Jennifer Joan Wilner

 

Jennifer Joan Wilner, November 11, 1970 (Washington, D.C.) -

VP candidate for Independent Democrat (1992)

Running mate with nominee: Russell Minos Baptiste Hirshon (b. 1961)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Russell Hirshon, a performance artist and bartender in the region of the nation's capital, began his perennial candidacy for DC Mayor and/or US President with instant press coverage. His method of electioneering was to perform flamboyant visual stunts to attract attention. In 1990 he paraded around Washington, D.C. with a flag wrapped around his waist while carrying a chain saw apparently making an environmental statement regarding old growth forests. In another caper he was suspended from a ceiling with live fish and in yet another he was a giant ice cream sundae.

For the 1992 national election he formed the Committee to Put Russell Hirshon in the Big House. His motive? "I want people to vote, to participate. If they don't vote, I might win. Maybe that'll scare them." A poster with Hirshon adorned in a loud suit and standing in a cornfield declared, "Not all presidential candidates are crazy. Just one. Russell Hirshon for President 1992."

In a Jan. 1992 report, Hirshon told the press, "You get looked upon as if you're kind of crazy. Now I'm one of the people I used to laugh at." The candidate managed to put together at least a couple 30-second TV spots that aired on local cable access. The ads included a shot of him sitting on a toilet in public, and he gave out his personal telephone number if voters wanted to ask questions.

Hirshon enjoyed some unplanned publicity in Jan. 1992 when the Bill Clinton campaign held a fund-raising event at the restaurant where he worked. Clinton's people asked that Hirshon not be present at that time. Hirshon responded, "I'm more than capable of being crazy but it's not like I'm a complete psycho."

In 1996 Hirshon filed as an Independent with the FEC under the banner of "Russell Hirshon's Committee of Thugs." He proposed settling the Bosnian wars by holding a huge party with a large open bar. In addition he promised to "blow up the Energizer bunny once and for all." In 2016 he again filed as an Independent using the organization name "Russell Hirshon's Committee to Save America" and used the slogan "Make America Sane Again."

Hirshon's website indicated he was also running for President in 2000 and 2004.

In 2016 his campaign website included this autobiography--

I still believe in a place called hopeful

Russell Hirshon is a Performance Artist/politician who feels the most important aspect of this campaign is making a least one good thing happen from all of the insanity. With two candidates who are as different as possible, we don’t need the kind of money that has been spent to determine who to vote for. Instead we should donate to charitable organizations rather than political campaigns.

As a registered Independent candidate for President, Russell’s mission is to ask as many people as possible to give to a better cause. This means asking ourselves how we can all give to make our world a better place and it starts with us.

A History of Insanity

They say great leaders are born but I beg to differ.  I believe great leaders come from a massive ego coupled with an insatiable demand for attention, acceptance and power. Oh, there is the rare occasion where someone is actually dedicated to hope and change but it is rare and fleeting as the other megalomaniacals manage to arrest any dreamers hope.

Russell Hirshon is the least qualified individual for President.

That being said here are some things to consider:

    Russell does not want your vote
    Russell does not want your money
    Russell Hirshon likes to ride his bike whenever possible and enjoys the wind blowing in his face.
    Russell believes that all Americans should get a Master’s Degree from the School of Hard Knocks.
    Russell is waiting for an interview with Megyn Kelly, preferably at a nice restaurant and where Fox picks up the tab
    Russell likes Pina Coladas.

In all of Hirshon's campaigning throughout the years the only evidence I found thus far of any Vice-Presidential nominee is from a photo published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Aug. 19, 1992. On the grounds outside the Republican convention in Houston, Hirshon is pictured sitting on a toilet, wearing a patriotic clown suit and reading the National Review. The caption includes: "Running mate Jennifer Wilner is in the background."

Wilner was actually identified as Hirshon's campaign manager in other sources. In the 2016 campaign she was called the campaign's press secretary. A mock investigative 2016 report was posted by Hirshon on Youtube, "Our campaign was rocked by allegations of a possible relationship between the candidate and his press secretary earlier today as an ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) reporter slips in the 'gotcha' question to our press secretary, Jennifer Wilner. Luckily the interview was abruptly stopped and the reporter escorted out of our campaign office. Our statement at this time is the following:  'We are not aware that anything improper has occurred at this time between Russell Hirshon and the press secretary and as far as we know, no text messages exist to indicate the contrary.'"

In 1992 both Hirshon and Wilner were under the Constitutionally mandated age of 35 to hold office.

Election history: none

Other occupations: communications and public relations

Notes:
Hirshon also ran for Mayor of Washington, D.C. in 1990 and 1994. One of his posters read: "If you want to get screwed, elect a politician. If you want to get served, elect a bartender."
It would seem Jennifer Wilner is aka Jen Hirshon.

William Thomas Riker

 

William Thomas Riker, September 28, 1987 (Hollywood, Calif.) -

VP candidate for Independent (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024)

Running mate with nominee (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024): Jean-Luc Picard (b. 1987)
Popular vote (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020): ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020): 0/538

The campaign (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024):

Star Trek: The Next Generation, a 1987-1994 spinoff from the original Star Trek television series from the 1960s, defined their purpose as, "Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before."

The Trek franchise is huge and it seems only naturally American for the lead characters to be, in this age where entertainment and politics are so intermingled, merchandised as Presidential timber. Heck, when the show first aired the President at the time was a former movie and TV actor.

The Enterprise skipper, Jean-Luc Picard (portrayed by Patrick Stewart) and his first officer Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) have been marketed as a Presidential ticket in every election since 1992. They probably ran in 1988 as well but I didn't find a confirmation of that. Bumper stickers, t-shirts, buttons, coffee mugs, etc. abound every four years with a "Picard/Riker" declaration.

"Jean-Luc Picard" filed with the FEC on Aug. 20, 2015 with no party affiliation. His address was given as 877 Enterprise St., Buchanan, MI 49107 and the campaign committee was United Federation of Planets, 150 Galaxy Rd., Shirley, AR 72153.

The Next Generation not only explored space, but the writers broached a number of political and social subjects that were fairly progressive at the time. Intelligence, reason, tolerance, curiosity, and humanity were seen as virtues. The assumption was that not only would we survive ourselves, but a far better, almost utopian age awaited us.

In the event of their electoral victory there would be several problems. They are fictitious characters. They live in the future (Picard was born in the year 2305). Although Riker was born in Alaska, Picard is from France. They reside in outer space. The characters were created in 1987, which made them below the age of 35 but in 2024 they will be legal in this regard. And so forth.

Election history: none

Other occupations: fictional character

Notes:
Riker is a contender for holding the record for number of times someone has made a Vice-Presidential run.

June Syers

 

June Syers

VP candidate for Lemonade Party (1996)

Running mate with nominee: Judson Moon (b. 1984)
Popular vote: ? (?%)
Electoral vote: 272/538

The campaign:

The juvenile fiction book The Kid Who Ran For President by Dan Gutman has the premise of a 12-year old boy named Judson Moon being talked into running for US President as a "goof" by a wiseguy schoolmate. In the story, events snowball beyond the control of the candidate and he is indeed elected to office.

Moon, who lived in Madison, Wis., picked a wheelchair-bound neighbor and retired nurse as his running-mate. He described her as, "June Syers is an old African-American woman I've known since the days she used to babysit for me. She has Parkinson's disease, which makes her hands and legs shake. But her mind still works fine." Their campaign slogan is "Moon + June."

Syers said she had not voted for President since 1944, "Haven't come across anybody worth votin' for since FDR." This would mean she could not have been born any later than 1923, meaning she would be no younger than 73 in 1996. Syers is portrayed as plain-speaking and a keeper of wisdom, "Politics changes a person. It rips your heart out and puts a stone in its place."

Although the story was originally published in 1996, the amended edition I checked out of the library was from 2012 and mentions of Internet social media tools that did not exist in the Clinton era were obviously added.

Moon's platform can be summarized by the answers he provided in the televised Presidential debate--

Q: You're on record as saying your first official act as president will be to abolish homework? What will you second official act be?
A: To abolish making beds. Why make a bed in the morning? You're only going to sleep in it again that night.

Q: What do you plan to do about jobs?
A: I plan to get one as soon as my term as president is over.

Q: Which president do you most admire, and why?
A: Grover Cleveland. Because he became president despite the fact that he was named after a character on Sesame Street.

Q: How do you feel about school prayer?
A: Every morning I pray that school will be closed.

Q: What do you intend to do about teenage pregnancy?
A: My dad says we're going to sit down and have a talk about that, but he keeps putting it off.

Q: It takes a tremendous amount of desire to become president. Do you have the fire in the belly?
A: Yeah, it must have been those tacos I ate for dinner.

Q: What's the toughest part about running for president?
A: Learning not to pick my nose in public.

Q: What do you think we should do about hazardous waste?
A: I'd suggest you try a strong laxative.

Although the number of popular votes and percentages were not reported in the book, it was revealed the Moon/Syers ticket won 272 Electoral votes  and part of that came from New York, New Jersey, Maine, and California. His opponents in the story, also fictitious,  included an incumbent President.

The story relates how the age restriction of 35+ was removed from the Constitution, but did not address the problem that both candidates on the ticket were residents of the same state. Also, the voting age remained at 18, so Moon could not vote for himself.

Election history: none.

Other occupations: nurse, babysitter

Notes:
In Aug. 2016, John Oliver of Last Week Tonight, gave a five-minute monologue on the parallels between the Trump and Moon campaigns.

Vacant

Vacant

VP candidate for Independent (1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008)

Running mate with nominee: Robert Bryant Winn (b. 1943)
Popular vote (1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008): ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote (1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008): 0/538

The campaigns (1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008):

Occasionally there are Presidential candidates who are very pointed about NOT having a running-mate, and I try to cover their reasons if possible.

Robert B. Winn is a perennial Independent candidate in Arizona who has run for Governor and US Senator always as a write-in. In 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2004 he ran in the same manner for US President. In 1984 he actually made the Arizona ballot, and received 3 votes for President.

A Vietnam veteran, welder and laborer, Winn had a religious background in the Church of the Latter Day Saints and in his resume are included the intriguing but unexplained entries "Prisoner, Maricopa County, Arizona, 1992 -- Prisoner, Veterans' Affairs Hospital, Psychiatric Ward, 1970." A long time advocate and activist for independent political parties, he has written a few books and has been a prolific online author.

Although Winn did have a political platform, he deemed it "irrelevant" and made the simple fact he was not running under the banner of one of the major parties the main focus of his campaigns. Some of the reviews of his published material suggest he has a conspiratorial-minded political outlook.

So far as I can tell, Winn never had a running-mate and that seemed to be the result of a deliberate decision.

Winn made the following comment on the Third Party Watch blog regarding the election and function of the Vice-President--

 Robert B. Winn Says:
January 1st, 2008 at 1:17 am

You third party people have not fully considered what it means to be independent. Why would anyone want to be a party wannabe. As an actual independent voter, I can register as a candidate for President with the Federal Election Commission the same way George Washington did, without a vice-President running mate. Party wannabes have not yet seen what an advantage this gives the independent voter who is registered as a candidate for President.

This splits the political party vote. Who will be vice-President if an independent voter is elected President?

Well, obviously, the party vice-Presidential candidate who gets the most votes will become vice-President of the United States, since the independent voter elected President has no running mate. The duties of the vice-President are to preside over the Senate. John Nance Garner said that this job was not worth a bucket of warm spit. It should go to a political party candidate. So we will have an independent voter as President and a party politician in the vice-Presidency, even though that party’s Presidential candidate lost the election.

Match that, political party wannabes.

Actually, the Republican-Democrat Party started this anomaly by running two candidates for President in the election of 1800. Now that makes more sense. Abraham Lincoln was elected because the opposing party ran more than one candidate. Two Democrat candidates in 1860 seemed to have a good effect, until it resulted in party primaries and all the political party wannabes of today.

A real independent runs without a running mate. This running mate thing has always seemed a little suspect to me. I would rather have a Political party vice-President who just tends to his job of presiding over the Senate, except in the case of an impeachment trial, when he would be replaced by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

In any event, a political party wannabe candidate for vice-President will never defeat a political party vice-Presidential candidate because of the twelfth amendment to the Constitution. An independent vice-Presidential candidate running separate from all independent Presidential candidates could defeat a party vice-Presidential candidate, but there is no record I have seen of any independent voters running for vice-President outside of the party wannabe running mate method.

Winn also made a comment for the New York Sun along the same lines:

Robert B. Winn • Nov 13, 2007 at 08:04

The idea of a vice-Presidential running mate came from the election of 1800 when the Republican-Democrats ran two candidates for President, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, to prevent the Federalist followers of Alexander Hamilton from gaining the office of vice-President. When the electors of the electoral college met, all of the Republican-Democrat electors voted for Jefferson and Burr, resulting in a tie vote for President. Burr, who was supposed to be running for vice-President, started campaigning for Federalist support in the House of Representatives, and it took about 38 votes in the House before Jefferson was elected.

Members of Congress considered this to be so traumatic that they passed an amendment resulting in the present day running-mate system for Presidential and vice-Presidential candidates. The way for independent voters to break the hold that parties have on these two offices is to run Presidential and vice-Presidential candidates separate, several Presidential candidates and several vice-Presidential candidates on election day.

It costs the American people billions of dollars per election to put two corrupt sets of party running mates on the ballot. Put some independent candidates on the ballot using nomination petition signatures instead of money.

Robert B. Winn

In 2019 there as an effort called Vice.run that had a mission to "reclaim our constitutional right to democratically elect the vice president by creating separate ballot lines for vice presidential candidates in the 2020 election, as per the 12th Amendment. Vice.run will secure signature pledges to use standing ballot access laws in each state to initiate this change." I had contacted this group. They agreed to be interviewed. I put in the time to research for the questions and sent them in, and that was the last I heard. Actually, some political candidates have brushed me off the same way after they gave the green light and I put in all the effort to write the questions. But in the case of Vice.run it looks like the organization just ceased to exist about the same time I sent them my list of queries.

So, just for the heck of it, here were the questions I had for Vice.run, which I will dovetail off of Mr. Winn's thought-provoking comments--

Oct 3, 2019, 7:39 AM

Vice.run was created by Mikel and David Blake, education and workforce entrepreneurs currently based in San Francisco.

Their mission, as told on their website:

"Vice.run grows from a kernel of an idea: 'All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy' and that the vice presidency is an undemocratic anomaly in American politics. It’s an extremely important elected office whose occupant we do not choose.

Mikel & David launched vice.run to 'act anew' to fix this anomaly and reinstate the vice presidency as a democratically elected position. Vice.run’s goal is to create a vice presidential ballot line in the 2020 election in all 50 states.

Since national elections are managed at the state-level, we have state-level goals and are growing our state-level operations. Our very first organizing effort is collecting ballot-access pledges calling on states to create a separate ballot line for the vice president."

And here is what I would call their thesis statement:

"The Constitution gives the American people the right to choose the vice president of the United States. That right was taken from us by the party ballot. That lack of democracy has corrupted the office, turning it into a presidential lap dog, instead of a representative of 'We the People.'

It’s time for that approach to change. It’s time to reclaim the vice presidency for the American people. It’s time for us to elect the vice president.'"

David Blake, co-founder of vice.run

https://vice.run/

--------------------------------------------------------------

Q: What exactly provided the spark for this movement? Were the Blakes at all politically active before vice.run was created?

Q: If the presentation of a party ticket is the result of custom rather than legality, why has this been allowed to exist so long without being challenged? Or have there been other efforts similar to yours in the past?

Q: Devil's advocate here. Shouldn't the parties have a right to select their own solid ticket?

Q: Part of the 12th Amendment states "The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves ..." -- This has never really been tested. But in your model it could happen by chance. Then what?

Q: Do the recent efforts to eliminate the Electoral College complicate or help your mission in any way?

Q: In every political process there always seems to be an opportunity for mischief. In 1860 there was an alleged plot to deadlock the presidential vote in the House in the event of no electoral winner, and with the absence of a President the Senate would elect the pro-slavery running mate Joseph Lane of the Constitutional Democratic Party who would then ascend to the presidency. Have you identified any other sort of loopholes in the system regarding Vice-Presidents and what can be done about them?

Q: I recall that after the JFK assassination the US was without a Vice-President and then the 25th Amendment was enacted, allowing the sitting President to appoint a new VP, which was later the case with Gerald Ford in 1973 and Nelson Rockefeller in 1974. Should that process also be changed and if so, how?

Q: Half of the states have a baked-in system, part of election law, where the Governor and Lt. Governor are elected as a ticket. Do you have plans to try and change that as well?

Q: What part of the political spectrum are you getting the most positive response from? Have you been able to determine the demographics of your support? Do you find yourself building alliances with other organizations in this process and who are they?

Q: Are you experiencing any pushback and if so, from where?

Q: Gone are the days when Wilson's VP, Thomas Marshall said, "Once there were two brothers. One ran away to sea, the other was elected Vice President, and nothing was ever heard of either of them again." Some modern VPs have been able to involve themselves, basically under the public radar, in schemes that had enormous consequences for our country-- for example the VPs Nixon and Cheney getting their hands dirty with clandestine foreign operations and performing end runs around due process. How does your model make the Vice-President more accountable?

Q: How goes the battle with the state by state effort? Do you have benchmarks set for 2020? 2024?

Q: Is the vice.run project giving anyone in the central team ideas for broader political ambitions? Can we expect to see any of you running for office?

Q: Thanks very much for taking the time to answer my questions. Anything you would like to add?

Election history: none

Other occupations: none

Notes:
Winn was a Republican until 1973, when he left the Party due to Watergate.

Robert Leo Beck

 Above: The claim ; Below: The source

Below: Daily Herald (Provo, Utah), Sept. 14, 1989

Robert Leo Beck, June 5, 1934 (Centerfield, Utah) - February 12, 2013 (Yuma, Ariz.)

VP candidate for Unaffiliated (2000)

Running mate with nominee: Louie Gene Youngkeit (1936-2003)
Popular vote: 161 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Louie G. Youngkeit of Provo, Utah was making his third run for the Presidency in 2000. Although he had previously made campaigns in 1988 and 1996, this was the first one where a running-mate was named.

Prior to his national runs, Youngkeit had been in the news in the mid-1970s for being active with the American Party, then later in the late 1970s for being one of the claimants to the fortune of the Howard Hughes estate. Youngkeit and his mother produced a photo of Hughes and Noah Dietrich they said was taken by their now deceased father/husband, but it seems the snapshot might have actually been lifted from Dietrich's 1972 book, Howard : the Amazing Mr. Hughes.

In 1988 Youngkeit made it to the ballot (without a Vice-President) in Utah where he finished with 372 votes, 0.06% of the state total. During that campaign he said he and his brother were tortured by the CIA in a theater in Anaheim, Calif. in 1948 and it was connected to the 1963 assassination of JFK. He also said many of the other Presidential candidates had been "bought" by the Contra rebels.

In 1996 he ran as write-in candidate, earning 19 votes. The Wall Street Journal carried this short blurb about his effort:

"I'm hoping that Perot will name me his vice president," Louie Youngkeit tells me outside the Long Beach Convention Center. Anything's possible, but Mr. Youngkeit's only qualification seems to be his obsession with Howard Hughes. He hands me a monograph he and his mother wrote in 1978, which claims that in 1949 Mr. Youngkeit's father looked after Hughes's car for a few days and allowed Hughes to drill an oil well on his property. In repayment for these kindnesses, the monograph says, Hughes promised to leave half his estate to the younger Mr. Youngkeit. When Hughes died in 1976, Mr. Youngkeit, to his dismay, was not named in the will. The monograph draws the obvious conclusion: Someone altered the will after Hughes's death. "This is the reason JFK was assassinated," Mr. Youngkeit adds, inexplicably.

When Youngkeit announced he was running in 2000, the Our Campaigns website commented:

Youngkeit -- a rather eccentric candidate -- claims he is "the Heir Apparent of the [late billionaire] Howard R. Hughes' Estate." You see, Hughes was secretly murdered in 1970 -- and his body was frozen for several years until his death was announced in 1976 -- and JFK was assassinated in 1963 because of Hughes's money -- and it was also the reason for the Watergate break-in -- and President Bush and Hillary Clinton are part of the scheming -- all that and lots more can be found in Youngkeit's conspiracy theory (see his website for more details). As a write-in candidate in the 1996 Presidential race, Youngkeit earned only 19 votes. Having secured ballot status in his homestate of Utah, he is guaranteed to score a better performance in 2000. Youngkeit's Vice Presidential runningmate is Robert L. Beck.

In a 2000 interview, Youngkeit told a reporter, "I want to be the first LDS President of the United States ... I am standing on the principles I have learned as a member of the LDS Church ... The church teaches us to 'choose the right,' that's the most important thing to remember – presidential campaign or not."

His brother-in-law Robert Leo Beck of Yuma, Ariz. was his VP choice. "He is an impressive person," Youngkeit said. I could not ascertain any campaign activity undertaken by Beck.

On the ballot only in Utah, the Youngkeit/Beck ticket placed 9th out of 9 with 0.02% of the state vote. In the event of their victory, Beck would have assumed the Presidency upon the death of Youngkeit, May 12, 2003.

Election history: none

Other occupations: US Marines

Buried: ?

Notes:
Brush with Fame. Rival Hughes claimant Melvin Dummar was a regular guest at the Clown Motel in
 Tonopah, Nev. When I stayed there awhile back I was hoping to run into him but the manager said
 my timing was off. Dummar has since died.
Brush with Fame 2: When Hughes was hiding in the Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver, BC in 1972, I
 recall visiting that city and seeing the top floors with all the drapes pulled and men in business suits
 patrolling the balconies.

Vacant

Vacant

VP candidate for Duct Tape Party (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008)

Running mate with nominees (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008): Tim Nyberg (b. ca1954) and Jim Berg (b. ca1964)
Popular vote (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008): ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008): 0/538

The campaigns (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008):

Every now and then I run across Presidential nominees who deliberately do not select a Vice Presidential running-mate and if I find their reasons to be of interest I'll include them here. In 1940 Gracie Allen of the Surprise Party did not have a Vice-President because her administration would not abide any vice. Jean Pierre, an independent in 1972, said she considered a VP position to be "unnecessary" and refused to name a running-mate.

Jim Berg and Tim Nyberg, brothers-in-law in Minnesota, are humorists, authors, and performers who have operated under the name of The Duct Tape Guys since 1993. In four consecutive elections, 1996-2008, they ran for President as a marketing gimmick. Their 1996 run was apparently sort of under the radar compared to their later efforts from what I can glean. It was their stated intention to share the Presidency, "The Office of President is too big a position for any one person, therefore, Jim and Tim will share the Presidency. The Vice President really doesn't do that much anyway, and we can use the extra office to warehouse extra duct tape rolls."

They had a platform entitled "All that ails America can be fixed with duct tape." It included issuing a roll of duct tape to every American including children before they are out of their cribs, replacing foreign aid dollars with gifts of duct tape, and changing the White House to the Gray House by covering it with duct tape "so it will not be exposed to harmful acid rain and other damaging elements--repairs will be a lot cheaper, and it will be a fitting tribute to the product that truly holds this great land together." Duct tape was used as a metaphor throughout the platform for bringing people together in various ways.

Although the Duct Tape Guys concept of a co-Presidency is refreshing, they might have encountered a Constitutional roadblock in assuming office in the event of their victory in any of the four elections since they were residents of the same state, not to mention the whole 2-in-1 concept. Also, it appears Berg was under the mandated age of 35 in the 1996 election.

Election history: none

Other occupations: none

Notes:
My own 108-year old home has parts that are basically held together with duct tape.

Forrest Conway LaBelle

Forrest Conway LaBelle, March 2, 1956 (Ipswich, Suffolk, England) -

VP candidate for Independent (1996)

Running mate with nominee: Timothy James Locke (b. 1956)
Popular vote: 5 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Tim Locke and Forrest C. LaBelle were Independent write-in candidates for President and Vice-President. In 2000 they also ran as a ticket but with the offices reversed.

According to a newspaper ad (where LaBelle was called "LaBella") their platform was: Against abortion, gun control, national health care -- For  tax reform, health care reform, balance budget 2000.

Both nominees were residents of Great Falls, Mont., posing a problem with the Constitution in the event of their victory. LaBelle's birthplace in England was another potential roadblock. They received five write-in votes in Montana.

Election history:
2000 - US President (Unaffiliated) - defeated

Other occupations: soap factory, wands, pizza sales

Notes:
LaBelle is only 16 days older than Locke.
It appears his father was American, mother was English.
Active with Boy Scouts organization.

Rachel Catherine Bubar Kelly

Rachel Catherine Bubar Kelly, November 22, 1922 (Blaine, Me.) - January 14, 2002 (Sarasota, Fla.)

VP candidate for Prohibition Party (aka Independent) (1996)

Running mate with nominee: Earl F. Dodge (1932-2007)
Popular vote: 1,298 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

By 1996 the Prohibition Party had become the Earl Dodge Party as he made his fourth run for the Presidency, but there were rumblings from the rank and file. His control of the finances and reluctance to share fiscal information caused some suspicions to be aroused. His character was also being called into question. In the words of a Dodge biography currently posted on the Prohibition Party website itself--

The American Political Items Collectors refused to renew Dodge's membership sometime before 1995, after complaints by several members that Dodge had visited their homes, distracted them, and pocketed things he liked. He is no longer allowed into display areas at APIC meetings (although the meetings are open to the public).

For VP in 1996 Dodge drafted Rachel Bubar Kelly of Maine who was President of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Although not active with the Party itself until being selected as the running-mate, her brother Benjamin Calvin Bubar Jr. (1917–1995) had been the Prohibition Party Presidential nominee 1976 and 1980 with Dodge as the VP.
   
The 1996 platform was slightly tweaked from the previous year. The following sections were either added or significantly updated, reflecting an even harder shift to the extreme Right than before. The focus on alcohol was at the end almost as a footnote.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

  We recognize that good laws make men free. However, without adequate enforcement and punishment, violation of the law is encouraged. Law enforcement officials at all levels, from local policemen to federal agents, should be empowered and encouraged to support the Constitution.

EDUCATION

  The Tenth Amendment reserves education to the states and the people. We will end all federal interference in education and abolish the federal education establishment. Tax dollars spent at the state and local levels will stretch much farther than those that lose 50% in Washington, D.C. and that carry many controls for those who accept them. We support full freedom for private schools and home schooling.

THE FAMILY

  To protect and preserve marriage, an institution ordained by God, we favor:

    More stringent and uniform marriage and divorce laws;
    An end to all tax rates which discriminate against married people;
    Disallowance of any legal benefits of marriage to persons living together in an unmarried state; and
    Repeal of all laws and rulings which allow governmental interference in parental authority

  We oppose the proselytizing actions of the homosexual community which are detrimental to the American family and to the stability of society. Homosexual behavior should not enjoy governmental protection through anti-discrimination laws.

BALLOT LAW REFORM

  Republicans and Democrats have created a two-party monopoly by enacting increasingly repressive laws that keep most independent and third-party candidates off the ballot in most states. We will enact a federal law to restore all legitimate political rights to all third-party and independent persons and groups. We support term limits for all members of Congress.

SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

  We support the constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to own and use guns. We favor imposition of long-term prison sentences for those convicted of using firearms to commit a crime. We deplore the irresponsible actions and mishandling by the BATF and FBI in their dealings at Ruby Ridge and Waco.

On the ballot in four states with a sprinkle of write-ins in a few others, the Dodge/Kelly ticket finished strongest in Arkansas 0.05%, Colorado and Tennessee and Utah 0.02% each. In each case they finished dead last or near the bottom. It was their second worst popular vote result to that date in their long history. But the worst was yet to come.

The 1996 election is summarized in the Prohibition Party website: The voters in Dodge’s 1996 campaign for President of The United States had this to say about Earl F. Dodge: He received more votes in Arkansas (483 / 0.05%) where he was virtually unknown than he did in Colorado (375 / 0.02%) where he has lived most of his adult life.

I don't think you'll find a statue of Dodge standing in the Prohibition Party Hall of Fame.

Election history: none

Other occupations: teacher, school principal, President of the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (1988-1996)

Buried: Pottersville New Cemetery (Pottersville, NY)

Notes:
University of Maine graduate
Her father Benjamin Calvin Bubar Sr. (1876-1967) ran for Governor of Maine as an Independent in
 1936.
Her nephew Benjamin Calvin Bubar III ran for the Maine State House as a Republican in 1998.
Arranged an eight-year exhibit at the Smithsonian featuring WCTU historical items.
Her obituary has no mention of her Vice-Presidential run.

Daryl Boyce Hanson

Hanson in 1975

Daryl Boyce Hanson, August 22, 1935 (Minot, ND) -

VP candidate for Reform Party of the United States of America (aka Reform Party) (1996)

Running mate with nominee: Henry Ross Perot (1930-2019)
Popular vote: 32,515 (0.03%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Riding on the momentum of his historic third party wave of 1992, Ross Perot formed the Reform Party of the United States of America in 1995. He originally declined to run for the Presidency himself, leaving a vacancy for the nomination. Although several politicians toyed with the idea, it was former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm, a Democrat, who threw his hat into the ring. He even selected a running-mate, Ed Zschau, a former US Congressman who represented California, and a Republican.

But it was not to be. The ever unpredictable Perot decided he wanted the nomination after all, and defeated Lamm in a very lopsided primary race which was held via mail-in ballots. Perot's action caused the first of many rifts in the embryonic party which made their odds more insurmountable than ever.

The Reform Party's 1996 platform was vaguely centrist, with a focus on economics. It avoided hot button issues like abortion, Gay rights, and capital punishment. Some have called the Reform Party philosophy of this era "producerist," appealing to the economic middle class.

An odd alliance took place when Lenora Fulani and Fred Newman, former leaders of the now defunct New Alliance Party, had sounded the call for their followers to work for Perot. In 1996 the two were part of the newly formed Patriot Party. Exactly what percentage of Reform Party volunteers consisted of former NAP members has never really been determined, but their presence was a bit controversial since several critics considered the New Alliance Party to have been a cult.

The Independence Party of New York affiliated with the Reform Party during the 1996 election.

Finding a professional politician to serve as VP came to a fizzle. Names bandied about the press included David Boren, Sam Nunn, Warren Rudman, Marcy Kaptur, and Linda Smith.

Perot named Pat Choate as his official running-mate on Sept. 10, 1996. A protectionist on the subject of free trade, Choate was Perot's coach during the 1993 NAFTA debate with Al Gore. Dr. Choate had worked for Republican state and federal administrations as an economic advisor, supported Al Gore for President in 1988 and then contributed funds to Pat Buchanan's Presidential runs in 1992 and 1996.

Unfortunately for the Reform Party, the major parties learned their lesson from allowing Perot to participate in the Presidential debates in 1992. Try as they might, neither Perot or Choate were allowed to take part in 1996. Seeing a Choate-Kemp-Gore VP debate would have been a very interesting discussion between three well-spoken policy wonks.

Due to Choate being named as a running-mate so late in the game, he was listed with Perot on the ballot in 35 states + DC. The remaining states had the names of two stand-in VPs.

Daryl Hanson, a retired savings and loan executive, was a Reform Party activist based in Fargo, ND. Apparently he was the stand-in VP with Perot in North Dakota for 1996, although finding primary source documentation to confirm this is difficult.

Overall Perot won 8,085,402 popular votes (8.40%). The Perot/Hanson ticket won an impressive 12.20% of the popular vote in the state where, as one NoDak told me, the state tree is the telephone pole and the state bird is the mosquito.

Election history: none

Other occupations: North Dakota director of United We Stand, savings and loan executive, Chairman of the ND Reform Party

Notes:
Was not enthusiastic about Pat Buchanan in the Reform Party in 2000.

James S. Campbell

James S. Campbell, March, 1927 - 

VP candidate for Reform Party of the United States of America (aka Reform Party aka Independent) (1996)

Running mate with nominee: Henry Ross Perot (1930-2019)
Popular vote: 2,837,369 (2.95%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Riding on the momentum of his historic third party wave of 1992, Ross Perot formed the Reform Party of the United States of America in 1995. He originally declined to run for the Presidency himself, leaving a vacancy for the nomination. Although several politicians toyed with the idea, it was former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm, a Democrat, who threw his hat into the ring. He even selected a running-mate, Ed Zschau, a former US Congressman who represented California, and a Republican.

But it was not to be. The ever unpredictable Perot decided he wanted the nomination after all, and defeated Lamm in a very lopsided primary race which was held via mail-in ballots. Perot's action caused the first of many rifts in the embryonic party which made their odds more insurmountable than ever.

The Reform Party's 1996 platform was vaguely centrist, with a focus on economics. It avoided hot button issues like abortion, Gay rights, and capital punishment. Some have called the Reform Party philosophy of this era "producerist," appealing to the economic middle class.

An odd alliance took place when Lenora Fulani and Fred Newman, former leaders of the now defunct New Alliance Party, had sounded the call for their followers to work for Perot. In 1996 the two were part of the newly formed Patriot Party. Exactly what percentage of Reform Party volunteers consisted of former NAP members has never really been determined, but their presence was a bit controversial since several critics considered the New Alliance Party to have been a cult.

The Independence Party of New York affiliated with the Reform Party during the 1996 election.

Finding a professional politician to serve as VP came to a fizzle. Names bandied about the press included David Boren, Sam Nunn, Warren Rudman, Marcy Kaptur, and Linda Smith.

Perot named Pat Choate as his official running-mate on Sept. 10, 1996. A protectionist on the subject of free trade, Choate was Perot's coach during the 1993 NAFTA debate with Al Gore. Dr. Choate had worked for Republican state and federal administrations as an economic advisor, supported Al Gore for President in 1988 and then contributed funds to Pat Buchanan's Presidential runs in 1992 and 1996.

Unfortunately for the Reform Party, the major parties learned their lesson from allowing Perot to participate in the Presidential debates in 1992. Try as they might, neither Perot or Choate were allowed to take part in 1996. Seeing a Choate-Kemp-Gore VP debate would have been a very interesting discussion between three well-spoken policy wonks.

Due to Choate being named as a running-mate so late in the game, he was listed with Perot on the ballot in 35 states + DC. The remaining states had the names of two stand-in VPs.

On Election Day stand-in VP James S. Campbell was still on the ballot with Perot in 14 states. Another stand-in, Carl Owenby, had his name replaced by Choate's by the time the ballots were printed. Campbell, who was based in the Los Angeles area, told the press, "I'm a friend of Ross Perot's and he needs stand-ins for some states in order to petition to get on the ballot." Owenby was more detailed, "Mine is strictly a name on a piece of paper as a stand-in until the party can nominate their presidential and vice-presidential candidates ... I have never been interested in running for any political office. The older I get, it diminishes below zero."

Campbell had been Perot's boss at IBM over three decades earlier. By 1996 Campbell was a well known figure in the growing field of online technology and at the time of the election was associated with Rational Software, Management Partners International Corporation, and Applied Voice Technology.

Overall Perot won 8,085,402 popular votes (8.40%). The Perot/Campbell ticket accounted for about 1/3 of that with 2.95%. Best 10 states with Campbell: Maine 14.19% (Perot's strongest showing in 1996), Montana 13.56%, Ohio 10.66%, Indiana 10.50%, Missouri 10.06%, South Dakota 9.65%, Oregon 8.80%, Kansas 8.62%, Iowa 8.52%, California 6.96%.

Election history: none

Other occupations: IBM marketing manager, emerging technology executive, consultant

Notes:
In South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas the ticket was listed as "Independent" rather than "Reform Party."

Pat Choate

Pat Choate, April 27, 1941 (Maypearl, Tex.) -

VP candidate for Reform Party of the United States of America (aka Reform Party aka Independent aka Unaffiliated aka Independence Party of New York) (1996)

Running mate with nominee: Henry Ross Perot (1930-2019)
Popular vote: 5,215,818 (5.42%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Riding on the momentum of his historic third party wave of 1992, Ross Perot formed the Reform Party of the United States of America in 1995. He originally declined to run for the Presidency himself, leaving a vacancy for the nomination. Although several politicians toyed with the idea, it was former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm, a Democrat, who threw his hat into the ring. He even selected a running-mate, Ed Zschau, a former US Congressman who represented California, and a Republican.

But it was not to be. The ever unpredictable Perot decided he wanted the nomination after all, and defeated Lamm in a very lopsided primary race which was held via mail-in ballots. Perot's action caused the first of many rifts in the embryonic party which made their odds more insurmountable than ever.

The Reform Party's 1996 platform was vaguely centrist, with a focus on economics. It avoided hot button issues like abortion, Gay rights, and capital punishment. Some have called the Reform Party philosophy of this era "producerist," appealing to the economic middle class.

An odd alliance took place when Lenora Fulani and Fred Newman, former leaders of the now defunct New Alliance Party, had sounded the call for their followers to work for Perot. In 1996 the two were part of the newly formed Patriot Party. Exactly what percentage of Reform Party volunteers consisted of former NAP members has never really been determined, but their presence was a bit controversial since several critics considered the New Alliance Party to have been a cult.

The Independence Party of New York affiliated with the Reform Party during the 1996 election.

Finding a professional politician to serve as VP came to a fizzle. Names bandied about the press included David Boren, Sam Nunn, Warren Rudman, Marcy Kaptur, and Linda Smith.

Perot named Pat Choate as his official running-mate on Sept. 10, 1996. A protectionist on the subject of free trade, Choate was Perot's coach during the 1993 NAFTA debate with Al Gore. Dr. Choate had worked for Republican state and federal administrations as an economic advisor, supported Al Gore for President in 1988 and then contributed funds to Pat Buchanan's Presidential runs in 1992 and 1996.

The infomercial Perot used to introduce Choate included the following dialogue:

Perot: I needed someone who's a fighter, someone who knows the facts cold, a person of integrity and grit. Pat, you're just the person to make this thing work.

Choate: I'm honored, Ross. I'll give it my all. I know Washington. Too many people profit at the public's expense. We'll have a campaign of ideas, choices and solutions.

Perot: Thomas Jefferson must be smiling down on you.

Choate: We're going to win.

Perot: Gonna have fun.

Regarding Choate's selection as VP, CNN commented: It's hard to see what political benefit Choate brings to Perot's ticket. It's certainly not name recognition, certainly not political experience and certainly not business experience. The man who once exclaimed "Policy! That's what my career is about" has never held nor sought elective office and never run a business. He even -- horror! -- violates Perot's longstanding pet peeve that no employees wear a beard. Choate, portly and professorial, sports an impressive shock of facial hair.

Although perhaps not a household name, Choate's selection did not harm the ticket which in itself is an accomplishment for running-mates.

Unfortunately for the Reform Party, the major parties learned their lesson from allowing Perot to participate in the Presidential debates in 1992. Try as they might, neither Perot or Choate were allowed to take part in 1996. Seeing a Choate-Kemp-Gore VP debate would have been a very interesting discussion between three well-spoken policy wonks.

Due to Choate being named as a running-mate so late in the game, he was listed with Perot on the ballot in 35 states + DC. The remaining states had the names of two stand-in VPs.

Overall Perot won 8,085,402 popular votes (8.40%). The Perot/Choate ticket accounted for about 2/3 of that with 5.42%. Best 10 states: Idaho 12.71%, Wyoming 12.25%, Vermont 12.00%, Minnesota 11.75%, West Virginia 11.26%, Rhode Island 11.20%, Alaska 10.90%, Oklahoma 10.84%, Delaware 10.60%, and Nebraska 10.52%.

Election history: none

Other occupations: US Army, economist, author, radio host, teacher

Notes:
Ph.D. in Economics from University of Oklahoma.

Islara Boixados Souto

Islara Boixados Souto, December 2, 1952 -

VP candidate for Green Party (1996)

Running mate with nominee: Ralph Nader (b. 1934)
Popular vote: 4,101 (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538

The campaign:

Using the term "Green Party" as a national political entity applied to the situation in 1996 is a bit misleading. Rather than a centralized and unified juggernaut, Ralph Nader's Presidential run in this year was not really nationally managed or coordinated in the traditional way. The Green Party of this era consisted of a confederation of local groups, some of them actually in serious conflict with each other including two groups that were in contention for the actual "Green Party" mantle.

Drafted by a confederation of groups, Ralph Nader did not swear to fight for the platform of any specific group and declared himself an independent. But he still showed up on most ballots next to a party name, usually with the word "Green" in it.

He told a Green convention that endorsed him in California in Aug. 1996:

Many Americans who call themselves liberals have so lowered their expectations about what politics can mean to this nation's future that they are settling for diminishing returns. Politics has been corrupted not just by money but by being trivialized out of addressing the great, enduring issues of who controls, who decides, who owns, who pays, who has a voice and access, and why solutions available on the shelf are not applied to the existing and looming crises of our society, both local and global.

One thing politicians do understand is rejection. When voters are deciding how they wish to use their vote, they should ask themselves how best to send a clear message. The Greens and other progressives are in the early building stages of a people-first, democratic political movement for future years. They deserve our attention because they are centering on the basic issues of representative government, one of whose purposes is to strengthen the usable tools of democracy, the other, in Thomas Jefferson's prophetic words, is "to curb the excesses of the monied interests."

Although not quite as confusing as attempting to identify Eugene McCarthy's running-mates in 1976, nailing down Nader's VP in 1996 isn't easy. His own selection was Winona LaDuke and she is generally recognized as the official person in that role. But there were stand-ins as well, such as Anne E.R. Goeke on the ballot in Iowa and Vermont, Madelyn R. Hoffman in New Jersey, and Muriel Tillinghast in New York. In Florida, where Nader was a write-in, Islara Boixados Souto was considered the running-mate.

Richard Walton (1984 Citizens Party VP) was a stand-in in Rhode Island until replaced by LaDuke. Some sources claim other stand-ins were Krista Paradise in Colorado, Bill Boteler in DC, and Deborah Howes in Oregon but I have not found any primary documents confirming those names as VPs. In a few other states Nader did not have a running-mate.

In Florida the Nader backers failed to acquire the required number of signatures to obtain a place on the ballot but they did earn a certified write-in candidate status with Islara Souto, Tallahassee coordinator for the Green Party, as the running-mate.

In terms of election results, Ross Perot's entry in the contest muddies the waters a bit, but Nader still had an impressive 4th place finish with 685,435 popular votes (0.71%). He cracked over 1% in 16 states + DC. The Nader/Souto ticket won 0.08% of the popular vote in Florida. Four years later Nader's results in Florida would become a controversy that is still debated to this day.

Election history: none

Other occupations: medical writer, actress, literary and business translator, wellness coach, public health advocate, consultant

Notes:
Parents were from Spain
Also known as Islara Souto Linn
Raised in Tennessee.