the sunbelt holding a variety of jobs. In 1992 he was living in Taos, NM and was unemployed.

By that time he had been married, and divorced, three times. "The third marriage didn't work out but the friendship is great," Miller said. And it was his third ex-wife, Sally Goodknight, who was his running-mate. That has to be a first for the record books. Goodknight did not want to live in Washington, DC and Miller took it in stride, "That's all right. We'd run the country from an adobe house in Taos and call it the Brown House."

Miller's platform was economic: "I figured the poor people needed someone to represent the poor people. And I'm definitely one of those." Economics also played a role in giving Miller a personal incentive: "The job of president pays $200,000 a year ... and offers a decent place to live. I don't know why every poor person doesn't run for the job."

Low funds hampered the campaign: "I realized I needed ads on the TV and radio and in the newspapers, but it's not easy to buy political advertising with food stamps."

In the event of a Miller/Goodknight victory, there would have been a Constitutional problem with both nominees being residents of the same state.

Election history: none

Other occupations: VISTA volunteer

Notes:
Born Sally Jane Furlong.
Goodnight and Miller married in Monroe County, Fla. Nov. 15, 1986.
Also called Sally Goodnight.