The 2020 Constitution Party presidential primaries were a series of primary elections determining the allocation of delegates in the selection of the Constitution Party's presidential nominee in the 2020 United States presidential election. On May 2, 2020, the Constitution Party nominated Don Blankenship for president and William Mohr for vice-president.[1] Several state parties split from the national Constitution Party to nominate their own candidates.[2]
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339½ delegates to the Constitution Party National Convention | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background
editConstitution Party nominees for president historically have received around 0.1% of the General Election vote.[citation needed] In 2016 with attorney Darrell Castle as its nominee, the party reached a milestone, receiving over 200,000 votes for president for the first time.[3] During the early months of 2019, there was some consternation among Constitution Party members over a perceived lack of candidates for the nomination.[4]
State affiliate disputes
editAfter the Constitution Party chose Blankenship as its presidential nominee, there was substantial tension among several state affiliates of the Constitution Party over nominating Blankenship, who has been convicted of conspiring to willfully violate mine safety and health standards in relation to the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster.[5] The same day that Blankenship was chosen as the nominee, the Constitution Party of Virginia broke with the national party, instead choosing to back Libertarian Justin Amash for the presidency.[5]
On May 13, 2020, the Constitution Party of New Mexico also broke with the national CP, giving Blankenship's fellow candidate Samm Tittle their ballot line.[6] Tittle was also endorsed by the Virginia Party after Amash withdrew from the presidential race.[2] The Constitution Party of Idaho was reportedly considering not nominating William Mohr For Vice-President, and instead choosing their own vice-presidential nominee, but they eventually acquiesced and nominated him for vice-president.[7][8]
Candidates
editNominee
edit2020 Constitution Party ticket[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Don Blankenship | William Mohr | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
for President | for Vice President | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coal executive | Chairman of the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
641 votes 2 states won (ID, MO) |
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Campaign |
Defeated at convention
editThe following candidates received at least 5% of the vote at the 2020 Constitution Party national convention.[1]
Name | Born | Experience | Home state |
Campaign Announcement date |
Popular vote | Contests won | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Don J. Grundmann |
March 5, 1952 (age 72) Oakland, California |
Chiropractor Chairman of the Constitution Party of California |
California |
August 30, 2019 FEC filing[9] |
256 | 0 | [10][11] | |
Samm Tittle |
El Paso, Texas | Independent Candidate for President in 2012 and 2016 | Texas |
January 28, 2020 FEC filing[12] |
199 | 1 (NM) |
[13][11] | |
Charles Kraut |
New York | Financial adviser and author | Virginia |
October 29, 2019 FEC filing[14] |
186 | 0 | [15] |
Debates
editNo. | Date | Time (ET) |
Place | Sponsor(s) | Moderators | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | February 25, 2020 | TBD | Online | Constitution Party of Texas | Scott Copeland Ricardo Davis Randy Stufflebeam |
[11] |
2 | February 29, 2020 | TBD | Boise, Idaho | Constitution Party of Idaho | TBD | [16] |
3 | March 4, 2020 | TBD | Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Illinois |
Free & Equal Elections Foundation | Christina Tobin | [17] |
4 | April 1, 2020 | TBD | Online | Vision 20/20 | Randy Stufflebeam | [18] |
Date | State | Host | Participants | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P Participant. A Absent. O Out of race (exploring, suspended, or not yet entered) | Blankenship | Cummings | Grundmann | Myers[a] | Kraut | Tittle | Others | |||||||||||||
February 25, 2020[11] | Online | Constitution Party of Texas | A | P | P | A | P | P | none | |||||||||||
February 29, 2020[16] | Boise, Idaho | Constitution Party of Idaho | P | P | P | P | P | P | none | |||||||||||
March 4, 2020[17] | Chicago, Illinois | Free & Equal Elections Foundation | A | A | A | P | P | A | none | |||||||||||
April 1, 2020[18] | Online | Vision 20/20 | P | P | P | A | P | P | none |
Timeline
editActive campaigns | |
Withdrawn campaigns | |
Midterm elections | |
North Carolina primary | |
National emergency declared due to COVID-19 | |
Constitution National Convention | |
General election |
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/en/timeline/aqq8p42j6a4hn41ahijtracbgnd6qw3.png)
2019
edit- August 30: Don J. Grundmann announced his campaign and filed his candidacy with the FEC.[9]
- September 11: Don Blankenship announced his campaign.
- October 29: Charles Kraut announced his campaign and filed his candidacy with the FEC.[14]
- October 31: Don Blankenship filed his candidacy with the FEC.
2020
edit- February 25: The first Constitution Party debate took place online, held by Constitution Party of Texas.[11]
- February 29: The second Constitution Party debate took place in Boise, Idaho.[16]
- March 3: The North Carolina primary took place. Uncommitted delegates win a majority.
- March 4: Two Constitution Party candidates took part in the Free & Equal elections debate that took place in Chicago.[17]
- March 10: Blankenship won Idaho and Missouri.
- April 1: The third Constitution Party debate took place online.[18]
- May 13: Tittle won New Mexico.
Primary and caucus calendar
editDate | Primaries/Caucuses/Conventions |
---|---|
March 3 | North Carolina primary |
March 10 | Idaho primary Missouri primary |
March 20 | Wyoming primary |
April 18 | South Carolina primary |
April 25 | Utah primary |
May 13 | New Mexico primary |
Ballot access
editFiling for the primaries began in August 2019. indicates that the candidate was on the ballot for the upcoming primary contest and indicates that the candidate did not appear on the ballot in that state's contest.
State/ Territory |
Date | Blankenship
|
Grundmann
|
Kraut
|
Tittle
|
Cummings
|
Myers
|
Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NC | Mar 3 | |||||||
ID | Mar 10 | |||||||
MO | Mar 10 | |||||||
UT | Apr 25 | [19] | ||||||
NM | May 13 | [20] |
Results
editDate | Contest | Popular vote[b] | Source | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Don Blankenship | Don J. Grundmann | Sheila “Samm” Tittle | Charles Kraut | Daniel Clyde Cummings | J. R. Myers | No Preference Uncommitted | |||
March 3 | North Carolina |
102 (36.30%) |
62 (22.06%) |
117 (41.64%) |
|||||
March 10 | Idaho | 250 (27.59%) |
88 (9.71%) |
195 (21.52%) |
124 (13.69%) |
133 (14.68%) |
116 (12.80%) |
||
Missouri | 287 (39.05%) |
168 (22.86%) |
280 (38.10%) |
||||||
May 15 | New Mexico |
2 (33.33%) |
4 (66.67%) |
||||||
Popular vote (Percentage) |
641 (33.25%) |
256 (13.28%) |
199 (10.32%) |
186 (9.65%) |
133 (6.90%) |
116 (6.02%) |
397 (20.59%) |
North Carolina
editNorth Carolina Constitution Party presidential primary, March 3, 2020[21] | ||
---|---|---|
Candidate | Popular vote | |
Count | Percentage | |
Uncommitted | 117 | 41.64% |
Don Blankenship | 102 | 36.30% |
Charles Kraut | 62 | 22.06% |
Total: | 281 | 100% |
Idaho
editIdaho Constitution Party presidential primary, March 10, 2020[22] | ||
---|---|---|
Candidate | Popular vote | |
Count | Percentage | |
Don Blankenship | 250 | 27.59% |
Sheila “Samm” Tittle | 195 | 21.52% |
Daniel Clyde Cummings | 133 | 14.68% |
Charles Kraut | 124 | 13.69% |
J. R. Myers[a] | 116 | 12.80% |
Don J. Grundmann | 88 | 9.71% |
Total: | 906 | 100% |
Missouri
editMissouri Constitution Party presidential primary, March 10, 2020[23] | ||
---|---|---|
Candidate | Popular vote | |
Count | Percentage | |
Don Blankenship | 287 | 39.05% |
Uncommitted | 280 | 38.10% |
Don J. Grundmann | 168 | 22.86% |
Total: | 735 | 100% |
New Mexico
editNew Mexico Constitution Party presidential primary, May 15, 2020[24] | ||
---|---|---|
Candidate | Popular vote | |
Count | Percentage | |
Sheila “Samm” Tittle | 4 | 66.67% |
Don Blankenship | 2 | 33.33% |
Total: | 6 | 100% |
Notes
editSee also
edit- National Conventions
- 2020 Constitution Party National Convention
- 2020 Republican National Convention
- 2020 Democratic National Convention
- 2020 Libertarian National Convention
- 2020 Green National Convention
Presidential primaries
References
edit- ^ a b c Winger, Richard (May 2, 2020). "Constitution Party Nominates Don Blankenship for President on Second Ballot". Ballot Access News. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ a b Winger, Richard (July 26, 2020). "Virginia Constitution Party Nominates Sheila Tittle for President". Ballot Access News. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ "2016 National Results - Constitution Party". Constitution Party. May 29, 2013. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
- ^ Myers, J.R. (March 15, 2020). "JR Myers: Where Are The Constitution Party 2020 POTUS Candidates?". Independent Political Report. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- ^ a b "Virginia Constitution Party Rejects Nomination of Blankenship, Wants Libertarian Justin Amash To Be Its Presidential Candidate". American Third Party Report. May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ "New Mexico Constitution Party Rejects National CP Nominee". American Third Party Report. May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ Whitley, Floyd W. (May 14, 2020). "CP-Idaho will still choose our own VP candidate". American Third Party Report. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ Winger, Richard (August 1, 2020). "Idaho Constitution Party Nominates Don Blankenship for President". Ballot Access News. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ a b "GRUNDMANN FOR PRESIDENT". FEC.gov. August 30, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
- ^ "Fight the Power: The official site of Don J. Grundmann for President". Fightthepower.org.
- ^ a b c d e Stufflebeam, Randall (February 25, 2020). "Texas Constitution Party 2020 Presidential Debate". YouTube. Constitution Party of Texas. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ "TITTLE, SHEILA "SAMM"". Federal Electoral Commission. January 28, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ "Samm Tittle's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved May 2, 2020.
- ^ a b "Statement of Candidacy" (PDF). docquery.fec.gov. 2019.
- ^ "About Charles Kraut". Charles W. Kraut 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Idaho Constitution Party sets presidential debate in Boise on Feb. 29". Idaho County Free Press. February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c "FREE & EQUAL ELECTIONS' OPEN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE". Free & Equal. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c Stufflebeam, Randall (April 1, 2020). "Debate 1 - The Constitution - Part 1". YouTube. Vision 20/20. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ "Constitution Party of Utah Fails to Attract Any Presidential Candidates".
- ^ "New Mexico Constitution Party Rejects National CP Nominee".
- ^ North Carolina State Board of Elections. "03/03/2020 Unofficial Local Election Results - Statewide". Retrieved March 4, 2020.
- ^ State of Idaho Elections Department. "Election Night Results". Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ Missouri Secretary of State. "State of Missouri - Election Night". Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ^ "New Mexico Constitution Party Rejects National CP Nominee".