August Gillhaus, June, 1867 (New York, NY?)- May 4, 1932 (New York, NY)
VP candidate for Socialist Labor Party (aka Industrial Labor Party) (1912, 1920)
Running mate with nominee (1912): Arthur E. Reimer (1882-1969)
Running mate with nominee (1920): William Wesley Cox (1865-1948)
Popular vote (1912): 29,324 (0.19%)
Popular vote (1920): 31,084 (0.12%)
Electoral vote (1912): 0/531
Electoral vote (1920): 0/531
The campaign (1912):
The Socialist Labor Party was pretty much lost in the shuffle in an election year when other third parties were taking up all the political oxygen. The Party continued their trajectory to an isolated and sectarian philosophical territory. It would be the final election in which SLP leader and polarizing figure Daniel De Leon was involved.
The Party's 1912 platform was unusual due to the length of the text. However it was still familiar in that the content was not so much specific statements on various policies but more of a general essay on class struggle.
The SLP was on the ballot in 21 states, placing dead last in every single one. Their two best results, both at 0.66% were Minnesota and Connecticut.
The campaign (1920):
The post-WWI government "Red Scare" prosecution of any organization to the left of the Democratic Party impacted the SLP's ability to spread their message via the postal service. Also, the SLP's membership included many immigrants who were threatened with deportation.
The SLP lost a number of members to the Communist Party in the wake of the Russian Revolution, these defectors were characterized by the SLP as "a handful of sentimentalists." The differences between the SLP and the Communists would sharpen in the coming years.
On the ballot in only 14 states, where they placed last every time, their strongest result was in Minnesota with 0.79%.
Election history:
1903 - New York State Assembly (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1904 - US House of Representatives (NY) (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1905 - New York City Controller (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1908 - US President (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1914 - New York State Engineer and Surveyor (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1916 - US Senate (NY) (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1917 - New York City Controller (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1918 - Lt. Governor of New York (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1929 - New York City Controller (Socialist Labor) - defeated
1930 - Attorney General of New York (Socialist Labor) - defeated
Other occupations: bricklayer, engineer, cigar maker
Buried: possibly cremated and placed in a SLP-owned niche, Fresh Pond Crematory and Columbarium (Middle Village, NY)
Notes:
The first time a prior presidential nominee of any party subsequently ran for Vice-President.
Charles Gillhaus, his father, had immigrated to New York from Germany in 1864.
