Peyton Drozd Williams, January 3, 2000 (Germany) -
VP candidate for Independent (2016)
Running mate with nominee: Elijah D. Manley (b. ca1999)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
Teenager Elijah D. Manley of Sunrise, Fla. filed for the office of US President with the FEC with No Party Affiliation in June 2015. In Oct. 2015 he modified his party status to Independent and then again in Apr. 2016 to the Green Party.
Manley expressed political policies closely in line with Sen. Sanders' Democratic Socialist views. He also planned to make his age, which rendered him ineligible to attain the Presidency, a springboard to discuss changing the Constitutional requirements. He told one reporter, "I have always stressed the importance of youth rights in all portions of society. We the youth, and I myself, have repeatedly been told that we are not old enough to do things, ineligible, or incompetent; that we’re not competent to lead the world. That’s the basis of my decision to run. Along with all these other oppressions, I’ve decided that I am running for President of the United States, with regard to the age restrictions. Let me tell you why once more. Age restrictions have become extremely unjust and have limited our very involvement in this system. I’m going to restore that and through my Presidential bid, we’re going to become better than these restrictions."
His platform was fairly short but to the point--
Social Justice
We need to reform our law enforcement system, so that there is accountability to the people of the community, rather than internal investigations by cops. We also need government reform.
Universal/Single Payer Healthcare
The human right to health guarantees a system of health protection for all. Everyone has the right to the health care they need, and to living conditions that enable us to be healthy, such as adequate food, housing, and a healthy environment. Elijah's plan would be to cut unnecessary government spending, from programs like defense and increase funding to operate healthcare systems. To pay for universal healthcare, Elijah would substantially increase taxes on the wealthy.
Energy, Environmental & Ecological Justice
Elijah supports a 100% renewable energy system by 2020, and a ban on fracking. People and Planet before profit. Climate change is a serious threat to our national security, existence, living conditions, and the future generation.
Youth Rights
The backbone and core of Elijah's Presidential campaign is Youth Rights and Youth Liberation. It all started here:
Universal Tuition Free Education and the Abolition of Student Debt
Elijah Manley not only supports tuition free universal education, and abolishing student loan debt. If we can bail out the banks, we can bail out our people.
A noteworthy personal event for Manley took place during the campaign, possibly a first for a Presidential candidate, as explained in the following Facebook post--
Elijah Manley
is in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
June 12, 2016 · ·
Came Out
I came out on June 12th, 2016. Later that night, the Pulse shooting happened. What a hard time to have came out.
On his campaign webpage, Manley solicited running-mates through an application process. Out of twelve applicants (including Deez Nuts) the list was narrowed down to four who were seriously vetted. In June 2016 it was announced that Peyton Drozd Williams, a high school senior in Georgetown, Tex., was the selection. Williams, an American citizen, was born in Germany but moved to the United States in 2012. Here is a selection of Williams' answers to Manley's survey--
Full Name -- Peyton Drozd Williams
Political Party Affiliation -- Green
Registered/Pre-registered voter? -- No
Race and Ethinicity -- Georgetown
Gender -- Male
Sex -- Male
Sexual Orientation -- Bisexual
Relationship Status -- Single
Height, Weight, and Eye color -- 5'7
Are you a US Citizen? -- Yes
Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a crime? -- No
Education Completion Level -- Currently in High School (Senor Year)
Economic System Identification -- Capitalism
Have you ever run for public office before? -- Yes
If yes, list -- Currently running for president in 2036, but I would gladly be associated with this campaign.
Personality Typre -- Extravert
Do you support lowering the voting age to sixteen? -- Yes
Do you support the use of corporal punishment on children? -- No
Do you support lowering the driving age? -- Yes
Your stance on the drinking age -- Lowered to 18.
Do you support curfew laws? -- No, they're ageist
Do you support lowering the age of candidacys -- Yes
Do you support youth rights/youth liberation? -- Yes
Why? if answered 'yes' to the above question. -- The youth is the future.
Citizens United was a supreme court case where corporations were granted the right to pour millions of dollars in campaign contributions to political candidates. Do you support it, or no? Please explain stance. -- Absolutely not. Our public servants should represent the people, not be bought and lobbied for.
Do you support overturning citizens united? -- Yes
Your stance on the Israel/Palestine issue, please explain -- Two-state solution, treat both fairly, revoke foreign aid to Israel.
Your stance on gender equality -- Full, total gender equality.
Do you support equal pay for equal work? -- Yes
Do you believe that women should have the right to control their own body? -- Absolutely.
Do you support a $15 minimum wage? -- No
Your stance/beliefs on gentrifrication -- Oppose.
Do you support common core? -- No
Your education reform stance/beliefs -- No more standardized testing, more project-based and application learning, tuition-free public college.
Do you think police officers should be indicted/charged for shooting unarmed people? -- Yes
Your stance on police brutality, police reform, body cameras, and citizen review boards -- Try the European model.
Do 'black lives matter'? -- Yes
Should healthcare be a human right? -- Yes
Do you believe that climate change is real and is a threat to human survival/the next generation? -- Yes
Do you support fracking? -- No
Your stance on the environment/energy system -- Empower the EPA, protect the environment at all costs, pass a Green New Deal.
Do you support same sex marriage? -- Yes
If you answered 'yes' to the above question, please expand on why you support it. -- It's a human right. End of conversation.
Elaborate your beliefs on the NC bathroom issue It was never a problem until government got involved. Let them do as they please so long no one is harmed.
Do you support the use of ground troops stationed across the world? -- No
Should we cut the US Defense budget? -- Yes
Do you support the Obama Administration's use of drones in the middle east? -- No
Do you support labeling GMO Products? -- Yes
Do you support the NSA's mass surveillance programs on the American people? -- Absolutely not. Oppose the PATRIOT Act.
Do you support the use of the death penalty for violent offenders? -- No
Should we keep or abolish the death penalty? Please elaborate why. -- Abolish. Eighth amendment. Human dignity.
Please write a brief summary of why you support or don't support 'ban the box' -- Mixed. Misdemeanors should be moved on from and not even asked about. Felonies are different.
Do you support the federal reserve bank? -- No
Elaborate on your views of the federal reserve bank. -- Return to Clearinghouse Associations.
Do you support DC Statehood? -- No
Do you support Puerto Rican independence? -- Yes
Do you support decriminalization of marijuana? Please elaborate your views thoroughly. -- Absolutely. End the whole War on Drugs, as it has harmed more than helped.
Your views on our infrastructure/Transportation system? Does it need reform? -- Invest in it thoroughly.
Do you support reparations for A-Americans due to slavery and segregation? --Yes
Your views on affordable and universal education -- Support fully. Make tuition-free.
List and explain the top three things you would do in passion if you were to win the Vice Presidency -- Preserve and protect the environment, empower the youth, champion social justice.
Your views on the Syrian refugee crisis -- We should accept millions. Europe is being overcrowded, and we have a responsibility to help.
Your views on ISIS and how to stop it -- Ally ourselves with the Muslim world, have the Mideast nations do most of the work
Do you support Obama's use of airstrikes in Syria? -- No
Your immigration views -- Open the border.
Your cybersecurity views -- Abolish the NSA, end the PATRIOT Act
Should the US maintain the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center for suspected terrorists? -- No
Please list your experience working on campaigns and list organizations that you're apart of -- Jill 2016
Have you ever supported declarations of war? -- Yes.
Throughout our country, confederate symbols have purged us. What do you believe we should do now? Do you support taking down confederate flags? -- Public display, definitely not. Private, alright.
Animal Rights, explain your view -- Dignity. Compassion. Common sense. Ensure they can roam free, end deforestation.
Imagine yourself as the newly elected/sworn in Vice President. How will you help poor people, oppressed minorities, and marginalized groups economically? -- Invest in our cities, pass a Green New Deal, end mass incarceration.
What religion are you? -- Deist
List languages you speak -- German, English, Dutch, Spanish, a bit of French, Italian, Afrikaans, Latin.
List any other information that you think is necessary for us to know -- I intend to run for president in 2036.
In the case that Elijah Manley isn't the GP nominee (likely), and decides to run in the general as an independent-- are you willing to stay on the ticket? -- Yes
Are you seriously committed to the candidacy? Running for VP is boring, and our campaign doesn't have much money to do like other tickets. Are you ready to be bored for the next 6 months? -- Yes
Your FINAL pitch of why you should be vetted and become the VP candidate on this ticket. -- Presidents may often disagree with their vice presidents. But the direction of the country they fight for should be the same. I support the Green Party and would like to see youth liberation and empowerment. I think I have what it takes to arouse the grassroots and excite the base and the youth.
After failing to obtain the Green Party nomination, Manley continued to run as an Independent, kinda, sort of, according to his Facebook post.
Facebook Aug. 17, 2016. So here's the deal: After speaking to over a hundred young voters this week: I simply won't be suspending my campaign. I will be focusing on my next chapter, but I'm not submitting termination papers to the FEC. Feel free to vote for me if you want.
Election history:
2036 - US President (party yet to be determined) - pending
Other occupations: novelist, sandwich shop worker, composer, journalist, movie theater worker
Notes:
In 2019 Manley filed for President with the FEC as a Socialist.
Williams supported Biden in 2020, the first Presidential election where he was old enough to vote.
