Home > United States Populist Party
2 Modern incarnations
The enduring appeal of the term "populist" has led to several modern attempts to form political parties using the label. In each none of the parties has any connection to its manifestation in the late 19th century.
In 1984, the Populist Party name was revived by some extreme-right-wing activists with no connection to the earlier Populist Party and sharing none of their ideology. The party's 1984 presidential nominee, olympic medalist and ordained minister Bob Richards and running mate Maureen Salaman carried 66,324 votes. This party became the electoral vehicle for the right-wing Presidential campaigns of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke in 1988, and of former Green Beret officer Bo Gritz in 1992, but was defunct by 1996.
In 2004, independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader announced his intention to form a new Populist Party in certain states. The party will exist only in states where it is advantageous for legal reasons to be the candidate of a party rather than a true independent. This new Populist Party is not expected to field candidates other than Nader.
See also: List of political parties in the United States
Populist
