American Third Party Presidential Campaigns Quiz

Answer: Franklin Pierce

Martin Van Buren was the candidate of the abolitionist Free Soil Party in 1848, Fillmore was the candidate of the nativist American (Know Nothing) Party and Theodore Roosevelt was the nominee of the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party in 1912. Roosevelt was the most successful "third" party candidate ever, and the only one to come in ahead of one of the "major" parties.

He came in second to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, while Republican William Howard Taft came in third.

Answer: Anti-Masonic Party

The Anti-Masonic Party was founded in 1828 to oppose the Freemason Society, which was politically powerful at the time. Wirt was a former U.S. Attorney General and a former Mason who was not a strong believer in the Party's platform. He won 7.8% of the vote, winning the state of Vermont.

Answer: People's Party

Also referred to as the Populist Party, the People's Party won Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas and North Dakota. Weaver had previously run as the candidate of the Greenback Party in 1880.

Answer: George Wallace

Roosevelt was the candidate of his own Progressive Party in 1912, LaFollette ran under the banner of the Progressive Party in 1924 and Henry Wallace ran under a party of the same name in 1948. George Wallace ran for president as the candidate of the American Independent Party in 1968.

Answer: Vito Marcantonio

John Schmitz (R-CA) was the American Party candidate for president in 1972, John Anderson (R-ILL) ran as an independent in 1980 and Ron Paul (R-TX) ran as a Libertarian in 1988. Vito Marcantonio served in Congress for a third party (American Labor Party-NY), but never ran for President.

Answer: Angela Davis

Black Panther Minister of Defense Eldridge Cleaver was the 1968 candidate of the Peace and Freedom Party. Comedian Dick Gregory was the 1968 candidate of the People's/Freedom and Peace Party. Pediatrician Spock was the 1972 candidate of the People's Party. Angela Davis was the vice-presidential candidate of the Communist Party in 1980 and 1984.

Answer: David McReynolds

When David McReynolds was the Socialist Party nominee for president in 1980, he became the first openly gay presidential candidate. His running mate, Diane Drufenbrock, was a Catholic nun. McReynolds was renominated by the Socialists in 2000.

Answer: George Wallace in 1968

George Wallace won 46 electoral votes (5 states) in 1968; Strom Thurmond won 39 electoral votes (4 states) in 1948; Fillmore won 8 electoral votes (one state: Maryland) in 1856 and Perot won no electoral votes in 1992. Interestingly, both Fillmore (21.5%) and Perot (19%) won much larger percentages of the total vote than Thurmond (2.4%) and Wallace (13.5%), but support for Thurmond and Wallace's pro-segregation campaigns was heavily concentrated among the southern states.

Answer: Millard Fillmore in 1856

Fillmore received 21.5% of the vote as the candidate of the American Party. Perot received close to 19% of the vote in 1992. LaFollette received 16% of the vote in 1924 and John Anderson received 6.6% of the vote in 1980.

Answer: Al Gore

In every presidential election since 1988, the Communist Party has endorsed the Democratic Party candidate rather than running its own ticket.

Answer: 1980

The Libertarian Party advocates a philosophy of extremely limited government. They tend to line up with conservatives on economic issues (favoring abolishing the income tax, the minimum wage and other economic regulations) and with liberals on social issues (favoring the abolition of laws prohibiting drugs, prostitution and consensual sex acts). 1980 was their high water mark, in which candidate Ed Clark received 1.06% of the vote.

They haven't broken the single-digit mark since then.

Answer: Charles Francis Adams

Charles Francis Adams, the son of President John Quincy Adams and the grandson of President John Adams, was the VP nominee of the anti-slavery Free Soil Party. A former Massachusetts state representative and state senator, Adams was the running mate of former president Martin Van Buren. They came in third with 10% of the vote. Subsequently, Adams served in Congress.

Answer: Victoria Woodhull

At a time when women could not vote in most states, Woodhull's candidacy was largely symbolic. Her party nominated Frederick Douglass for vice-president, making him the first African-American nominated for that office, but he did not participate in the campaign. Belva Ann Lockwood was the Equal Rights Party nominee in the 1884 and 1888 elections.

Answer: Maine

Perot received over 30% of the vote in Maine, beating out Republican George H.W. Bush. Alaska was a close second with 28%. He received 22% of the vote in his home state of Texas, and Mississippi was actually his poorest showing (except for D.C.) with 8.7%. Along with Maine, Perot managed to come in second in Utah, where he beat out Bill Clinton with 27% of the vote.

Answer: Winona LaDuke

Winona LaDuke is a Native American and environmental rights activist from Minnesota. LaDonna Harris was the vice-presidential nominee of the Citizen Party, with Barry Commoner, in 1980. Gloria LaRiva has been the presidential (1992) and vice-presidential (1984, 1988, 1996, 2000) candidate of the Workers' World Party, and Pigasus was a pig nominated for president by the Yippies (Youth International Party) in 1968. Pigasus' handlers and consultants lost track of him in the confusion of the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention riots and his whereabouts have been unknown since that time. If you or someone you know has information on the whereabouts of Pigasus, please contact your local authorities or meat market.