The American Independent Party divides 1973-1976
After the Schmitz candidacy of 1972, the former George Wallace Party began to collapse into factions. The national committee was headed by Thomas J. Anderson. At the time, the national party was composed of state affiliates using several different names, including the American Party, the American Independent Party, the George Wallace Party, the Courage Party, and the Independent American Party.
The AIP appeared quite helthy at the time of the 1974 midtem elections. It offered candidates for the U.S. Senate using the existing names of state affiliates. "American Party" Senate candidates appeared in CT, FL, ID, IN, IA, KY, NV, NH, and WI. These candidates received 399,675 votes to 274,945 votes for candidates using the "American Independent" label. American Party nominees received a large percentage in several states: 15.7% in FL, 6.4% in NV, and 2% in IN and KY. The only U.S. Senate race in which two factions faced off was in CT, where the "George Wallace Independent" nominee outpolled the "American Party" candidate by a margin of 19,184 to 2,682.
As the year 1976 began, the party considered running George Wallace for President. However, Anderson argued that Wallace was moving to the center in order to win the Democratic nomination. Anderson rescheduled the national convention to a point before the Democratic National Convention, which would force Wallace to choose one party or the other. As a result o
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The American Independent Party divides 1973-1976
After the Schmitz candidacy of 1972, the former George Wallace Party began to collapse into factions. The national committee was headed by Thomas J. Anderson. At the time, the national party was composed of state affiliates using several different names, including the American Party, the American Independent Party, the George Wallace Party, the Courage Party, and the Independent American Party.
The AIP appeared quite helthy at the time of the 1974 midtem elections. It offered candidates for the U.S. Senate using the existing names of state affiliates. "American Party" Senate candidates appeared in CT, FL, ID, IN, IA, KY, NV, NH, and WI. These candidates received 399,675 votes to 274,945 votes for candidates using the "American Independent" label. American Party nominees received a large percentage in several states: 15.7% in FL, 6.4% in NV, and 2% in IN and KY. The only U.S. Senate race in which two factions faced off was in CT, where the "George Wallace Independent" nominee outpolled the "American Party" candidate by a margin of 19,184 to 2,682.
As the year 1976 began, the party considered running George Wallace for President. However, Anderson argued that Wallace was moving to the center in order to win the Democratic nomination. Anderson rescheduled the national convention to a point before the Democratic National Convention, which would force Wallace to choose one party or the other. As a result of this action and other personality differences, the party officially divided between the American Party and the AIP. New York Times 3/7/1976
First American Party National Convention
The first American Party National Convention was held in the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City UT, 6/16-20/1976. There were 291 delegates present from 33 states. Tom Anderson, national chairman, presided.
The keynote speaker was Scott Stanley Jr., a John Birch Society member who worked for the American Opinion Speakers Bureau. New York Times, 5/31/1976
Thomas J. Anderson was nominated for President on the first ballot by the following vote: Anderson - 160; Bowler - 42.7; Greaves - 29.7; Scattering - 26.6.
Rufus Shackleton was nominated for Vice President on the first ballot by a margin of 165.5 to 74.7 for William H. Bowler and 20 scattering.
Fall Campaign
The American Party's campaign in 1976 amounted to a competition with the AIP for the right to carry the George Wallace mantle. The national tickets (Anderson of the AP and Maddox of the AIP) appeared on some state ballots against each other, often using very similar party names (for example, in Ohio the AIP nominee appeared on the ballot as the American Party nominee). The American Party and AIP did not face off in a U.S. Senate race in 1976 but did contest one U.S. House race. Both parties ran many candidates for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, and local offices.
In the final analysis, the national tickets received roughly the same amount of support. Maddox bested Anderson by the margin of 170,539 to 160,773.
After the election, the factions began to regroup their state affiliates to organize completely separate political organizations.
Popular Vote of 1976
Electoral Vote of 1976
2d American Party National Convention (1980)
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