Reform Party
| Reform Party | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Dallas, Texas |
| Type: | Political party |
| Top official: | Nicholas Hensley, Chair |
| Founder(s): | Ross Perot |
| Year founded: | 1995 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Reform Party is a ballot-qualified political party in the United States. As of July 2024, it was a ballot-qualified party in Florida and Mississippi.
Background
Independent presidential candidate Ross Perot finished third in the 1992 general election, where he received approximately 18.9 percent of the vote. Perot's candidacy was the most successful minor party presidential campaign since 1912, when former President Theodore Roosevelt ran on the "Bull Moose" Progressive Party ticket. At the time, a local Texas journalist referred to Perot as "the candidate of the disaffected, the disenchanted, the fed up: the people whose contempt for politics has passed beyond cynicism to despair." Following the campaign, Perot sought to develop a party that would fully encompass his platform of government and economic reform. He founded the Reform Party in 1995.[1][2][3][4]
Perot ran for president again in 1996 with economist Pat Choate as his vice presidential candidate. Despite exclusion from the presidential debates, Perot and Choate won roughly eight percent of the vote. One of the party's biggest successes was the election of former pro-wrestler Jesse Ventura as the governor of Minnesota in 1998. Other party candidates have included presidential tickets for Pat Buchanan in 2000 and Ralph Nader in 2004.[2][4]
The Reform Party aims to promote a centrist, moderate approach to public policy. According to the group's website, the Reform Party "seeks to build a political infrastructure that can match the Democrats and Republicans in voters, in donations and in offices held without succumbing to the special interests and self-serving behavior that have corrupted America’s government."[5]
Party chair
Nicholas Hensley was elected as chair in 2020 and his term expires December 31, 2024.[6]
Party leadership
The website for the Reform Party listed the following individuals as the party's state leadership as of July 2024:[7]
- Nicholas Hensley, Chair
- Leigh Pollet, Vice chair
- David Collison, Treasurer
- Richard Walker, Secretary
For more information on the party's full leadership and staff, please click here.
Party platform
For complete information on the Reform Party's platform, please click here.
Party rules and bylaws
For complete information on the Reform Party's bylaws, please click here.
Party candidates
Note: The following table lists candidates who filed to run for office with this political party in a given year. This may also include candidates who filed to run with more than one political party. The list may not be comprehensive if the state's official filing deadline has not passed. This list may not populate if no candidates have filed to run with this political party. The table lists non-presidential candidates who filed to run for office with this political party in a given year. For more information on presidential candidates and elections, please click here.
Using the tools at the top of the table, you can increase the number of candidates shown on your screen or scroll through the table to view additional candidates. To report an error, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024 Reform Party candidates
New York
| candidate | office | party | status | Election Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Reform Party | Disqualified General | Nov 5, 2024 |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Historical presidential candidates
The following individuals have campaigned for president of the United States as Reform Party candidates:
| Reform Party presidential candidates[8] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Candidate | # of votes |
| 1996 | Ross Perot | 8,085,402[9] |
| 2000 | Pat Buchanan | 449,225[10] |
| 2004 | Ralph Nader | 463,650[11] |
| 2008 | Ted Weill | 481[12] |
| 2012 | Andre Barnett | 956[13] |
Noteworthy events
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential nomination in Florida (2024)
In May 2024, the Reform Party of Florida nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) as its 2024 presidential candidate, allowing Kennedy to gain ballot access in the state through party nomination rather than by filing as an independent candidate.[14]
Kenndey said, "Much gratitude to the Reform Party for its nomination offering me ballot access in Florida. I couldn’t resonate more with the Reform Party’s motto, ‘It’s time to put people first.’ I am grateful to accept the nomination, grow the independent movement, and take our shared principles all the way to the White House."[14]
Reform Party Chairman Nick Hensley said, "The driving potential in this marriage is principles. Even though Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Reform Party do not agree on every issue, both the Reform Party and RFK Jr. agree on listening to the opposition, debating facts, and understanding that you can't discount a solution just because it came from your political rivals. True leaders will listen to those around them, and forge consensus, regardless of political affiliation."[14]
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- The Reform Party Official website
See also
- Ballot access requirements for political parties in Florida
- Ballot access requirements for political parties in Mississippi
- List of political parties in the United States
Footnotes
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbio - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Infoplease, "Reform School," accessed July 23, 2015
- ↑ United States History, "Election of 1996: Ross Perot Made It Interesting," accessed July 23, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 World Heritage Encyclopedia, "Reform Party of the United States," accessed February 25, 2016
- ↑ Reform Party National Committee, "About," accessed July 24, 2015
- ↑ Reform Party, "Reform Party: The Chairman's Office," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Reform Party, "National Committee," accessed July 19, 2024
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwiki - ↑ The American Presidency Project, "Election of 1996," accessed February 15, 2016
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2000 election popular vote summary," accessed February 25, 2016
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2004 federal election results," accessed February 25, 2016
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2008 federal election results," accessed February 25, 2016
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2012 federal election results," accessed February 25, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Kennedy's campaign website, "Kennedy Receives Reform Party Nomination Granting Ballot Access in Florida and Major Fundraising Advantages," May 24, 2024
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