American Independent Party

The American Independent Party is a California political party. The party was established in 1967 by Bill Shearer and his wife Eileen. Former Alabama Governor George C. Wallace Sr. Wallace was on every state ballot in the 1968 U.S. Presidential Election. Wallace and his running mate Curtis E. LeMay received 13.5 percent of the popular vote and 46 electoral votes. The party opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and welfare programs.

In 1969, representatives from 40 states established the American Party as the successor to the American Independent Party. The official party flag adoption took place on August 30, 1970. The flag depicts an eagle holding a group of arrows in its left talons, over a compass rose, with a banner which reads "The American Independent Party" at the eagle's base. In 1972, the party nominated former Congressman John G. Schmitz of California for president. In 1976, the American Party split into the more moderate American Party, which included more northern conservatives and Schmitz supporters, and the more extreme American Independent Party, which focused on the deep South. Both of the parties have nominated candidates for the presidency and other offices. Neither the American Party nor the American Independent Party has had much national success.

The American Independent Party has had ballot status in the state of California since 1968 and is still active there. In the early 1980’s, Bill Shearer led the American Independent Party into the Populist Party. Since 1992, the A.I.P. has been the California affiliate of the national Constitution Party, formerly the U.S. Taxpayers Party. Many political analysts have theorized that the Party, which has received very few votes in recent California elections, maintains its state ballot status because people join the Party mistakenly believing that they are registering as an "independent."^[1]

As of November 2006, AIP's registration total is 315,151. [1]

Presidential Candidates

• 1968 George C. Wallace
• 1972 John G. Schmitz
• 1976 Lester Maddox - American Independent Party
• 1976 Thomas J. Anderson - American Party
• 1980 John Rarick/Eileen Shearer - American Independent Party
• 1980 Percy Greaves - American Party
• 1984 Delmar Dennis - American Party
• 1988 Delmar Dennis - American Party
• 1992 Howard Phillips -- U.S. Taxpayers Party
• 1992 Robert J. Smith -- American Party
• 1996 Diane Beall Templin - American Party
• 1996 Howard Phillips -- U.S. Taxpayers Party
• 2000 Don Rogers - American Party
• 2000 Howard Phillips -- Constitution Party
• 2004 Diane Beall Templin - American Party
• 2004 Michael A. Peroutka -- Constitution Party

California gubernatorial candidates

The American Independent Party has nominated the following candidates for governor of California since becoming the California affiliate of the Constitution Party:

• 1994 Jerome McCready
• 1998 Nathan E. Johnson
• 2002 Reinhold Gulke
• 2003 Diane Beall Templin
• 2006 Edward C. Noonan

Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen

• Bill Shearer: 1967-1999
• Nathan Johnson: 1999-2002
• Jim King/Reed R. Heustis, Jr.: 2002-2004
• Nancy Spirkoff: 2004-2006
• Edward C. Noonan/Mark Seidenberg: 2006-Present

See also

• List of political parties in the United States

External links

• American Independent Party at JoinCalifornia

Notes

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