Following the "tie" between the American Party and the American Independent Party in 1976, the two factions re-organized on the state and national level. The American Party was particularly strong in DE, IN, KY, MN, and UT. In the midterm elections of 1978, the party ran 10 candidates for U.S. House and three for the U.S. Senate in these states.

2d American Party National Convention

The party's second convention was held in Pasadena CA on 12/8-9/1979. The convention was bitterly divided between the "reactionary" wing and the "progressive" wing. The latter group sought to open the party to economic conservatives who were moderate on social and civil rights issues. The former wing was closely tied to the John Birch Society.

The convention nominated Percy Greaves for President on the 16th ballot. Greaves, who was part of the "progressive" faction, had been a Free Libertarian Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1974. The primary objection of delegates to Greaves was that he did not believe that overturning Roe vs. Wade was a major issue for the party. Frank L. Varnum of CA was nominated for VP.

Campaign of 1980

The Greaves campaign was severely hampered by the disunity at the national convention. He tried unsuccessfully to win the AIP nomination. Local AP affiliates were dissatisfied by Greaves's moderate stand on the abortion issue. Minnesota's American Party li

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Following the "tie" between the American Party and the American Independent Party in 1976, the two factions re-organized on the state and national level. The American Party was particularly strong in DE, IN, KY, MN, and UT. In the midterm elections of 1978, the party ran 10 candidates for U.S. House and three for the U.S. Senate in these states.

2d American Party National Convention

The party's second convention was held in Pasadena CA on 12/8-9/1979. The convention was bitterly divided between the "reactionary" wing and the "progressive" wing. The latter group sought to open the party to economic conservatives who were moderate on social and civil rights issues. The former wing was closely tied to the John Birch Society.

The convention nominated Percy Greaves for President on the 16th ballot. Greaves, who was part of the "progressive" faction, had been a Free Libertarian Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1974. The primary objection of delegates to Greaves was that he did not believe that overturning Roe vs. Wade was a major issue for the party. Frank L. Varnum of CA was nominated for VP.

Campaign of 1980

The Greaves campaign was severely hampered by the disunity at the national convention. He tried unsuccessfully to win the AIP nomination. Local AP affiliates were dissatisfied by Greaves's moderate stand on the abortion issue. Minnesota's American Party listed its Presidential Electors as unpledged, and the KS party listed Frank Shelton as its candidate for President. The Kansas party had endorsed Meldrim Thomson for President when he was organizing a Constitution Party, and after his withdrawal, it considered endorsing Greaves but chose instead to nominate Shelton, who was the chairman of the state American Party (Salina [KS] Journal, 11/26/1979).

Greaves spent $30,000 on his campaign. In his travels, he emphasized his economic message that governmental involvement in the economy was the source of high inflation and interest rates. He advocated a repeal of the minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and Social Security (Santa Cruz Sentinel, 10/12/1980).

Greaves appeared on the ballot in five states and received 6,600 votes, but the two insurgent slates won 7,700 votes. The party was only able to list one candidate for the U.S. Senate and three for the U.S. House.

1st American Party National Convention (1976)

3d American Party National Convention (1984)

Popular Vote of 1980

Electoral Vote of 1980

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