American Party of South Carolina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairperson | Jim Rex |
| Founded | January 2014 |
| Headquarters | Great Falls, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Ideology | Centrism |
| National affiliation | Alliance Party |
| Seats in the Upper House | 0 / 46 |
| Seats in the Lower House | 0 / 124 |
| Website | |
| http://www.americanpartysc.com/ | |
The American Party of South Carolina is a third party in the United States. Established in 2014, the party is active only in South Carolina.
The American Party of South Carolina was founded by physician Oscar Lovelace and former South Carolina Superintendent of Education Jim Rex in 2014. According to Rex and Lovelace, their impetus in starting the new party was to present a centrist alternative to the Republican Party and Democratic Party that could address perceived government dysfunction. [1] Rex and Lovelace began collecting the 10,000 petition signatures required for formal party recognition under South Carolina state law during the 2013 South Carolina State Fair. Voter discontent with the United States federal government shutdown of 2013, which coincided with the fair, helped invigorate an unusually robust level of interest in the proposed new party. [2]
In 2014, the first year of electoral activity for the party, it unsuccessfully ran four candidates for public office in that year's South Carolina elections. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] The same year, its youth wing, Young Americans, was established with an inaugural chapter at Winthrop University. [9]
The party's 2016 state convention was attended by 61 delegates from nine South Carolina counties, and nominated Peter Skewes as its candidate for president of the United States, as well as candidates for five other offices. As of 2016, the party said it hoped to expand beyond South Carolina and it registered with the Federal Elections Commission the same year. [10] [11]
On October 14, 2018 a group of independent state political organizations, including the American Party, joined together to create the Alliance Party. Jim Rex is the National Chair.
In the 2018 South Carolina elections, the party unsuccessfully ran thirteen candidates, one of whom was under a fusion vote with the Democratic Party, for public office. [12]
In the 2020 South Carolina elections, the American Party's presidential candidate Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente Guerra received 1,862 votes, around 0.07%. [13] The party unsuccessfully ran five other candidates for public office. [14]
In the 2022 South Carolina elections, the party unsuccessfully ran three candidates. Sarah E. Work performed the best of the three with her bid for state treasurer, gaining 281,695 votes, around 19.86% of the vote, in a two way race against a Republican candidate. [15]
According to the party, it supports term limits, campaign finance reform, and "attacking problems from the center instead of the left or the right". [8]
Ralph Warren Norman Jr. is an American real estate developer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 5th congressional district since 2017. His district includes most of the South Carolina side of the Charlotte metropolitan area, along with outer portions of the Upstate and Midlands. A member of the Republican Party, Norman served as the South Carolina state representative for the 48th district from 2005 to 2007 and from 2009 to 2017.
South Carolina's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in upstate South Carolina bordering North Carolina. It includes parts of Greenville and Spartanburg counties. The district includes the two major cities of Greenville and Spartanburg.
The South Carolina Green Party is a ballot-qualified political party in the state of South Carolina. It is the state affiliate party of the Green Party of the United States.
John Mark Hammond is an American Republican politician from South Carolina. He has served as South Carolina Secretary of State since January 15, 2003.
The 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jim DeMint won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee Alvin Greene. However, DeMint did not serve out the full term to which he was elected; he resigned in 2013 to become president of The Heritage Foundation.
The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. The primary elections were held on June 8. The composition of the state delegation before the election was four Republicans and two Democrats.
Tom Clements is an American environmental activist and politician from South Carolina. Clements was the Green Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. Clements received more than 9% of the general election. He is the Southeastern Nuclear Campaign Coordinator for the US branch of Friends of the Earth in Columbia, South Carolina. Clements worked as the campaign manager for Democratic Congressman Doug Barnard, Jr. in the 1980s and as well as a long environmental activist with Greenpeace and the Nuclear Control Institute.
William Knight Bowers is an American politician. He is a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 122nd District, serving from 2013 to 2018. He is a member of the Democratic party.
William Richardson Timmons IV is an American attorney, entrepreneur, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 4th congressional district since 2019. His district is in the heart of the Upstate and includes Greenville, Spartanburg, and most of their suburbs. A member of the Republican Party, Timmons served as the South Carolina state senator from 2016 to 2018.
The 2020 United States presidential election in South Carolina was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. South Carolina voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his running mate California Senator Kamala Harris. South Carolina has nine electoral votes in the Electoral College.
Ivory Torrey Thigpen Jr. is an American politician. He is a member of the Democratic party.
Russell William Fry is an American politician and lawyer serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 7th congressional district since 2023.
Lee Hewitt is an American politician. He is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 108th District, serving since 2018. He is a member of the Republican party.
William Scott Cogswell Jr. is an American politician and businessman who is mayor of the city of Charleston. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 110th District from 2016 to 2022. Cogswell was elected mayor in 2023 after defeating incumbent John Tecklenburg and is the first Republican mayor of Charleston since 1877.
Jeffrey A. Bradley is an American politician. He is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 123rd District, serving since 2014. He is a member of the Republican party.
Rex F. Rice is an American politician. He has represented South Carolina State Senate District 2 in the South Carolina Senate since 2016. Previously, Rice served South Carolina State House District 26 in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1994 to 2010. He is a member of the Republican Party.
The 2020 South Carolina State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 2020 United States elections. South Carolina voters elected state senators in all 46 senate districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the South Carolina Senate, with all of the seats up for election each cycle. The primary elections on June 9, 2020, determined which candidates appeared on the November 3, 2020, general election ballot.
The 2020 South Carolina House of Representatives elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. South Carolina voters have elected state representatives in all 123 of the state house's districts.
Lisa Ellis is an American educator who was the 2022 fusion candidate, Democratic, and Alliance Party nominee for South Carolina's superintendent of education and is the founder of the education advocacy group SC for Ed. She was defeated by Republican Ellen Weaver in the November 2022 general election.
The 2016 South Carolina House of Representatives elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. South Carolina voters elected state representatives in all 124 of the state house's districts. State representatives serve two-year terms in the South Carolina State House. A statewide map of South Carolina's state House districts can be obtained from the South Carolina House's website here, and individual district maps can be obtained from the U.S. Census here.
South Carolina political parties | ||
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