Richard Lamm 1996 presidential campaign

Last updated
Lamm For President Inc.
Campaign 1996 Reform primaries
Candidate Richard Lamm
former Governor of Colorado
(1975–1987)
Ed Zschau
former California 12th district Representative
(1983–1987)
Affiliation Reform Party
StatusAnnounced: July 9, 1996
Lost nomination: August 18, 1996
Headquarters Boulder, Colorado
Receipts US$258,329.00 [1] (1996-12-31)
SloganReform and Renewal [2]

The 1996 presidential campaign of Richard Lamm , former Democratic Governor of Colorado, was launched on July 9, 1996, as Perot, announced his intention to seek the Reform Party nomination for the presidency of the United States in the 1996 presidential election in Denver, Colorado.

Contents

Despite the entrance of billionaire and founder of the Reform Party Ross Perot the next day Lamm continued his campaign and announced that millionaire and former Representative Ed Zschau would be his vice presidential candidate. In the Reform Party mail-in ballot primaries Lamm took three states and Washington, D.C., and had half the support of Perot. Afterwards he appeared and gave a speech at the convention in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and refused to endorse Perot or accept the vice presidential nomination.

Background

In 1974 Lamm was elected to the governorship of Colorado and would become infamous for his dire predictions for social security and healthcare which earned him the nickname "Governor Gloom". [3] In 1992 Lamm was defeated in the Democratic primary for the Senate election and started his drift from the Democratic Party. That same year in the 1992 Perot became the most successful third party candidate since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 with 18.91% of the popular vote as an independent and in six states was placed on the ballot on newly formed political parties. In the early nineties multiple independence parties under the leadership of United We Stand America formed with ballot access due to Perot's success in 1992 and in 1995 joined together to form the Reform Party. Throughout the development of the new party Perot stated that he would not seek its presidential nomination and left it open to other candidates. Speculation arose that Lamm would run for the nomination after Newsweek ran a story claiming that Perot had contacted Lamm and asked him to seek the nomination. [4] In June Lamm appeared at the California affiliate's convention with Perot where he gave a speech supporting cutting Social Security and Medicare and stated that he would be interested in running for the Reform Party nomination if Perot chose not to. [5] Lamm later said that if he was nominated by the Reform Party he would accept and run as their candidate. [6] A major problem for the Reform Party would be funding and if Perot was not the candidate he would not be allowed to give more than $1,000 to a campaign, however a workaround was speculated with Lamm being the presidential nominee and Perot being the vice presidential nominee which would allow him to play a lesser role in the campaign while still financially backing it up. [7] Another speculated workaround was selecting billionaire Tom Golisano, founder of the Independence Party of New York and its gubernatorial candidate, who was interested in appearing on the Reform Party ticket and stated that "If Dick Lamm needs some help in an effort to be competitive, I probably would help him, sure,". [8] [9]

Announcement

On July 9, 1996, Lamm held a press conference in Denver, Colorado, where he announced his intention to run for the Reform Party's presidential nomination and stated his five rules for the next millennium as stopping injustice for the next generation, ending taxation without representation, stopping reckless borrowing, establishing a self-responsibility ethic, and restoring trust in the government. [10] Lamm's announcement was overshadowed when the next day Perot announced that he had changed his decision and announced that he would also be running for the Reform Party's presidential nomination on Larry King Live. However, despite the funding and name recognition advantage Perot had Lamm chose not to withdraw stating that "These people (party members) are bigger than Perot. Even if he runs, I stand a chance,". [11]

Campaign developments

Shortly after both of their campaign announcements Lamm and Perot met in Augusta, Maine to encourage Reform Party members to meet the deadline for mailing in candidate preference surveys. After Perot's speech half of the audience left before Lamm's speech. [12] [13] Later Lamm attacked the Reform Party leadership for not giving him the mailing list of the 1.3 million party members even though he had been promised it earlier and Perot had access to the same list. [14] [15] Despite the disadvantages Lamm had against Perot he did manage to secure the 10% needed of the preference vote to appear on the official ballot in August. [16]

In early August Lamm announced that former Representative Ed Zschau would be his running mate stating that "This is a person of integrity, honesty and common sense,". [17] However, despite the addition of millionaire Zschau to the ticket Lamm still suffered from campaign fundraising difficulties, lack of time for campaigning, and was unable to get Perot to agree to a debate. [18]

When the official primary ballot results came in Lamm's earlier prediction of him having a one in three chance of winning came true as he took 34.75% of the vote and took the states of Minnesota, Colorado, Alaska and Washington, D.C., and came in a distant last in all but New Mexico, Idaho, and Maryland. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 United States presidential election</span> 53rd quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 1996 United States presidential election was the 53rd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 5, 1996. Incumbent Democratic President Bill Clinton defeated former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the Republican nominee, and Ross Perot, the Reform Party nominee and 1992 presidential candidate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution Party (United States)</span> American political party

The Constitution Party, formerly the U.S. Taxpayers' Party until 1999, is a political party in the United States that promotes a religious conservative view of the principles and intents of the United States Constitution. The party platform is based on originalist interpretations of the Constitution and shaped by principles which it believes were set forth in the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the Bible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 United States presidential election</span> 52nd quadrennial U.S. presidential election

The 1992 United States presidential election was the 52nd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1992. Democratic Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas defeated incumbent Republican President George H. W. Bush, independent businessman Ross Perot of Texas, and a number of minor candidates. The election marked the end of a period of Republican dominance in American presidential politics that began in 1968, and also marked the end of 12 years of Republican rule of the White House, as well as the end of the Greatest Generation's 32-year American rule and the beginning of the Baby boomers 28-year dominance until 2020. It was the last time the incumbent president failed to win a second term until 2020, when Donald Trump lost the election to Joe Biden; it was the first such occurrence since 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross Perot</span> American businessman and politician (1930–2019)

Henry Ross Perot was an American business magnate, billionaire, politician and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems. He ran an independent campaign in the 1992 U.S. presidential election and a third-party campaign in the 1996 U.S. presidential election as the nominee of the Reform Party, which was formed by grassroots supporters of Perot's 1992 campaign. Although he failed to carry a single state in either election, both campaigns were among the strongest presidential showings by a third party or independent candidate in U.S. history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reform Party of the United States of America</span> American political party

The Reform Party of the United States of America (RPUSA), generally known as the Reform Party USA or the Reform Party, is a centrist political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot.

Third party is a term used in the United States for American political parties other than the two dominant parties, currently the Republican and Democratic parties. Sometimes the phrase "minor party" is used instead of "third party".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Lamm</span> American politician (1935–2021)

Richard Douglas Lamm was an American politician, writer, and attorney. He served three terms as 38th Governor of Colorado as a Democrat (1975–1987) and ran for the Reform Party's nomination for President of the United States in 1996. Lamm was a Certified Public Accountant and was the Co-Director of the Institute for Public Policy Studies at the University of Denver.

United We Stand America was the name selected by Texas businessman H. Ross Perot for his citizen action organization after his 1992 independent political campaign for President of the United States. Perot's 19% showing in the 1992 election was sufficient to entitle him to federal matching funds for the 1996 campaign. After the campaign, Perot announced, on January 11, 1993, the formation of a non-profit watchdog organization named United We Stand America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independence Party of New York</span> Third party in New York, United States

The Independence Party is a political party in the U.S. state of New York. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994. They lost their ballot status in 2020 under a change in the New York state election law that required at least 130,000 votes on the party line every two years. Although often associated with Ross Perot, as the party came to prominence in the wake of Perot's 1992 presidential campaign, it was created prior to Perot's run. In 2020, it affiliated with the Alliance Party, but disaffiliated in 2021. It used to have one elected member of the New York State Assembly, Fred Thiele, until Thiele switched his party affiliation to the Democratic Party in 2022. On December 9, 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed S1851A, banning the use of the words "Independent" and "Independence" from use in political party names in New York State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Zschau</span> American management consultant and politician

Edwin Van Wyck "Ed" Zschau is an American educator who represented California's 12th District in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1987. In 1986 he ran as the Republican candidate for a seat in the United States Senate. He prevailed in a crowded Republican primary that included, among others, conservative commentator Bruce Herschensohn, Los Angeles County supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and Congresswoman Bobbi Fiedler, but then lost to incumbent Democrat Alan Cranston by a narrow margin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Libertarian National Convention</span> United States political event

The 2008 Libertarian National Convention was held from May 22 to May 26, 2008 at the Sheraton Hotel in Denver, Colorado. The delegates at the convention, on behalf of the U.S. Libertarian Party, nominated Bob Barr for president and Wayne Allyn Root for vice president in the 2008 presidential election. The convention was televised nationally on C-SPAN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross Perot 1992 presidential campaign</span> United States presidential campaign

In 1992, Ross Perot ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate for President of the United States. Perot was a Texas industrialist who had never served as a public official, but he had experience as the head of several successful corporations and had been involved in public affairs for the previous three decades. Grass-root organizations sprang up in every state to help Perot achieve ballot access following his announcement on the February 20, 1992, edition of Larry King Live. James Stockdale, a retired Navy vice admiral, was Perot's running mate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Reform Party presidential primaries</span>

Following Ross Perot's impressive showing during the 1996 presidential election, the Reform Party of the United States of America became the country's largest third party. The party's 2000 presidential candidate would be entitled to $12.5 million in matching funds. Several high-profile candidates vied for the nomination, including Donald Trump, Pat Buchanan, and physicist John Hagelin. For a brief time, Congressman John B. Anderson and Congressman Ron Paul were considered potential candidates, but both ultimately declined to seek the nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Buchanan 2000 presidential campaign</span> United States presidential campaign

The 2000 presidential campaign of Pat Buchanan, conservative pundit and adviser to both President Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, was formally launched on March 2, 1999, as Buchanan announced his intention to seek the Republican Party nomination for the presidency of the United States in the 2000 presidential election. It marked Buchanan's third primary campaign for the presidency, following his bids in 1992 and 1996. Although he had not attained the nomination either time, he had been regarded as a consequential figure within the party. Early primary surveys found Buchanan polling in the single digits, and following the publication of his book A Republic, Not an Empire, which generally advocated for noninterventionist and "America first" foreign policy, some within the Republican Party condemned Buchanan's foreign policy views. There began to be speculation that Buchanan would leave the Republican Party in favor of the Reform Party, a third party which qualified for matching federal campaign funds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ Verney</span> American political advisor

Russell J. Verney is a political advisor, who served as chairman of the Reform Party of the United States from 1995 to 1999. He worked on the presidential campaigns of Ross Perot and Bob Barr.

This article contains lists of official and potential third party and independent candidates associated with the 1996 United States presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 Reform Party presidential primaries</span>

The Reform Party of the United States of America (RPUSA) was founded in 1995 by Ross Perot. Because the party had just recently been formed, the traditional system of presidential primaries in use by the Republican and Democratic parties was not considered practical for the Reform Party to use for its presidential primary in 1996. Instead, a national primary was held through the mail in which Reform Party supporters voted for a number of candidates, while ballot efforts were concentrated entirely towards the general election.

This article lists running mates considered by Ross Perot during his 1996 candidacy for President of the United States. Following his 1992 independent candidacy, which attracted nearly 20% of the popular vote, Perot announced the formation of the Reform Party in 1995. Perot ran for president in 1996, and defeated former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm in the Reform Party primaries. On September 11, 1996, Perot announced his choice of economics professor Pat Choate as his running mate. Perot and Choate had previously co-authored the book Save Your Job, Save Our Country, which argued against the ratification of NAFTA. The Perot–Choate ticket took 8.4% of the popular vote in the 1996 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Trump 2000 presidential campaign</span>

New York real estate magnate Donald Trump announced the creation of a presidential exploratory committee on the October 7, 1999, edition of Larry King Live on CNN. Although Trump had never held elected office, he was well known for his frequent comments on public affairs and business exploits as head of The Trump Organization. He had previously considered a presidential run in 1988 as a Republican, but chose not to run. For 2000, Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura persuaded Trump to seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party, which was fracturing despite achieving ballot access and qualifying for matching funds as a result of businessman Ross Perot's 1996 presidential campaign on the party's ticket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howie Hawkins 2020 presidential campaign</span> Political campaign

The 2020 presidential campaign of Howie Hawkins, both the co-founder of the Green Party of the United States and thrice its gubernatorial candidate in New York, was informally launched on April 3, 2019, when Hawkins announced the formation of an exploratory committee and formally announced his campaign on May 28, 2019, to seek the Green Party nomination for the presidency of the United States in the 2020 presidential election and later the Socialist Party USA. On May 5, 2020, Hawkins announced that former Socialist Party USA vice presidential candidate Angela Nicole Walker would be his running mate. Hawkins and Walker were nominated by the Green Party on July 11, 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "LAMM, RICHARD".
  2. ↑ "SOURPUSS ON THE SIDELINES RANTS ABOUT NOT-SO-UNUSUAL IDEAS". Archived from the original on 2019-04-19.
  3. ↑ New York Times, "Gov. Lamm asserts elderly, if very ill, have 'duty to die'", March 29, 1984.
  4. ↑ "Ex-Colorado Gov. Lamm Mentioned As Possible Reform Party Candidate". Archived from the original on 2001-10-06.
  5. ↑ "Reform Party Eyes Non-Perot Candidate". Archived from the original on 2019-04-19.
  6. ↑ "Lamm Says He Would Accept Reform Party's Nod". Archived from the original on 2001-03-08.
  7. ↑ "Lamm Ponders Reform Party, If..." Archived from the original on 2001-09-04.
  8. ↑ "Lamm To Announce Political Plans". Archived from the original on 2019-04-19.
  9. ↑ "Golisano Considers Reform Party Run". Archived from the original on 2019-04-20.
  10. ↑ "Richard Lamm Presidential Announcement". Archived from the original on 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2019-04-20.
  11. ↑ "Perot Will Run For President, If Nominated". Archived from the original on 2005-10-31.
  12. ↑ "Lamm Says He Has Even Chance To Defeat Perot". Archived from the original on 2001-06-30.
  13. ↑ "Perot, Lamm Share The Reform Stage". Archived from the original on 2019-04-19.
  14. ↑ "Lamm Says Reform Party Rules May Be Unfair". Archived from the original on 2002-04-15.
  15. ↑ "Reform Party Promises To Make Process Fair". Archived from the original on 2019-04-20.
  16. ↑ "Perot, Lamm Qualify In Reform Party Survey". Archived from the original on 2001-05-01.
  17. ↑ "Perot, Lamm Qualify In Reform Party Survey". Archived from the original on 2001-10-31.
  18. ↑ "Perot Has The Edge As Party Meets". Archived from the original on 2001-11-17.
  19. ↑ "Perot Wins Reform Party Nomination". Archived from the original on 2001-12-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.