James Creighton Mitchell Jr.

 

James Creighton Mitchell Jr., November 16, 1943 (Los Angeles, Calif.) -  

VP candidate for Marshall Schoenke Party (aka Non Affiliated aka Unaffiliated aka Independent) (2016)

Running mate with nominee: Marshall Roy Schoenke (b. 1970)
Popular vote: 59 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

2016 was not the first election where James Creighton Mitchell ran for President. In 2008, when he lived in Lindenhurst, Ill. he was considered by the FEC to be a declared candidate for the Republican nomination. In Mar. 2015, this time from a Lake Villa, Ill. address, Mitchel filed with the FEC again.

His campaign webpage revealed a conservative Christian political platform, and interpreting the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution through that prism.

On other issues his stance included--
--"I stand unequivocally – politically, financially, militarily and socially with Israel. I believe the United States should not be offering any ideas to Israel or the United Nations on how Israel should interact with the Palestinians unless, asked. I also stand with any ally that shares our values in combating this international violence, persecution and hatred in the name of Allah."
--"I believe the modern militia is a licensed concealed carry American citizen, ready at all times to protect themselves or family and intervene in the assistance of others under attack by deadly force until sufficient law enforcement resources arrive and stabilize the attack incident. The concealed carry American embodies the value and importance of the 2nd Amendment."
--"A lot of our domestic problems involve our tax code and enforcement by the IRS. It is my belief that the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was NOT correctly implemented and therefore NOT valid. As President, I will provide the leadership and work with the entire Congress to remove the oppressive 16th Amendment and the IRS Department as we know it, and implement the Fair Tax proposal for a fairer policy to fund the Federal government."
--"We need a 100% draft into the military for a minimum of a two year active duty commitment because to remove potential recruits from gang recruitment."
--"We need to protect the life of conceived humans yet unborn thru their entire gestation."
--"All recipients for any kind of Federal aid need to pass drug free testing to maintain assistance and housing or be involved in voluntary rehabilitation programs to continue. Healthier lifestyles will be encouraged with reduced tobacco and alcohol consumption. These are life style choices that should not be provided with tax dollars. If an individual needs these, then public assistance obviously is not needed."
--"I also believe major reforms must be made in Mexico and further south, even if we have to take the lead and annex Mexico into United States so the laws will be uniform and uniformly enforced reducing or eliminating reasons for migration north."

He dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination on the last day of 2015. In a letter to the National Chair and the FEC Mitchell stated--

Dear Chairman Priebus;

Please be advised that I am dropping out of the 2016 Republican Primaries for President of the United States, today.

As much as I have to offer in ideas and solutions to reunite America, improve its world image, reassert its global leadership and convince the American citizens that Republican philosophy is best for America, the cost of candidate access to the respective state primary ballots is insurmountable for the average American. It is the average American that the Republican Party is trying to convince and yet our voice is stifled by high financial barriers and censorship of ideas through contrived polling to support questionable debates of leadership ideas.

Electronic responses to weekly questionnaires to ALL candidates would have provided the American public a better snapshot of each candidate's responses to direction of action, ideas for solutions, etc. Narrative responses to selected questions would have provided some clarity of thought process.

I struggle with the thought since Dwight Eisenhower retired from office that the best and brightest from both political parties have run the American economy into the ground. It has been asserted that labor is the problem in America. The most politically connected with ideas from the respected think tanks, manipulated by lobbying from financial interests and individuals with social and economic peer standing from respected institutions of higher learning provide "spin speak" through the media has divided us as a nation into demographic sub-groups, pitting each against each other. This may be a great tactic for population manipulation but the effect is a devastating repudiation of our founding fathers' struggle which is our Constitutional heritage.

The hourly worker does not vote on any legislation at either the state or federal level, we just pay for it again and again with fewer dollars from shrinking pay checks. We now live in a police state - local, state and federal units of government and agencies routinely deny access to public information including wrong doing, private third party prison systems, human trafficking with the refugee and resettlement programs, welfare manipulation, etc., etc..

James Creighton Mitchell, Jr.

According to his campaign webpage, he continued to run for President as an Independent. But oddly, there is no mention in his online source that he was also the running-mate of Marshall Schoenke.

Described by one reporter as a "former carpenter and now spiritual musician and songwriter," Schoenke had a also been campaigning for President. Somehow Mitchell became his running-mate, but the VP appeared to have been running his own parallel attempt for the Presidency as well if his online efforts at the time were any indication. This odd arrangement occasionally is seen throughout third party history.

The earliest mention of a Schoenke/Mitchell ticket I can find is in Aug. 2016. Since these two lived near each other and shared certain religious concerns it should not be surprising they connected politically. In the event of their victory their shared residence in the same state would have posed a potential Constitutional problem.

Write-ins in at least 20 states, nearly half of their reported 59 votes came from Illinois.

Election history:
"I have held 7 elected and appointed governmental and political offices between 1975 and 2005." "Elected Republican Precinct Committeeman; Township Trustee; Drainage District Commissioner; Mosquito Abatement District Commissioner; Member Lake County Board; Member Lake County Forest Preserve District; Public Library District Trustee; Member Lake County Regional School Board."
1984 - Lake County Board (Ill.) (Republican) - primary - defeated
1992 - Illinois House of Representatives (Republican) - disqualified or defeated
2001-<20--> - Lake County Regional School Board (Nonpartisan)
2006 - US House of Representatives (Ill.) (Republican) - primary - defeated
2008 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
2012 - Lake County Board (Ill.) (Republican) - primary - defeated
2013 - College of Lake Country Board of Trustees - defeated?
2016 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
2016 - US President (Independent) - defeated
2019 - Madison (Wis.) Common Council (Nonpartisan) - defeated

Other occupations: US Navy, insurance company employee, water treatment plant engineer

Notes:
Episcopalian.

Nathan Daniel Johnson

 

Nathan Daniel Johnson, June 15, 1976 -

VP candidate for Independent (aka Non Affiliated aka Better for America aka Unaffiliated aka Courage Character Service aka Independence Party) (2016)

Running mate with nominee: David Evan McMullin (b. 1976)
Popular vote: 723,081 (0.53%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Donald Trump's takeover of the Republican Party in 2016 while basically transforming it into his own personality cult was the basis for the exodus of longtime establishment members of that organization. Stalwart Republicans (many of them Neocons) and influential conservatives such as President Bush I and II and son/sibling Jeb and Marvin, Carly Fiorina, Lindsay Graham, John Kasich, George Pataki, William Bennett, Bill Brock, Bill Cohen, Robert Gates, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Tom Ridge, William Ruckelshaus, Brent Scowcroft, George Schultz, Christine Todd Whitman, Paul Wolfowitz, Larry Hogan, Brian Sandoval, Rick Snyder, Jon Huntsman, Wlliam Milliken, Marc Racicot, Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, over a dozen sitting Republican US Senators, over 30 Republican members of the House, Slade Gorton, Barry Goldwater Jr., J.C. Watts, Bill Kristol, Sam Reed, Chris Vance, Steve Schmidt, Rick Wilson, Glenn Beck, Meghan McCain, Michael Medved, Tom Nichols, P.J. O'Rourke, Jennifer Rubin, George Will, and Meg Whitman (just to name a few) all refused to endorse their Party's nominee. A few of them left the Party entirely while others such as Sen. Graham did an about-face and became loyal Trump collaborators after Jan. 2017.

Some of them, such as President Bush I, Powell, and both Whitmans endorsed/voted for Hillary Clinton. Others endorsed Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party or Darrell Castle of the Constitution Party. But the most unusual and spontaneous of the Never Trumpers was Evan McMullin who had gained the endorsement/vote of US Senators Lindsay Graham [!!!], Jeff Flake and Mike Lee, also Slade Gorton, Bill Kristol, Sam Reed, and Meghan McCain among others.

McMullin was a former CIA operations officer and staff member for the House Republican Conference. He announced his run late in the game, Aug. 10, 2016 and scrambled to gain ballot access in as many states as he could. He was printed on the ballot in 11 states and was a registered write-in in 24 more, giving him a far-fetched potential of 310 Electoral College votes. McMullin filed with the FEC as an Independent on Aug. 15, 2016.

Some of his statements during the campaign indicate he saw himself as the only true conservative Republican in the race. McMullin certainly was no fan of Hillary Clinton, who he called "corrupt," but Trump received the most criticism--

--"And I stand for limited government and for individual liberty, and I saw in this election that the choices that the two major party candidates offered, as well as other candidates in the race, weren't sufficient or weren't adequate for our country and for the American people. So a couple of months ago, I decided seeing that no one else would get into the race to offer the American people a better choice, I decided to get in and try to do just that."

--"Well, I think Donald Trump is just not trustworthy whatsoever. I mean, he has spent his entire life being in favor of late-term abortions and opposed to the Second Amendment and has even spoken in favor of single-payer healthcare, even in this election. He's defended Planned Parenthood, even in this election. And Donald Trump is not someone who can be trusted. This is a man who does not stand for anything other than himself."

--"The notion that he would appoint Supreme Court justices who are constitutional conservatives, I think, is a real stretch to put it mildly. He's also said his sister would make a great justice. And she is certainly not a constitutional conservative. She's quite liberal, in fact. He's just not somebody who has any credibility on these issues. He is a big government-type of person, just like Hillary Clinton. And I am, I believe, truly the only conservative in this race."

--"I know dictators and authoritarians when I see them, and Donald Trump is one of them. I will do everything in my power to prevent him from becoming president of the United States."

--"Donald Trump appeals to the worst fears of Americans at a time we need unity, not division. Republicans are deeply divided by a man who is perilously close to gaining the most powerful position in the world, and many rightly see him as a real threat to our Republic."

--"I am unknown because I've avoided the limelight so that I could serve. In the case of Donald Trump, he has avoided service so that he could seek the limelight.

--"Trump has never sacrificed anything for this country, and in fact, he has attacked people who have. It just makes me sick to my stomach when I see him attacking the mother of a fallen hero or John McCain. It just makes me sick to my stomach that this guy thinks he's prepared to be commander-in-chief."

--"I think Utahns - and I won't speak for all Utahns - but my sense is that they have real issues with Donald Trump's lack of decency, with his bigotry, the way he's divided this country. That's not the Utahn way. I think they have issues with his attacks on religious minorities."

--"The idea that Donald Trump is a conservative is a complete farce. He is a conman who pretends to be a conservative."

Although Mindy Finn was McMullin's official running-mate, it was the "placeholder" name of Nathan Daniel Johnson that appeared on printed ballots in every case.

The idea of a placeholder VP has been a common element of third party Presidential electioneering for many decades, thanks mostly to the Byzantine laws of many states that are designed to prevent ballot access for those opposing the two major parties. But apparently the idea was new to McMullin's staff, who spelled out the Johnson-Finn problem on his campaign website--

Vote for Evan McMullin and Nathan Johnson
Friday, October 21, 2016 Posted by John Claybrook

Over the past week, we’ve been told by thousands of people that they are casting their vote for Evan McMullin. We are so incredibly thankful for these patriotic Americans standing up for what is right.

In this time, we’ve also received a lot of questions, which is understandable because what we’re doing has NEVER been done before.

The questions usually are:

    If Evan McMullin is on the ballot, why is his running mate Nathan Johnson?
    If I’m writing in Evan McMullin, for Vice President, do I write in Mindy Finn or Nathan Johnson?

Here are a few clarifying points:

    Almost every state requires a name for Vice President when qualifying for ballot access or verified write-in status.
    Almost all of these deadlines passed before Mindy Finn joined the ticket.
    Nathan Johnson is a trusted friend of Evan’s who was willing to fill in as a temporary placeholder in order to give voters across the nation a chance to vote for Evan McMullin.
    Therefore, if you are voting for Evan McMullin, write-in “Nathan Johnson” as the Vice President, because that is how our paperwork was filed with states and votes will be counted.
    In the event that the race is pushed to the U.S. Congress, House of Representatives, Nathan Johnson will resign and be replaced by Mindy Finn.

Sound crazy? We’ll be the first to agree with you! But please do remember that this is an unprecedented three month presidential campaign gaining tremendous momentum all across the nation.

We could be the first campaign in 48 years to win an electoral vote outside of the two party duopoly.

This has taken creativity and a deep desire to give the American people a candidate worthy of this great nation.

So, during early voting and on November 8, either vote or write-in “Evan McMullin” and “Nathan Johnson.”

Our nation deserves better!

Nathan Johnson turned out to a very mysterious figure and McMullin shared precious little about this temporary VP, leading some to believe he had a fictitious character as a running-mate. "He’s somebody I’ve known for years and who I trusted to play this role as a stand-in, in this position for the paperwork, but not be otherwise involved," said McMullin.

Johnson, of San Diego, really existed. Part of his life experience dated back to Utah, where one would assume is where he met McMullin. Before his identity was ascertained and verified, his mystery was a  brief social media sensation.

Although the McMullin/Finn ticket did not officially garner any printed ballot votes, the McMullin/Johnson team placed 5th nationally, finishing in third place in Idaho and Utah, two Mormon strongholds. In Utah, McMullin finished with a whopping 21.54% and in Idaho with 6.73%. Other states where he topped 1% were: Minnesota 1.80%, Virginia 1.36%, Kentucky 1.18%, Arkansas 1.17%, Colorado 1.04%, South Carolina 1.00%.

Election history: none.

Other occupations: US Army, legislative assistant for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, consultant with Morgan Borszcz Consulting

Notes:
Not to be confused with Andrew Nathan Johnson, Prohibition Party VP for 1944.

Mindy Finn

 

Mindy Finn, February 10, 1981 (Houston, Tex.) -

VP candidate for Independent (2016)

Running mate with nominee: David Evan McMullin (b. 1976)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Donald Trump's takeover of the Republican Party in 2016 while basically transforming it into his own personality cult was the basis for the exodus of longtime establishment members of that organization. Stalwart Republicans (many of them Neocons) and influential conservatives such as President Bush I and II and son/sibling Jeb and Marvin, Carly Fiorina, Lindsay Graham, John Kasich, George Pataki, William Bennett, Bill Brock, Bill Cohen, Robert Gates, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Tom Ridge, William Ruckelshaus, Brent Scowcroft, George Schultz, Christine Todd Whitman, Paul Wolfowitz, Larry Hogan, Brian Sandoval, Rick Snyder, Jon Huntsman, William Milliken, Marc Racicot, Mitt Romney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, over a dozen sitting Republican US Senators, over 30 Republican members of the House, Slade Gorton, Barry Goldwater Jr., J.C. Watts, Bill Kristol, Sam Reed, Chris Vance, Steve Schmidt, Rick Wilson, Glenn Beck, Meghan McCain, Michael Medved, Tom Nichols, P.J. O'Rourke, Jennifer Rubin, George Will, and Meg Whitman (just to name a few) all refused to endorse their Party's nominee. A few of them left the Party entirely while others such as Sen. Graham did an about-face and became loyal Trump collaborators after Jan. 2017.

Some of them, such as President Bush I, Powell, and both Whitmans endorsed/voted for Hillary Clinton. Others endorsed Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party or Darrell Castle of the Constitution Party. But the most unusual and spontaneous of the Never Trumpers was Evan McMullin who had gained the endorsement/vote of US Senators Lindsay Graham [!!!], Jeff Flake and Mike Lee, also Slade Gorton, Bill Kristol, Sam Reed, and Meghan McCain among others.

McMullin was a former CIA operations officer and staff member for the House Republican Conference. He announced his run late in the game, Aug. 10, 2016 and scrambled to gain ballot access in as many states as he could. He was printed on the ballot in 11 states and was a registered write-in in 24 more, giving him a far-fetched potential of 310 Electoral College votes. McMullin filed with the FEC as an Independent on Aug. 15, 2016.

Some of his statements during the campaign indicate he saw himself as the only true conservative Republican in the race. McMullin certainly was no fan of Hillary Clinton, who he called "corrupt," but Trump received the most criticism--

--"And I stand for limited government and for individual liberty, and I saw in this election that the choices that the two major party candidates offered, as well as other candidates in the race, weren't sufficient or weren't adequate for our country and for the American people. So a couple of months ago, I decided seeing that no one else would get into the race to offer the American people a better choice, I decided to get in and try to do just that."

--"Well, I think Donald Trump is just not trustworthy whatsoever. I mean, he has spent his entire life being in favor of late-term abortions and opposed to the Second Amendment and has even spoken in favor of single-payer healthcare, even in this election. He's defended Planned Parenthood, even in this election. And Donald Trump is not someone who can be trusted. This is a man who does not stand for anything other than himself."

--"The notion that he would appoint Supreme Court justices who are constitutional conservatives, I think, is a real stretch to put it mildly. He's also said his sister would make a great justice. And she is certainly not a constitutional conservative. She's quite liberal, in fact. He's just not somebody who has any credibility on these issues. He is a big government-type of person, just like Hillary Clinton. And I am, I believe, truly the only conservative in this race."

--"I know dictators and authoritarians when I see them, and Donald Trump is one of them. I will do everything in my power to prevent him from becoming president of the United States."

--"Donald Trump appeals to the worst fears of Americans at a time we need unity, not division. Republicans are deeply divided by a man who is perilously close to gaining the most powerful position in the world, and many rightly see him as a real threat to our Republic."

--"I am unknown because I've avoided the limelight so that I could serve. In the case of Donald Trump, he has avoided service so that he could seek the limelight.

--"Trump has never sacrificed anything for this country, and in fact, he has attacked people who have. It just makes me sick to my stomach when I see him attacking the mother of a fallen hero or John McCain. It just makes me sick to my stomach that this guy thinks he's prepared to be commander-in-chief."

--"I think Utahns - and I won't speak for all Utahns - but my sense is that they have real issues with Donald Trump's lack of decency, with his bigotry, the way he's divided this country. That's not the Utahn way. I think they have issues with his attacks on religious minorities."

--"The idea that Donald Trump is a conservative is a complete farce. He is a conman who pretends to be a conservative."

Although Mindy Finn was McMullin's official running-mate, it was the "placeholder" name of Nathan Daniel Johnson that appeared on printed ballots in every case. The media made a deal out of the fact the McMullin/Finn ticket consisted of a Mormon from Utah (McMullin) a Jewish woman from DC.

Finn had been a rising young star in the Establishment Republican Party, but something of an anomaly as a center-Right feminist. Her views of Trump echoed McMullin--

--"First of all, we believe strongly that what makes American special and America strong is our commitment to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. The liberty component is really critical there. We have someone in Donald Trump who has tried to limit free speech. He has talked of admiring murderous dictators and tyrants. That’s one major area we’re different. Also rhetorically. We believe that everybody is equal and valuable in this country. We welcome immigrants, we celebrate that we are a country of immigrants and a melting pot, and we think three’s no place in the political arena for racism, sexism and bigotry."

--"I think Trump, in addition to his policies that I think are dangerous for the country at large, it has been clear throughout Trump’s campaign that he views women as lesser than. He’s objectified them throughout his life and continued to do so in his campaign, and seems to be very threatened by smart, successful, powerful women, and that is anathema to who we are as Americans. The view I take is that while I’m proud to live in a free and prosperous country, I do believe American is a special land and should be a beacon to the world. And part of that leadership is that women are equal under the law and I do have concerns in how Trump talks about and treats women. I think it’s very clear in his rhetoric that he sees them as second class citizens."

--"Donald Trump is unique. He speaks and acts and stands for things that most Republicans didn't prior to the cycle," Finn says. "But, by many of those leaders getting on board with Donald Trump, failing to repudiate him, failing to make a full-throated argument against racism, sexism and religious bigotry, they've allowed Donald Trump to mainstream views that are not conservative for any kind of conservatism that I was part of, and are certainly dangerous for the country."

Although the McMullin/Finn ticket did not officially garner any printed ballot votes, the McMullin/Johnson team placed 5th nationally, finishing in third place in Idaho and Utah, two Mormon strongholds. In Utah, McMullin finished with a whopping 21.54% and in Idaho with 6.73%. Other states where he topped 1% were: Minnesota 1.80%, Virginia 1.36%, Kentucky 1.18%, Arkansas 1.17%, Colorado 1.04%, South Carolina 1.00%.

Following the election in 2017 Finn and McMullin co-founded Stand Up Republic.  

Election history: none.

Other occupations: journalist, Republican Party digital strategist, founder of Empowered Women,

Notes:
Worked on the Bush 2008 and Romney 2012 campaigns.
Washington State trivia alert!!! McMullin spent a significant part of his younger years in the Seattle area.

Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia

 

Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia, April 26, 1959 (San Juan, P.R.) -

VP candidate for Independent Republican (2012, 2016)

Running mate with nominee (2012, 2016): Pogo Mochello Allen-Reese (b. 1971)
Popular vote (2012, 2016): ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote (2012, 2016): 0/538

The campaign (2012):

Persian Gulf War veteran and former exotic dancer Pogo Mochello Allen-Reese of Texas, a self-described "Slave of Jesus," made his first run for President in the 2012 election. His running-mate was Puerto Rican politician Pedro Pierluisi. Allen-Reese's stage name had been "Patriot Prancer." He was a commercial truck driver and an anti-abortion activist.

Allen-Reese mentioned his VP a couple times in Facebook--

Dec. 28, 2011
It is time to have our FIRST Puerto Rican Republican Vice President!

Jan. 3, 2012
Patriot Prancer Made it to Des Moines IA! A Truck Rear-ended a Car rubbernecking watching me Patriot Prance with OLE GLORY near the GREYHOUND Station!
 I am just like the Throughbreed Horse Secretariat! I may start from behind and WILL finish with the TRIPLE CROWN: Public Servant, President & Commander-in-CHIEF! GOD is on OUR SIDE! MY V.P. Pierluisi has to get BUSY! Time is wasting!

Pierluisi was the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, i.e., the island's delegate to the US House of Representatives. How Allen-Reese felt connected to him and whether or not Pierluisi agreed to be the VP is unknown. In any case, Pierluisi would not have been able to vote for himself even if the ticket did make it to the ballot (they did not) and there is some question if he could legally assume office.

The campaign (2016)

Allen-Reese once again chose Pierluisi as his running-mate for the 2016 election. He filed with the FEC in Jan. 2014 as a Republican under the auspices of the Reese Pierluisi committee. A Facebook entry early in the campaign read--

Nov. 7, 2013
I am back down to $4345.91 in personal campaign expenses.  Had to take out all my cash back payments.  This would have been double counting.  The FEC sent me a dictionary of New Forms 1 & 2 to complete.  It is a paperwork NIGHTMARE.  Will have to consult with my RUNNING Mate and Harvard Attorney Congressman Pedro Pierluisi. Help me get through this log jam mess.  Glad We are starting 2 years in advance!

Included in Allen-Reese's list of qualifications was that he "visited the birthplaces of both Presidents Washington and Lincoln."

As a warmup to the big election, Allen-Reese ran for Mayor of San Antonio in 2015 where he engaged in vitriolic personal attacks against some of his opponents. During one of the debates he simply got up and walked out. He placed last out of 14 candidates with 29 votes. His Presidential campaign apparently continued after the mayoral sidetrack, but not with the previous vigor.

Some of Allen-Reese's proposed Presidential appointments--

White House Chief of Staff - Haley Barbour
Attorney General - Pierluisi would also hold this position in addition to VP
Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner - Julian Castro
Under Sec. of State - Edward Cox (Nixon's son-in-law)
Sec. of Commerce - Warren Buffet
Under Sec. of Labor - James P. Hoffa
Sec. of Hospitals and Health and Physical Education - Bobby Jindal
Sec. of Health and Physical Education - Arnold Schwarzenegger
FCC Chair - Oprah Winfrey

Election history:
2009-2017 - Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico (New Progressive Party)
2021-     - Governor of Puerto Rico (New Progressive Party)
 
Other occupations: attorney, Puerto Rico Secretary of Justice, Acting Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, De Facto Governor of Puerto Rico (2019),

Notes:
Pierluisi endorsed Biden in 2020.

Mark Allen Joy

 

Mark Allen Joy, April 4, 1960 (Portland, Ore.) -

VP candidate for Independent (aka Libertarian Party) (2016)

Running mate with nominee: Roger Henry Jewell (b. 1960)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Roger Jewell of Casa Grande, Ariz. was making his fifth run for the Presidency in the 2016 election cycle. He had previously run in every election between 1996-2008. Jewell did not run for President in 2012, instead acting as the Executive Director of the Draft Sarah Palin for President Committee.  Although he has initially filed as a Republican or Libertarian on occasion it seems he usually settles into an independent status by Election Day. In the 2000 and 2008 elections Jewell appointed Michael "King of Pop" Jackson as his running-mate.

He filed with the FEC for President in Apr. 2014 as a Republican. In Aug. 2015 he refiled as Libertarian. In Dec. 2015 he refiled yet again with "none" as his party.

Jewell has also created numerous PACs over the course of his political career, here are several I have identified that provide a window into his platform--

ROGER JEWELL FOR PRESIDENT '96 COMMITTEE
REPUBLICAN DEMOCRAT UNIFICATION PROJECT
FRIENDS OF THE LIGHT PARTY
COMMITTEE FOR FAIR AND OPEN ELECTIONS
AMERICANS AGAINST ABORTION
ISRAEL/PALESTINE PEACE MEDIATION COMMITTEE
AMERICAN WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE
PEACE IN IRAQ NOW COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE FOR THE AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION FOR EQUAL
   OPPORTUNITY FOR PRESIDENCY
DRAFT MICHAEL JACKSON (KING OF POP) FOR VP 2000 COMMITTEE
DRAFT MICHAEL JACKSON KING OF POP FOR VP 2008 CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
COALITION OF INDEPENDENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
COMMITTEE FOR THE DECLASSIFICATION OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS RELATING TO
  UFOS
ROGER JEWELL FOR PRESIDENT 2008
REPARATIONS NOW!
EXPLORATION COMMITTEE FOR PEACEFUL FORMATION OF A SPACE NATION
AGENCY FOR DECRIMINALIZATION OF DRUG LAWS
CARING CHRISTIANS FOR FAIRNESS AND GAY MARRIAGE
VETERANS FOR ROGER JEWELL FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008
AMERICANS FOR FAIR TAX STRUCTURE
GET UP STAND UP STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS COMMITTEE
PATRIOTS FOR STRICTER GUN POLICIES
FIGHT THE POWER COMMITTEE
ROGER JEWELL DRAFT MICHAEL JACKSON KING OF POP PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN
  COMMITTEE 2008
JEWISH-CHRISTIAN COALITION FOR ROGER JEWELL FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008
PATRIOTS FOR THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS AND ASSAULT WEAPONS (AS PER THE
  CONSTITUTION)
JEWELL FOR PRESIDENT '96 COMMITTEE
MUSLIMS FOR JEWELL FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008
COMMITTEE INVES/POSSIBLE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT/1996 REP PRES CAND ROGER
  JEWELL
ROGER JEWELL FOR PRESIDENT 2000 CAMPAIGN
FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL DISABILITY PARTY
ELECTORAL COLLEGE FOR ROGER JEWELL 2015
ROGER JEWELL FOR LIBERTARIAN PRESIDENT 2016
ROGER JEWELL FOR PRESIDENT 2016

Not sure what his connection was with the Light Party or the National Disability Party. The 1996 assassination attempt is a story yet to be uncovered. He perhaps overshared in divulging the many skeletons in his closet including addictions, arrests, sexuality, multiple marriages, but as he reasoned in Oct. 2014--

No doubt I have made some real problems for myself in my life. I used drugs and alcohol in order to maintain my silence. Eventually, before the 2016 Presidential election, all of these things will come to light. If and when they are disclosed, it can have a positive affect by showing that although politicians have skeletons, few are willing to disclose ALL of them as I will be doing. It is my belief that no one should be elected President without having a security clearance of the highest order. The only way to achieve that is for me to disclose all the dirt so people could never blackmail me into doing something that is against my principals. The other candidates can hide shit from the public and eventually be blackmailed. Not so with me. My late father made it clear that HE would not let someone blackmail him and I intend to do likewise. But as my ex-wife once told a court, “Roger is TOO honest!”
I can only restate what my past VP choice, Michael Jackson, sang in his song, “Before you judge me, try hard to love me.”

Jewell's position on the issues was shared in his campaign Facebook page--

I'M NOT A SMOKER BUT...
This is getting really ridiculous. This attack on smokers of cigarettes while legalizing marijuana use is SO hypocritical it is mind boggling. And what about liquor. Lawmakers won't touch that with a ten foot pole. I think if you drink and/or smoke pot, you should defend people's rights to smoke cigarettes. Luxury tax on cigarettes without such taxes on pot or alcohol...absolutely ridiculous. Is there a luxury tax on lobster tails or steak? I know it's politically incorrect right now to defend smokers of cigarettes, but if you want YOUR rights to choose, then stand up for other people's rights to choose, too.
 ROGER JEWELL FOR PRESIDENT 2016

ABORTION: “No opinion other than the fact that Doctors take an oath which requires that they give all patients the facts (good and bad) in order for patients to be provided for informed consent to any operation.  I find it ridiculous that both proponents and opponents feel so strongly about an issue which can only be decided arbitrarily. NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE when life begins. I don’t think it’s a President’s place to have an opinion on the issue. It is a matter to be decided by the United States Supreme Court. I do, however, think that it should be more and more difficult to get an abortion after already having one abortion. It shows irresponsibility and lack of judgment after having already been provided with informed consent on the first abortion.”

MINIMUM WAGE: “I protested years ago in favor of raising the minimum wage to $20.00 per hour at a time when most people were not interested in hearing of such a thing. While raising the minimum wage some would cause a temporary boost for those living in poverty, any increase would likely be offset by rising costs of goods and services. Additionally, granting only a small increase in the minimum wage could actually HURT poor people because their other entitlement benefits could decrease. This exact scenario actually occurred for me. One year I received a fifteen dollar per month increase in Social Security benefits. As a result, I lost food stamps valued at more than the COLA. I made many phone calls inquiring as to whether I could refuse the extra monthly income but was told that I couldn’t refuse to take the COLA. This is not only a true story, it is something MANY recipients often suffer from. Nevertheless, I would support a large increase in the minimum wage since it appears that most people feel they could benefit from it.”

EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN: “Again, I think that this is short-sighted policy. I will support the Equal Pay acts but I think women may only succeed in causing mediocre workers to earn the same as hard workers. Ideally, all salaries should reflect the monetary worth of an employee (regardless of gender). Be careful what you wish for because you may just get it and suffer the consequences of the fallout.”

GAY MARRIAGES: “While the conditions for marriage have historically been within the sole domain of the states, gay marriages are on par with the prohibitions against interracial marriage and cohabitation. The Freedom of Association rights along with other provisions of the U.S. Constitution provide for honoring gay marriages. As someone who has had gay sexual encounters (although I no longer wish to participate in sex in that role anymore), I feel strongly that society benefits more by encouraging strong family relationships (be it heterosexual or homosexual) than encouraging promiscuity by denying marital rights to gay people.”

In Aug. 2015 Jewell announced his campaign manager, Mark Joy, was also now his running-mate. This was in the same month Jewell changed his FEC filing from Republican to Libertarian. Jewell and Joy had been high school classmates in Troutdale, Ore. During the campaign Joy moved to Salem, Ore. In Sept 2015 Jewell told the media he was scaling back his Presidential campaign in order to run for Casa Grande City Council, but by Dec. he refiled with the FEC with no party affiliation for President suggesting his electoral quest for the White House remained active.

No votes were reported for the Jewell/Joy ticket.

Election history:
2011-2016 - Lafayette, Ore. City Council (initially appointed)

Other occupations: board member of Provoking Hope, Union Pacific Railroad inspector

Notes:
Joy moved to Lafayette in 2007. He apparently lived in King County, Wash. prior to that [Washington State trivia alert!!!] Jewell himself was born in Washington.

Marjorie Reilly Smith

 

Marjorie Reilly Smith, April 17, 1943 (Washington, D.C.) -

VP candidate for Independent (aka Independent Republican) (2012)

Running mate with nominee: Randall Allen Terry (b. 1959)
Popular vote: 9,284 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Randall Terry was well known by 2012 as an anti-abortion activist who had been arrested scores of times in acts of civil disobedience. He also opposed all forms of birth control aside from abstinence, as well as working against the right-to-die concept (e.g. Terri Schavio). Prior to 2012 he had run for US Congress and the Florida Senate first as a member of the Right to Life Party and then a Republican. He announced his Presidential run in Jan. 2011.

RationalWiki has gathered some of Terry's earlier quotations to help set the stage--

"I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good... Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a biblical duty, we are called on by God to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism."
—The News Sentinel, (Fort Wayne, Indiana), August 16, 1993.

"What this is coming down to is who runs the country. It's us against them. It's the good guys versus the bad guys. It's the God-fearing people against the pagans, and some of the pagans are going to church."
—Speech in Jackson, Mississippi, April 1992

"The next step, if at all humanly possible (and in 90% of the cases it is), it is to get our children out of the humanistic, brainwashing institution called public education. Frankly, it is a mixture of insanity and irresponsibility to turn our children over to our adversaries and their curriculum in a God-less education system (i.e., a system that teaches history and science without God)."
—Why Does a Nice Guy Like Me Keep Getting Thrown in Jail? (1993)

"America is under the judgment of God. And if we are ever going to rebuild this country, it must be under God's law. Our goal must be simple: We must have a Christian nation built on God's law, on the Ten Commandments. No apologies."
—Speech to "Cities of Refuge" campaign, Willoughby Hills, Ohio, July, 1993.

In 2012 he ran in the Democratic primaries for President, telling one reporter, "I want to pummel Obama. I despise this presidency. He is the arch child killer of the Western Hemisphere, so I'm going to go head-to-head with him." After basically being shown the door by the Democrats, he continued to run as an Independent. He was simultaneously running for a Florida position in US Congress as an Independent at the same time, which was interesting since he was a resident of West Virginia.

His campaign gained national attention for two events. First, he attempted (and failed) to show gruesome photos of aborted fetuses on his televised ads during the Superbowl but apparently was successful in other venues. Second, during a debate in Dec. 2011, Vermin Supreme glitterbombed Terry.

Critics pointed out that Terry's personal life was contrary to and hypocritical with his Christian family values rhetoric. Shortly after the election he was inducted into the Encyclopedia of American Loons.

Terry did not speak kindly about his major party opponents. On Obama: "He's a hybrid of a Marxist, a socialist, and a fascist." On Romney: "Obama with white skin ... He caved in to his state supreme court to give homosexual marriage. His policies are socialistic and fascist. Fascism being the wedding of big government and big business."

Terry's positions included--

-Making abortion illegal.
-Oppose corporate bailouts.
-Global warming is hoax.
-Build a wall to keep Mexicans out.
-Anti-Islam to the point of destroying the Quran in front of the White House in public protest.
-In favor of withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
-"The solution for the health needs of the poor rests with the Church."
-Cut the defense budget.
-Support the death penalty, "There are some people who I would offer to pull the switch. (I also believe that executions should be public, and that young men who are in trouble with the law should be required to view the execution.)"
-"Same sex marriage" is an affront to God and man. It violates Natural Law, and well as the Laws of God. Beyond that, it seeks to legitimize a sinful, self-destructive lifestyle. We cannot legitimize nor normalize that which is against the Laws of Heaven and Nature, and a behavior that is self-destructive."
-Pro gun culture.
-"We have plenty of regulations to protect our water and our air. The current 'green movement' is often driven by those who are anti-human (Malthusian) or anti-American (communists and socialists.)"
-Increase domestic oil drilling.
-Repeal the Patriot Act.
-Expand nuclear energy.
-"I think everyone who loves freedom should drive a great big, safe, SUV...and everyone who wants us to be slaves to the socialist state should drive an itty-bitty Hyundai."
-"I cannot say enough, nor say it strongly enough. Social Security is a scam. It is immoral; it is theft and compulsion driven, generational transfer of wealth. It is a Ponzi scheme. And it needs to be ended."
-"End the federal income tax now. The government has NO RIGHT to know what we make. Moreover, the graduated income tax is Marxist...straight out of the Communist Manifesto. Get rid of the income tax, and replace it with a federal income taxon ALL retail purchases."

Terry had two running-mates: In Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska she was Marjorie "Missy" Reilly Smith, and in Ohio she was Cathy Lewis. No VP was listed for Indiana or West Virginia. He was listed on the ballot in Kentucky, Nebraska, and West Virginia. He was a registered write-in in Colorado, Indiana, and Ohio.

Smith, an ardent anti-abortion activist who called the Democrats "the party of death," had run for the position of District of Columbia Delegate in 2010 as a Republican with Terry's support and advice. Some accounts say he was her campaign manager and the 2010 race was a trial run for the national 2012 contest. Her graphic television ads did get her a lot of attention, but not the elected position. She appeared to be the official VP while Lewis was a stand-in.

During the announcement of Smith's selection in late May, 2012, Terry said--

Missy Smith is articulate, unflinching, and beautiful. Her heartrending honesty about killing two of her own children makes her doubly formidable -- a true threat to the child killers and pandering politicians.

I know that her witness for the babies as a vice presidential candidate will reach millions of Americans, and hopefully be instrumental in causing Obama to lose several swing states. I thank her with all my heart for joining me in this campaign. If we are successful in our mission, Missy will go down in history as an American Joan of Arc.

Smith added--

It is a great honor and privilege to accept the invitation of Randall Terry to be his Vice Presidential running mate in the general election. In my opinion, Randall is the greatest 'Warrior for Life' in American history, and a brilliant media strategist.

I killed two of my babies by abortion, and I know the private hell that millions of women live in day after day because of their 'safe legal abortion.' Abortion is murder, and I will do everything in my power to make it illegal.

No other person in our nation's history has done more to cause the killing of children as well as attack the Church and exploit women than Obama. The goal of our campaign is to cause a crisis of conscience in Catholic and Evangelical voters by showing pictures of babies slaughtered by abortion so that they refuse to vote for Obama.  I know we can achieve this goal by using graphic pictures in our television ads in certain swing states, and hopefully cause Obama's defeat.

Nationally Terry finished in 9th place with 13,108 (0.01%) popular votes. The Terry/Missy Smith ticket finished with 4 write-in votes in Colorado, 4th place in Kentucky (0.38%), and 4th place out of 4 in Nebraska (0.30%).

Election history:
2010 - District of Columbia Delegate (Republican) - defeated

Other occupations: real estate, author, editor, publisher, public speaker, founder of WAKEUP (Women Against the Killing and Exploitation of Unprotected Persons), radio talk show host

Notes:
Supported Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Mark D. Willis

 

Mark D. Willis, June 11, 1969 (Alameda County, Calif.) -

VP candidate for Independent Republican (2012)

Running mate with nominee: Ronald Ernest Paul (b. 1935)
Popular vote: 2,035 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas announced in May 2011 he was going to run for the Republican nomination for President. Along with Jesse Ventura and Ralph Nader, Paul has long been one of the contemporary voices outside the mainstream of politics that can excite a base. After he basically dropped out of the running many of his followers refused to give up the fight and ran him as a write-in candidate in several states.

In Maine, Paul's name was registered on Sept. 24, 2012 by an Elector named Patrick Eisenhart. Mark Willis, who had been a Paul delegate and a member of the Republican National Committee from Maine, was listed as the running-mate. "Neither had any prior knowledge or had given their consent," Eisenhart told a columnist.

Willis said he had "nothing to do with it" and "I made the judgment call to just not do anything, keep it quiet, don't talk about it, don't draw attention to it."

In May 2012 Willis had been elected to the Republican National Committee and he also attended the national convention as a delegate for Ron Paul. The RNC disqualified the Paul delegates from Maine on technicalities and as a result most of the delegates from the Pine Tree State walked out of the convention.

The Paul/Willis ticket finished with 0.28% of the vote in Maine. Nationwide Paul had an impressive 26,204 (0.02%) votes as a write-in in states where his followers had him registered. Maine was his highest percentage. Other Paul write-in results were: Vermont 0.24%, New Hampshire 0.19%, California 0.16% (where his running-mate was Andrew Napolitano), and Rhode Island 0.14%.

In Jan. 2013 Willis made an unsuccessful longshot bid to unseat and replace RNC Chair Reince Priebus. Although the Paul/Willis ticket was an involuntary one, mainstream Republicans pointed to it in an effort to paint Willis as disloyal. The Republican Liberty Caucus endorsed Willis, who was also a member of the RLC himself.

Another anti-Priebus group endorsed Willis and included a little more about his politics--

Mark Willis is a strong proponent of restoring personal and economic liberty and freedom. He also advocates a limited federal government, and to that end, elimination of the TSA, the Departments of Education and Interior as well as the Environmental Protection Agency at the federal end and the Internal Revenue Service.

In Aug. 2013 Willis and a dozen others left the Republican Party stating in a letter, "We can no longer associate ourselves with a political party that goes out of its way to continually restrict our freedoms and liberties as well as reaching deeper and deeper into our wallets."

Election history:
20-- - Dennysville, Me. School Board
20-- - Dennysville, Me. Board of Selectmen

Other occupations: U.S. Army Counterintelligence Agent, computer security, farmer, attorney,  

Notes:
Fun factoid: I have a cousin in the Nashville area named Paul Willis.

James Polin Gray

 

James Polin Gray, February 14, 1945 (Washington, D.C.) -

VP candidate for Libertarian Party (aka Independent) (2012)

Running mate with nominee: Gary Earl Johnson (b. 1953)
Popular vote: 1,275,923 (0.99%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Gary Johnson was the former two-term Republican Governor of New Mexico (1995-2003) who was regarded as an economic conservative who cut the size of state government, vetoed more bills than most governors, and encouraged the privatization of prisons. One of his few planks that spilled over into the progressive spectrum was his belief in the legalization of marijuana. In the 2008 Presidential election Johnson supported Ron Paul.

Johnson announced he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for US President in Apr. 2011. Putting his energy into the New Hampshire primary, he did manage to participate in two major Republican debates, but found himself excluded from the bulk of these high-exposure events. When it was clear it wasn't going to happen for him, Johnson switched gears and in late Dec. 2011 switched tracks and became a candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination.

The Libertarian Party, unlike the two majors, has a system where a candidate selects their running-mate far ahead of the convention. These pre-convention tickets are not always nominated together, but at least the proposed team allows the delegates to make a more informed decision. The selection of a Vice-President reveals quite a bit about the potential nominee. In Apr. 2012 Johnson announced his VP was Jim Gray, a retired California Superior Court Judge and Libertarian Party member since 1998. Gray, another former Republican, had previously run as a Libertarian for the US House and US Senate. He was noteworthy for his critical opinion on US drug laws.

It wasn't the first time a far-Right recent Republican office holder had nabbed the Libertarian nomination. Ron Paul in 1988 and Bob Barr in 2008, former US House members, turned out to be carpetbaggers. Following their national adventure in the LP they both returned to the Republican Mother Ship. Johnson, unlike the other two, had actually held an executive position in government. Any worries in 2012 about him being a short-term opportunist have since been cast aside as Johnson remains a Libertarian to this day.

Johnson's detractors contended his support for pot legalization and gay marriage grabbed enough headlines to obscure some of his more stringent conservative views, especially with Gray on the ticket underlining the drug issue. They pointed out that Johnson's campaign team included several people associated with far Right conspiracy-minded causes and groups.

On the other hand, Johnson's view of pot legalization and gay marriage was indeed more topical and mainstream than most of those in the Big Two parties, as events since 2012 have shown. To those who were into these causes as single-issue voters, Johnson's Right-wing policies probably were not all that important.

On the ballot in 48 states + DC + a registered write-in in one, the Johnson/Gray ticket finished in third place nationally with best results in New Mexico (3.55%), Montana (2.93%), Alaska (2.46%) and Wyoming (2.14%). They cracked 1% in 23 additional states. It was the highest number of popular votes in the history of the LP's Presidential runs up to that time, and the second highest percentage.

Johnson would run again in 2016 but with a different running-mate.

Election history:
1998 - US House of Representatives (Calif.) (Republican) - primary - defeated
2004 - US Senate (Calif.) (Libertarian Party) - defeated
2020 - Libertarian Party nomination for US President - defeated

Other occupations: Peace Corps, US Navy, attorney, superior court judge, author, playwright, member of the Libertarian Party Judicial Committee, member of the California Judicial Council

Notes:
One of his 1998 opponents was Robert "B-1 Bob" Dornan.
In the 2004 Libertarian primary, he defeated Gail Lightfoot.
His opponents in 2004 included Barbara Boxer (winner) and Marsha Feinland.

James McMillan III

 

James McMillan III, December 1, 1946 (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) -

VP candidate for Free Pony Party (2012)

Running mate with nominee: Vermin Love Supreme (b. 1961)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

By 2012 New York's flamboyant perennial candidate Jimmy McMillan and his Rent is Too Damn High Party was already well known across the nation. Although famous as the founder of the RITDH Party, McMillan was in fact registered as a Democrat and switched his registration in Oct. 2010 to the Republican Party in order to run in their 2012 primaries. He filed with the FEC in Feb. 2011 and did campaign as part of a major party but in the end did not participate in Republican debates or appear on any ballots.

When asked in 2011 why he was running for President and not Mayor of NYC, McMillan answered--

I thought about that, but I'm more worried about the information. Running for President now...they're not talking about the issues. I need to keep these issues at the forefront. I might just run for mayor, but I want Barack Obama to maintain the Presidency. I just want to shut these Republicans down—you're scaring the hell out of everybody! I want a young Republican to come up and run with the issues to get the country on the right track. I'm like a rabbit in a marathon, I want to get in here to set the pace. If the President can't keep up with me, he's going to lose. I'll say to him like I said it on national television, Barack Obama, I'll run for President of the United States. I have issues, they don't. You want to talk about Politics. The country is in a 14 trillion dollar debt and you're raising the debt ceiling and everyone's out of a job. Jimmy McMillan is over here, Barack Obama here, I'm talking How To Fix, he's talking Politics. I'm trying to get into the presidential debate, that's my uphill battle.

McMillan addressed the perception that the Rent is Too Damn High Party was a single-issue entity concerned only with affordable housing--

The office of the president is supposed to be bi-partisan. Some people are for issues like birth control and abortion and some people are not. You can’t choose sides. When it comes to abortion and gay marriage this is a bi-partisan conversation. The president of the United States should not take a position on these issues.

As president you have to be focused on economic issues. You should be worried about the American people having a roof over their head, food on the table and money in their pockets. How are they going to survive when there are no jobs? How am I going to help create new businesses?

Jimmy McMillan is not a skit from Saturday Night Live or Comedy Central. I don’t have a lot of money. I am running this campaign with money I get from retirement, no one is giving me any money. I am speaking from a perspective no one else can see.

I was caught in a rainstorm last week. I was sitting in my car watching the rain fall on my windshield. I see rain different from you. I see the rain as the tears from the people who are suffering and I need to help them throughout these economic crises. I am here to help those who are hurting.

On Groundhog Day, 2012 McMillan "debated" performance artist Vermin Supreme, who was engaged in running for President in the Democratic primaries. Later as both of their attempts within the major parties fizzled, they continued to campaign in their own third parties. On Aug. 25 Supreme announced the formation of the Free Pony Party. A pact was made with McMillan that they would serve as the running-mate for the other, a "double-meme team," as Supreme put it.

However, McMillan's role as a Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidate came to an end on Sept. 13, 2012 when he declared he was suspending his campaign in order to concentrate on running for Mayor of New York in 2013. In the process he also endorsed Obama-- 

President Barack Obama messed up. Republican Party had a chance to beat him ... But when the Republican Party decided to choose Mitt Romney, Mitt Romney said he don’t support the very poor. How can I support him? So, even though Barack Obama don’t know what he’s doing, I have no choice but to vote for Barack Obama to keep the Republican Party out.

Election history:
1993 - Mayor of New York City (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - disqualified from ballot
1994 - Governor of New York (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - defeated
1996 - Republican nomination for US President - defeated
2000 - Democratic nomination for the US Senate - defeated
2005 - Mayor of New York City (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - defeated
2006 - Governor of New York (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - defeated
2009 - Mayor of New York City (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - defeated
2010 - Democratic nomination for Governor of New York - withdrew
2010 - Governor of New York (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - defeated
2012 - Republican nomination for US President - withdrew
2012 - US President (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - suspended
2013 - Mayor of New York City (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - defeated
2014 - Governor of New York (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - disqualified from ballot
2016 - Republican nomination for US President - withdrew
2017 - New York City Council (Republican/Rent is Too Damn High Party) - defeated
2018 - Governor of New York (Rent is Too Damn High Party) - disqualified from ballot

Other occupations: US Army (Vietnam War), musician, male stripper, private security, author, bouncer, postal worker, actor

Notes:
Was a write-in in the 1994 election.
Winner of the 2005 and 2009 elections was Mike Bloomberg.
Opponents in 2006 included Eliot Spitzer (winner) and Maura DeLuca.
Winner of the 2010 election was Andrew Cuomo.
Winner of the 2013 election was Bill de Blasio.
Endorsed Trump in 2016.

Alden H. Link

 

Alden H. Link, May 13, 1930 (New York, NY) -

VP candidate for Objectivist Party (2008, 2012)

Running mate with nominee (2008, 2012): Thomas Robert Stevens (1956-2019)
Popular vote (2008): 755 (0.00%)
Popular vote (2012): 4,091 (0.00%)
Electoral vote (2008, 2012): 0/538

The campaign (2008):

Tom Stevens said he founded the Objectivist Party on Feb. 2, 2008, the birthday of the Party's muse and inspiration, Ayn Rand. An attorney, blogger, and reviewer of plays, Stevens had arrived at creating his party after a political journey that started with being a "reform Democrat," then very active Republican, then Libertarian, and Boston Tea Party, frequently with overlapping membership. He appeared to be a contentious character who had difficulty working within a party framework. In his Republican days he was actually indicted on a charge of employing a hit man to kill a rival Republican. The charges were dropped.

Stevens filed with the FEC for US President on June 14, 2008 under the Objectivist Party.

Alden Link of Newburgh, NY, the VP nominee, had originally filed with the FEC for US President as a Republican on Jan. 13, 2007. He had actually been campaigning since 2006 and had approached both the Republican and Libertarian parties but failed to generate much enthusiasm. In the case of the latter party, he had made a bid for the Presidential nomination. He was still running as an independent, according to his website, when he became the Objectivist Party running-mate at age 78. Like Stevens, Link had started his political activity as a Democrat.

Link's webpage included a thumbnail version of his platform--

Alden Link Stands For:

• Achieving Energy Independence
• Respecting Personal Choice
• Shrinking The Size Of Government
• Defending America
• Ending Illegal Immigration
• Exploring The Universe
• Fighting For Gay Rights

His pet issue was an enthusiastic support for expanding nuclear power as a way to achieve energy independence from oil. While campaigning in Iowa in Aug. 2006, Link proposed a government tax penalty on people deemed to be obese, which seemed to contradict his "respecting personal choice" plank.

Reporter Tim Logan of the Times Herald-Record described Link in an article on July 23, 2006--

Link is a longtime Newburgh businessman and developer. He's got thick machinist's hands, a nasal Brooklyn accent and the kind of twinkle in his eye that makes you wonder, just for a second, whether this is all a joke. He has no party, no campaign staff, no name recognition and, despite being one of the very first declared candidates for the 2008 presidential election, no real chance of actually being elected.

The Objectivist Party didn't really have an issue specific platform that I could find, but there was a "Statatement of Principles" based on Stevens' interpretation of Ayn Rand's writings--

I. INDIVIDUALS HAVE A RIGHT TO LIFE

All human beings have an individual right to life and are born with freedoms based upon this right. These freedoms include one's right to free thought, free action and the freedom to keep what is produced. It is the role of government to protect these rights, but to never encroach upon them. Living in society benefits man only if that society recognizes and protects these rights and freedoms.

II. INDIVIDUALS HAVE A RIGHT TO THEIR OWN THOUGHTS

All human beings have a right to their own thoughts and have the potential to use reason to realize their rational self-interest and to live productive lives. It is the role of government to protect an individual's right to think or act against the initiation of force by others.

III. INDIVIDUALS HAVE A RIGHT TO THEIR OWN PROPERTY

All human beings have a right to their own property and to keep what they produce. This includes the right and responsibility to decide what to do with all that is created. All individuals have a right to trade freely with others. No government should interfere with any transaction or trade between individuals.

IV. INDIVIDUALS HAVE A RIGHT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES

All human beings have the right to protect themselves from any initiation of force against their rights or liberties. To enhance this individual right, citizens entrust to their government the right to protect them from domestic and foreign threats. As a result, it is a proper role of government to protect a nation's borders and to protect a nation's citizens from other people and/or governments.

On the ballot only in Colorado and Florida, the Stevens/Link ticket placed 11th in both states out of 16 and 14 respectively. In the event of their victory there would have been a Constitutional problem since both candidates seemed to be residents of the same state although at some point Link had an additional residence in Florida.

The campaign (2012):

Stevens and Link were nominated for a second run for the White House. The Objectivist Party convention took place in a couple St. Louis restaurants (one of them in a casino) in May, 2010.

Stevens founded the Personal Freedom Party on June 6, 2010, designed initially for the New York political scene. The platform included--

Legalization of Marijuana
Decriminalization of Prostitution
Legalization of Gambling
Lowering of the Voting Age
Legalization of Gay Marriage
Elimination of Excessive Taxation
Elimination of Excessive Regulation

A press release stated--

The Personal Freedom Party's main objective is to run a full slate of statewide candidates in 2014 and to obtain 50,000 votes for its gubernatorial nominee so the party can obtain "minor party" status under the election law of New York State.

On his personal blog Stevens posted, "On December 1, 2010, Alden Link was appointed Vice-Chair of the Personal Freedom Party. Alden Link is currently Chair of Hudson River Valley Libertarians (covering Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Columbia & Greene counties in New York State). Hudson River Valley Libertarians is a chartered chapter of Empire State Libertarians."

However, Stevens filed for US President with the FEC on June 5, 2011 under the Objectivist Party rather than the Personal Freedom Party. Link, now 82, filled in as the running-mate for a second time.

At the same time Stevens was running for President he was also the campaign manager for Libertarian Presidential hopeful Carl Person. Stevens was let go from that position on Dec. 13, 2011 for various reasons including Person's disapproval of Stevens' support for decriminalization of bestiality. According to Stevens, Person was displeased when the Zoosexual community were alleged to have rallied around the slogan:

What can you do
If you're a Zoo?
Support Carl Person
He'll fight for you!

On Jan. 27, 2012, the NY branch of the Objectivist Party required the resignation of their treasurer after he revealed himself to be an unapologetic Christian. Dallwyn Merck (aka Allan Robert Hamilton) a member of the Governing Board made the comment--

Two incidents involving “conspicuous displays of ignorance” led to the Governing Board’s unanimous acceptance of the resignation of Ron Ramo as OPNY Treasurer. The first was his public statement that he could not attend an event of the Objectivist Party of New York because he would be “in church” at the time. The second was a blast text message he sent out to friends reading, “May the peace and love of God that abides in this Christmas season be with you in the New Year and the rest of your life”. Attempts to get assurances such incidences would not occur in the future were unsuccessful.

The Objectivist Party applies no litmus test with respect to who may join the party. Individuals who consider themselves nominally Christian or who have a general belief in God are welcome because the path to Objectivism is a journey and every person must travel it at their own pace. However, when an individual agrees to serve as an officer in one of the affiliates of the Objectivist Party, it sends the wrong message if that person engages in public displays of devotion to supernatural beings and/or belief in superstitions.

As our country rises above faith to embrace science and reason, the Objectivist Party is perfectly situated to lead our nation into a bright new future grounded in enlightened self-interest and purposeful living. Officers in affiliates of the Objectivist Party must reject mysticism and be an inspiration for all who look to the party to be an effective influence on cultural remnants that keep us tied to our past.

Some critics wondered if the Party was actually engaged in some kind of weird performance art, a rumor that Stevens himself seemed to encourage in comments made on the Independent Political Report--

Dr. Tom Stevens
February 1, 2012 at 23:40

I do love performance art. In fact, I view most people’s lives as performance art.

Two little know facts about me to encourage further speculation.

First, I was Baird Jones’ attorney (Baird Jones the party giver and performance art curator).

Second, I was the attorney who represented Baird Jones in his lawsuit to have the New York State law banning midget bowling overturned as being unconstitutional.

Of course, that was in a past life.

Dr. Tom Stevens
February 2, 2012 at 14:18

The usual practice was to strap a midget to a skateboard and roll him into bowling pins.

However, Baird Jones usually let the midget steer himself guided by a celebrity into plastic bowling pins. Little Mike Anderson was never harmed even though he had brittle bone disease.

Once again on the ballot only in Colorado and Florida, the ticket fared even worse in the former but in the Sunshine State they finished 6th out of 12 with 0.05% of the vote.
 
Election history:
1977 - White Plains, NY City Council - defeated
2008 - Republican nomination for US President - withdrew
2008 - US President (Independent) - withdrew
2008 - Libertarian Party nomination for US President - defeated
2010 - Lt. Governor of New York (Libertarian Party) - defeated

Other occupations: US Army, engineering, residential housing developer, manufacturer of wheat grass juicers

Notes:
Link has a pilot's license.

Linda Kay Patterson

 

Linda Kay Patterson, August 7,  1938 (Indianapolis, Ind.) -

VP candidate for American Party (2008)

Running mate with nominee: Diane Beall Templin (b. 1947)
Popular vote: 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
 
The campaign:

Diane Beall Templin was making her third attempt for the Presidency in 2008. After a close three way race for the Constitution Party nomination with Don J. Grundmann (winner) and "Mad Max" Riekse she returned once again a few days later to the American Party and was nominated for President with Linda Patterson of Indianapolis as her running mate.

Patterson, age 70, had been an active American Party candidate for statewide offices in the 1980s, but apparently had not run for office since 1986. She was also a Party officer.

The Christian arch-conservative Templin/Patterson ticket failed to gain ballot access in any state, nor were they registered anywhere as write-ins.

Shortly after Sept. 11, 2008 the American Party website simply vanished. Any significant national presence by the Party itself evaporated as well. When a new website resurfaced in late 2015, the organization was called the American Party of the United States of America. The new revived website also appears to have become extinct sometime after the 2016 election. It might be a safe guess to conclude that a number of what was left of American Party members have been co-opted into the Trump Republican Party?

Election history:
1980 - Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction (American Party) - defeated
1982 - Clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court and Court of Appeals (American Party) - defeated
1984 - Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction (American Party) - defeated
1986 - Indiana Secretary of State (American Party) - defeated

Other occupations: farm housewife, business manager for excavating and landscaping, Chairperson of the American Party of Indiana Central Committee

Notes:
Baptist.
Winner of the 1986 race was Evan Bayh. During the 1986 election Patterson was in jail for contempt of court for initially failing to cooperate in a foreclosure case as her husband remained at large.
nee Linda Kay Lee.