Peter Sonski 2024 presidential campaign

Peter Sonski 2024 presidential campaign
Campaign	2024 United States presidential election
Candidate	Peter Sonski Lauren Onak
Affiliation	American Solidarity Party
Status	Official nominee: June 2, 2023
Website
https://www.petersonski.com

The American Solidarity Party candidate for 2024 is Peter Sonski, a former radio host, journalist and U.S. Marine. Sonski won the ASP primary and nomination of the party for President of the United States on June 3, 2023. ^{[1] [2]} The primary was conducted by an online members' vote. The vice presidential nominee, Lauren Onak, was selected by Sonski before the national convention in early July in Plano, Texas, and she was formally nominated there. ^[3] As of October 2024, ^[update] the party is on the ballot in Arkansas, Alaska, Florida, Ohio, Hawaii, Louisiana and Mississippi and is a registered write in a further 36 states. ^[4]

Background

The American Solidarity Party, founded in 2011, first contested a presidential campaign in 2016 getting ballot access to one state and earning 6,697 votes. In 2020 they were on the ballot on 8 states and received 42,305 votes. For their 2024 attempt it was announced on June 2, 2023, that Peter Sonski had won their party's online primary, which lasted from May 24 to June 1 of that year, in which all ASP members could vote. Sonski was nominated in the first round of ranked-choice voting with 52%. Sonski then selected Lauren Onak as his vice president, who was then officially nominated via unanimous consent of the delegates at the national convention.

American Solidarity Party presidential nomination

Candidate	Votes	Percentage
Peter Sonski	328	52.5%
Jacqueline Abernathy	207	33.1
Joe Schriner	50	8.0
Larry Johnson	24	3.8
Erskine Levi	16	2.6
Total:	625	100.00%
Source: [5]

American Solidarity Party vice presidential nomination

Candidate	Votes	Percentage
Lauren Onak	Nominated via Unanimous Consent
Source: [6]

Sonski and Onak

Peter Sonski (born July 11, 1962) is an American former radio host, who served as an elected member of Connecticut's Regional School District 17 Board of Education and as director of the Knights of Columbus Museum. ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [11]}

Campaign

In September 2023 Crossview Podcast interviewed Sonski with a discussion of "faith, the duopoly and third parties, government’s role in handling Covid, immigration, foreign policy, moral issues, education, and more." ^[12]

In December 2023 Fr. Dwight Longenecker published an interview on The Stream in which "Sonski explained that third parties provide thoughtful alternatives and allow other voices to be heard, and this is important in a democratic system." ^[13]

In January 2024 Catholic News Agency interviewed Sonski in which he said that "he wants to provide a means for Catholics to vote in accord with the conscience, rather than just for the 'lesser of two evils.'" ^[14] Crisis Magazine also published an interview, by Fr. Dwight Longenecker, which describes how Sonski "was born into a blue-collar Catholic family and went on to work in agriculture, insurance, journalism, and public relations." ^[15]

In April Christianity Today reported that Evangelicals disaffected with the two main parties were beginning to get their support. ^[16]

In June The ERLC of the Southern Baptist Church were the first major protestant organisation to give them coverage with a four-part series that looked at the various parties in the election. ^[17]

In July soon after the Republican National Convention the campaign was reviewed by the National Review who characterized them as the only current anti-abortion party over and against the Democratic and the Republican party, the latter especially so because of a perceived softening of their stance on abortion in their platform which they released at their convention. ^[18] Aleteia published an interview of Sonski in which he described the American Solidarity Party as “predominantly centrist – a little right on social issues, a little left on fiscal issues." ^[19]

Also that month EWTN's News In Depth interviewed Sonski in which he said, "My faith informs all my decisions." ^[20]

In August American Reformer magazine acknowledging that evangelicals critical of Donald Trump were "flocking to the American Solidarity party" wrote a critical assessment of the campaign urging evangelicals to think twice before voting for Sonski, stating that "stakes are too high too high and the country on the brink" and that "at the presidential level votes should not be wasted on quixotic schemes" ^[21]

Later in August, New Jersey Republicans attempted to keep Sonski off the New Jersey ballot, claiming some of his ballot access signatures were invalid. ^[22]

Again in August the Evangelical organisation the Gospel Coalition published a comparisons article of the two main parties platforms for the election and the American Solidarity party and Constitution party platforms. ^[23]

That same month another catholic magazine The Pillar profiled the campaign, with an interview with Sonski ^[24]

NCR did a piece on how difficult it was for the Sonski campaign to get Ballot access during the election. ^[25]

Ballot access

American Solidarity Party ballot access during the 2024 presidential election

  Certified for ballot

  Registered write-in

  Automatic write-in

  Not on ballot

Correct as of Sept 17, 2024:

	Total Possible	2024	2020	2016
States & DC (inc Write in)	51	7 (45)	8 (39)	1 (26)
Electoral Votes (inc Write in)	538	74 (480)	66 (397)	9 (323)
Percent of EVs (inc Write in)	100%	13.8% (89.2%)	12.3% (73.8%)	1.7% (60%)
Alabama	9	write-in	write-in	write-in
Alaska	3	On ballot	write-in	write-in
Arizona	11	write-in	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
Arkansas	6	On ballot	On ballot	Not on ballot
California	55	write-in	write-in	write-in
Colorado	9	write-in	On ballot	On ballot
Connecticut	7	write-in	write-in	Not on ballot
Delaware	3	write-in	write-in	Not on ballot
Florida	29	On ballot	write-in	Not on ballot
Georgia	16	write-in	write-in	write-in
Hawaii	4	On ballot	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
Idaho	4	write-in	write-in	write-in
Illinois	20	write-in	On ballot	Not on ballot
Indiana	11	write-in	write-in	Not on ballot
Iowa	6	write-in	write-in	write-in
Kansas	6	write-in	write-in	write-in
Kentucky	8	write-in	write-in	write-in
Louisiana	8	On ballot	On ballot	Not on ballot
Maine	4	write-in	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
Maryland	10	write-in	write-in	write-in
Massachusetts	11	write-in	write-in	Not on ballot
Michigan	16	write-in	write-in	write-in
Minnesota	10	write-in	write-in	write-in
Mississippi	6	On ballot	On ballot	Not on ballot
Missouri	10	write-in	write-in	Not on ballot
Montana	3	write-in	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
Nebraska	5	Write-in	write-in	write-in
Nevada	6	Not on ballot	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
New Hampshire	4	write-in	write-in	write-in
New Jersey	14	write-in	write-in	write-in
New Mexico	5	Not on ballot	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
New York	29	write-in	write-in	write-in
North Carolina	15	write-in	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
North Dakota	3	write-in	write-in	write-in
Ohio	18	On ballot	write-in	write-in
Oklahoma	7	Not on ballot	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
Oregon	7	write-in	write-in	write-in
Pennsylvania	20	write-in	write-in	write-in
Rhode Island	4	write-in	On ballot	write-in
South Carolina	9	Not on ballot	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
South Dakota	3	Not on ballot	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
Tennessee	11	write-in	write-in	Not on ballot
Texas	38	write-in	write-in	write-in
Utah	6	write-in	write-in	Not on ballot
Vermont	3	write-in	On ballot	write-in
Virginia	13	write-in	write-in	write-in
Washington	12	write-in	write-in	write-in
West Virginia	5	write-in	Not on ballot	Not on ballot
Wisconsin	10	write-in	On ballot	write-in
Wyoming	3	write-in	write-in	Not on ballot
District of Columbia	3	TBD	Not on ballot	Not on ballot

Political positions

Summary

As a proponent of Christian democracy, Sonski supports a consistent life ethic, being against abortion, capital punishment, and euthanasia. He additionally supports social justice initiatives. He is against the legalization of same sex marriage and believes that gay couples should not have the same adoption rights as straight couples. ^{[26] [27]} He has endorsed Robert P. George's initiative to rebrand June as Fidelity Month. ^{[28] [29]} He believes the US should continue to support Ukraine.

Endorsements

Mike Maturen - 2016 ASP Presidential Candidate

Karen Swallow Prior - Christian Author ^[30]

Michael Cross - President, Italian Community of St Louis & St Louis-Bologna Sister Cities

References

1. "Peter Sonski is the American Solidarity Party 2024 Presidential nominee". Ballot Access News. June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
2. "American Solidarity Party". Twitter. June 2, 2023.
3. Winger, Richard (27 March 2023). "American Solidarity Party Sets In-Person National Convention". Ballot Access News. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
4. Winger, Richard (July 9, 2021). "American Solidarity Party Gains Presidential Ballot Status for 2024 in Arkansas". Ballot Access News. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
5. "Peter Sonski is the American Solidarity Party 2024 Presidential nominee". Ballot Access News. June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
6. Willow Evans, Jordan (June 29, 2023). "American Solidarity Party names Lauren Onak as Vice Presidential Nominee". Independent Political Report.
7. Redpath, Bill (June 3, 2023). "Peter Sonski is the American Solidarity Party 2024 Presidential nominee". Ballot Access News. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
8. "BoE Members". Regional School District 17. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
9. McMahon, Lisa (October 17, 2022). "Knights of Columbus Visit Niagara University". NU News. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
10. Iafrate, Anthony (August 7, 2023). "Who Are the 2024 3rd-Party Candidates?". CatholicVote. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
11. "Peter Sonski on LinkedIn" . Retrieved July 14, 2024.
12. "Our Interview with a 2024 Presidential Candidate". YouTube. Crossview Podcast. September 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
13. Longenecker, Fr. Dwight. "Meet Peter Sonski — The Unknown Christian Candidate". The Stream. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
14. McKeown, Jonah. "Meet Peter Sonski, the Catholic you've never heard of who's running for president". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
15. Longenecker, Fr. Dwight (2 January 2024). "Peter Sonski: the Other Catholic Candidate". Crisis Magazine. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
16. "Some Evangelicals Want a Third-Party Option, Even Without a Chance at Winning". Christianity today. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
17. "Of Two Evils, Choose Neither". 6 June 2024.
18. "The New Party of Life?". National Review . 16 July 2024.
19. Burger, John. "This 3rd party could be an answer to voters' increasing dismay". Aleteia. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
20. Irons, Mark (26 July 2024). "Catholic running for President: "My faith informs all my decisions"". YouTube. EWTN News In Depth. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
21. Sabo, Mike (August 2024). "Reject Third Parties:"Evangelicals Should Think Twice Before Voting for the American Solidarity Party in the Presidential Election"". American Reformer.
22. "Three independent presidential candidates face petition challenges in N.J." 3 August 2024.
23. "where political parties stand". 19 August 2024.
24. "We're taking the long view". 23 August 2024.
25. "ASP fights for ballot access state by state". 3 September 2024.
26. "Peter Sonski's Policies". iSideWith.com.
27. Kennedy, Jeff (July 24, 2023). "The Jeff Kennedy Show". The Legend 93.5.
28. Anthony, Abigail (June 27, 2023). "Princeton Professor's Initiative to Rebrand June 'Fidelity Month' Gains Steam on Religious Right". National Review. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
29. Sonski, Peter. "Fidelity Renewed". Peter Sonski for President. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
30. https://x.com/KSPrior/status/1816668257245356191?t=kMMgUkW337SubUYZi3sbBQ&s=19

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