Third Party and Independent Candidates

The presence of a credible third party or independent candidate in a general election campaign makes for a much more interesting and unpredictable race. However, third party candidates face huge barriers including unequal ballot access requirements (>), difficulty recruiting credible candidates, difficulty raising money, and difficulty attracting media attention. In recent election, cycles third party nominees have typically been little known or unknown and had scant impact. Ross Perot did significantly affect the 1992 and 1996 campaigns. More recently Ralph Nader has been the most well-known alternative candidate; running as an independent he obtained just 0.56% of the vote in 2008 and 0.38% in 2004. [See also: Third Parties]

A Bipartisan or Nonpartisan Ticket?
Americans Elect 2012 - This group, a 501(c)(4) which has its origins in Unity08 (see also Unity08 v. FEC), is seeking to organize "the first-ever open presidential nominating process" culminating in an online convention in June 2012. Americans Elect is currently working on achieving ballot access in all 50 states. Leaders of Americans Elect state that it is not a political party, but it is certainly fulfilling some of the roles of a political party. Americans Elect has the potential to play a significant or even decisive role in the November 2012 general election, if it does achieve ballot status in all 50 states, and if voters are dissatisfied with the major party nominees, and if it nominates a credible alternative ticket. It could equally well be a non-factor. The group's objectives appear high minded: "nominate a presidential ticket that answers directly to voters—not the political system." However, there are skeptics such as "Americans Elect Watch" ("keeping an eye on a corporate run for President").
[principles | organization | more]
Americans Elect 2012 | Americans Elect Watch
Buddy Roemer +

Libertarian Party
Wayne Allyn Root had been the most visible and well known potential 2012 Libertarian candidate, until former Gov. Gary Johnson announced on Dec. 28 that he would seek the party's nomination. Libertarians are extremely independent minded and it would be a mistake to call anyone the frontrunner at this point. The Libertarian National Convention is scheduled for May 2012 on Root's home turf of Las Vegas, NV.

declared candidates
Lee Wrights - A 52-year old writer and political activist born in Winston Salem, N.C. who now lives in Texas. He is the co-founder and editor of the free speech online magazine Liberty For All.
Lee Wrights for President 2012

Bill Still - Freelance journalist and author. Founded the Loudoun Monitor (VA) in 1977 and ran it through 1982. Three years at Virginia Tech. Born Jan. 20, 1948 in Fairborn, OH.
Still 2012 Presidential Campaign Committee

Leroy Saunders - In 2005 moved to Atlanta, GA and started a limousine business. Entreprenuer, started several businesses. Born June 3, 1969 in Harlem, NY.
Saunders for President

Carl Person - New York attorney. 2010 Libertarian nominee for New York State Attorney General. Worked for three Wall Street law firms. Served in the U.S. Army and B.A. from Long Island University; L.L.B. from Harvard Law School, 1962.
Carl Person for President

Former Gov. Gary Johnson - (announced seeking the Libertarian Party nomination on Dec. 28, 2011 after seeking the Republican nomination for eight months (announced candidacy on April 21, 2011)). Honorary chairman of Our America Initiative, a 501(c)(4). Elected Governor of New Mexico in 1994 and re-elected in 1998; term-limited in 2002. Founded Big J Enterprises, a construction business, in 1976 and built it into a multi-million dollar corporation before selling it in 1999. B.A. in political science from the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, 1975. Born January 1, 1953 in Minot, ND.
Gary Johnson 2012 | OUR America Initiative. More: C-SPAN | Interview.

RJ Harris - Harris of Norman, OK is a career Army National Guard officer. He has been a small business owner and an air traffic controller and ran for Congress against Rep. Tom Cole (OK-4) in 2010.
RJ Harris 2012 for President

Roger V. Gary - Former two-term chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas. 2010 Libertarian nominee for Texas Railroad Commission. An elected Director of the San Antonio River Authority. From San Antonio, TX.
The Committee to Elect Roger Gary

Jim Burns - Also ran in 2008. Two-time chairman of the Libertarian Party of Nevada. Candidate for Congress in 1998, candidate for Assembly, 1996; candidate for Assembly, 1978; candidate for Congress, 1976; and candidate for Mayor Las Vegas in 1975, finishing fifth of nine candidates. Born Feb. 1, 1946 in Long Beach, CA. From Beatty, NV.
Jim Burns for President

mentioned as a potential candidate
Wayne Allyn Root - Hosts "W.A.R.: The Wayne Root Radio Show." Author of "The Conscience of a Libertarian" (Wiley, July 2009). 2008 Libertarian vice presidential nominee. Founder, creator and CEO of WinningEDGE.com and the parent company Cool Hand Root LLC, which does sports handicapping. Degree in political science from Columbia University, 1983.
Wayne Allyn Root's Blog

Green Party
The Green Party's Presidential Campaign Support Committee oversees its process. Green Party Rules and Procedures set out eight criteria for eligibility for candidates seeking the party's nomination. In Fall 2010 the PCSC sent out its "Presidential Exploratory Outreach Letter and Questionnaire."

Green Party Watch has done the best job of reviewing potential candidates. A July 2010 article ran through a host of possibilities including name or celebrity candidates, issue candidates and insider candidates. A February 2011 poll listed nine possible candidates: Jared Ball, Rosa Clemente, Tom Clements, Jesse Johnson, Cynthia McKinney, Jill Stein, kat swift, Laura Wells and Rich Whitney. A Draft Winona LaDuke group has also showed some activity.

declared candidates
Jill Stein - (announced Oct. 24, 2011) Physician from Lexington, MA. Green-Rainbow Party candidate for governor in 2002, state representative in 2004, secretary of state in 2006. Graduate of Harvard College, 1973 and Harvard Medical School, 1979. Born in Chicago and raised in suburban Highland Park, IL.
Jill Stein for President | organization

Harley Mikkelson - Retired State of Michigan employee; worked for the Departments of Community Health, Education, and Human Services over 26 years. Michigan Green Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002 and 2004, U.S. Senate in 2008, and Governor in 2010. U.S. Army veteran including one year in South Vietnam. Graduate of Michigan State University. Resident of Caro, MI.
Harley Mikkelson 2012

Kent Mesplay - (announced May 17, 2011) Mesplay also sought the Green Party's presential nomination in 2004 and 2008; he also ran in the Green Party primary for U.S. Senate in California in 2006. Currently an air quality inspector with the Air Pollution Control District in San Diego County. Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University. Born July 19, 1962 in Madang, Papua New Guinea.
mesplay.org

Roseanne Barr - Actress, comedian, writer, television producer and director; star of the sitcom Roseanne from 1988-97, the talk show The Roseanne Show from 1998-2000, and the reality show Roseanne's Nuts, 2011.
Barr 2012 facebook page | RoseanneWorld

mentioned as potential candidates
Winona LaDuke - Executive director of Honor the Earth, which she helped found in 1993. Ralph Nader’s vice-presidential running mate on the Green Party ticket in the 1996 and 2000 presidential elections. Master's degree in rural development from Antioch University, 1989. Founding director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project. Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe) enrolled member of the Mississippi Band Anishinaabeg in Northern Minnesota. Bachelor's degree in native economic development from Harvard, 1982. Grew up in Los Angeles, CA.
Draft Winona LaDuke for President 2012 (independent Facebook page) | Honor the Earth

Cynthia McKinney - Green Party's 2008 presidential nominee on the ballot in 31 states and DC, obtaining 161,603 votes (0.12%). Elected to Congress in 2004 and defeated in 2006. Elected to Congress in 1992 and re-elected four times; defeated in 2002 re-election bid. Member of the Georgia state house of representatives, 1988-92. Faculty member, Clark Atlanta University and Agnes Scott College. B.A. from the University of Southern California, 1978. Born March 17, 1955 in Atlanta, GA.
Cynthia McKinney for 2012 (independent Facebook page has shown little recent activity)

no longer seeking Green Party nomination
Stewart Alexander - The 2012 Socialist Party USA vice presidential nominee and chair of the California Socialist Party announced in 2010 that he was seeking the nominations of both the Socialist Party USA and the Green Party. Alexander aimed to "unite progressives." However in July 2011 he announced that the Green Party nomination requirements were complicating his effort and that he would only seek the nomination of the Socialist Party USA and in California the Peace and Freedom Party.
Stewart Alexander Cares

Constitution Party
The Constitution Party's 2012 National Nominating Convention is scheduled to be held at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, TN from April 18-21, 2012. Possible candidates include:

Darrell Castle of TN - Vice chairman of the Constitution Party and the Constitution Party's 2008 vice presidential nominee. Attorney with over 25 years of legal experience. J.D. from Memphis State University Law School, 1979. Served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. B.S. degrees in history and political science from East Tennessee State University (ETSU), 1970. Born 1948 in Kingsport, TN.
Constitution Party of Tennessee-blog | Law Office: Darrell Castle & Associates

Former Rep. Virgil Goode, Jr. of Rocky Mount, VA - Attorney and former congressman. Member of the Constitution Party's Executive Committee (appointed Nov. 2010). Elected to Congress as a Democrat in 1996; changed to Independent (Jan. 2000) and to Republican (Aug. 2002); narrowly defeated in 2008 re-election bid by Tom Periello (D). Candidate for Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1982 and 1994. Virginia state senator, 1973-97. Attorney in private practice. Virginia Army National Guard, 1969-75. J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, VA, 1973; B.A., University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, 1969. Born Oct. 17, 1946 in Richmond, VA.

Former Sheriff Richard Mack of Safford, AZ - Public speaker. Elected sheriff in Graham County, AZ in 1988 and served two terms to 1997. Served almost eleven years with the Provo Police Department, starting as a parking enforcement cadet while attending BYU and serving as corporal, sergeant and detective. Graduate of BYU.
Sheriff Mack.com

Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore - (Moore announced an exploratory committee for the Republican nomination on April 18, 2011 but that petered out) President of the Foundation of Moral Law, a 501(c)(3) in Montgomery, AL. Candidate in the 2010 Republican primary for Governor of Alabama, finishing fourth. Candidate in the 2006 Republican primary for Governor of Alabama, losing to Gov. Bob Riley by 30 points. Elected chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court in 2000, and removed in Nov. 2003 over Ten Commandments. Judge of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit of Alabama, 1992-2000. Private law practice in Gadsden. Deputy District Attorney of Etowah County, 1977-82. J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, 1977. Served in the U.S. Army as a company commander in Vietnam. B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, 1969.

A Major Independent Candidate?
The Two Billionaires
New York real estate baron Donald Trump flirted with a run for the Republican presidential nomination in the first part of 2011 before ruling it out on May 16, 2011. Although Trump nixed a GOP bid he has expressed and continues to express interest in an independent bid. In an April 11, 2011 interview on WSJ.com, Trump addressed the prospect of an independent candidacy, assuming he runs but does not win the Republican primary. He pointed to polls showing him gaining 29% as an independent and said he "could possibly win as an independent."

Trump began to be mentioned as a possible candidate in early Oct. 2010 following a report by Time's Mark Halperin that Trump's name had been tested in New Hampshire polling. Trump was open to the notion of running in several interviews in the days that followed (see FOX on Oct. 5). By Jan. 3, 2011, according to a report on Newsmax.com by Ronald Kessler, Trump was "telling friends he has decided he will definitely run for president as a Republican." Talk of a Trump campaign picked up markedly following his star appearance at CPAC in February 2011. Trump, who described himself as "very conservative," said he would make a decision about a possible run in June after his reality show "Celebrity Apprentice" finished. With his brash persona and pronouncements on the "birther" issue Trump overshadowed many other Republican prospects. He made a couple of visits to New Hampshire in April and May, and had set June appearances in New Hampshire at the Politics & Eggs breakfast and in Iowa at the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Dinner before his May 16 announcement.

Trump was announced as moderator of a Republican presidential candidate debate to be held in the lead up to the Iowa caucuses, but that event fell through. Speculation about an independent bid continued into the first part of 2012; for example a Jan. 30, 2012 ABC News article described Trump aide Michael Cohen as exploring possibilities. On Feb. 2, 2012, however, Trump endorsed Romney.

Donald Trump - Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, which he founded in 1971. Author of more than a dozen books. Host and executive producer of the NBC reality show "The Apprentice." Considered seeking the Reform Party presidential nomination in 2000. Started his business career in an office he shared with his father, Fred, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, and worked there for five years. B.S. from University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1968, after attending Fordham University. Born June 14, 1946 in Queens, NY.
Official: Trump Organization. Independent Sites: Should Trump Run? | Draft Trump 2012

Despite New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg's repeated disavowals of interest in a presidential run he was subject of speculation in the early part of the 2012 cycle. Bloomberg was also a subject of this kind of speculation from 2006 to early 2008. Northern Virginians Carey Campbell and Gail for Rail Parker have a modest draft effort going. The odds of a Bloomberg campaign appear very minimal.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg - Elected Mayor of New York City in 2001 and re-elected in 2005 and 2009. Founder and owner of Bloomberg LP. Worked for Salomon Brothers investment bank until it merged in 1981. M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, 1966. Undergraduate degree in engineering from Johns Hopkins University, 1964. Born Feb. 14, 1942 in Boston, MA.
Draft Michael Bloomberg 2012 (independent site) | Mike Bloomberg (official site)

See:
John H. Richardson. "Mike Bloomberg Will Save Us from Ourselves If Only We Let Him." Esquire. Feb. 2011.

Ralph Nader. "21 Reasons Michael Bloomberg Can Be Elected President in 2012." The Daily Beast. Dec. 9, 2010.

Jason Horowitz. "He won't run, but keep asking." The Washington Post. Nov. 18, 2010.

Howard Fineman. "Michael Bloomberg & Joe Scarborough: The Independent Odd Couple." The Huffington Post. Nov. 16, 2010.

Ben McGrath. "Bloomberg, 2012?" New Yorker. Nov. 15, 2010.