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Peace and Freedom Party
Leader	Central Committee
Founded	June 23, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-06-23)
Membership (January 2024)	133,914 registered voters
Ideology	Socialism Eco-socialism Socialist feminism Pro-peace
Political position	Left-wing
Members in elected offices	0
Website
peaceandfreedom.us
Politics of United States Political parties Elections

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v t e

The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a socialist political party in the United States which operates mostly in California. It was formed in 1966 from anti–Vietnam War and pro–civil rights movements.

PFP operates both as an organization unto itself and an umbrella organization in which socialist organizations compete to win PFP's ballot access.

Notable past and present members include Bob Avakian, Emmy Lou Packard, Byron Randall, and (briefly) Murray Rothbard.

Organization

Members

In January 2000, PFP had 75,277 registered voters. In February 2005, PFP had 67,238 registered voters. In January 2010, PFP had 55,036 registered voters. In January 2016, PFP had 75,579 registered voters.

In February 2019, PFP had 76,784 registered voters. In February 2021, PFP had 105,535 registered voters. In January 2024, PFP had 133,914 registered voters.

Preference primaries

Like many minor parties, PFP holds a non-binding "preference primary" for President. The PFP presidential candidate is ultimately selected by the PFP State Convention, at which only State Executive Committee (SEC) members can vote. The SEC is directly elected through write-ins in the California primary system every two years. The SEC had about 130 members in 2024 and 90 in 2008.

Since January 2001, California has had a "modified" closed primary system in which political parties can determine whether or not to allow voters who are not affiliated with any party, or No Party Preference, are allowed to participate in the party's primary. Since the 2004 primaries, PFP has never allowed "independent" voters to vote in their party's primaries.

Ideology

PFP is a socialist party "committed to feminism, democracy, ecology, and racial equality", PFP strongly supports environmentalism, aboriginal rights, LGBT rights, abortion rights, public healthcare, public education, and subsidized housing.

History

Founding

After the 1967 Century City anti-Vietnam War march on June 23, 1967, anti-war and civil rights supporters began collecting petitions for the Peace and Freedom Party. PFP's founders opposed the Democratic Party's support for the war in Vietnam and saw the Democrats as failing to effectively support the civil rights movement.

On January 2, 1968, PFP organizers submitted 105,100 signatures to receive party status in California. PFP has had ballot access in California since 1968, except between 1998 and 2002. In 2003, PFP became the first party in the history of California to regain its ballot status.

In 1968, PFP suffered a minor split: Dick Gregory and others split to create the Freedom and Peace Party (FPP), for which Gregory ran in the 1968 United States presidential election. The FPP collapsed after the 1968 election.

In 1971, progressives nationwide organized the People's Party. In 1972 and 1976, PFP endorsed the PP's candidates. After the PP dissolved in 1977, PFP continued in California.

In the 2006 California elections, two statewide Peace and Freedom Party candidates received more than the required vote, thus ensuring the party's ballot status for another four years (Elizabeth Cervantes Barron received 212,383 votes, 2.5% of the total, for Controller; and Tom Condit received 187,618 votes, 2.2% of the total, for Insurance Commissioner).

California's 2018 gubernatorial primary had statewide office candidates registered in the party. In the race for Insurance Commissioner, Peace and Freedom candidate Nathalie Hrizi received 316,149 votes, 5.0% of the total.

Election results

The PFP has fielded over 200 electoral candidates in the United States for local, state, and federal offices. PFP candidates usually run as official PFP candidates on their own ballot line.

No PFP candidate has yet won a contested election.

Presidential elections

Convention votes:

Johnson is Citizen's Party

In 2016, both PFP's California state chair and Green candidate Jill Stein requested that the California Secretary of State allow Stein to be placed on the PFP party ballot, but this was rejected. Instead, PFP nominated Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate Gloria La Riva.

In 2012, Rocky Anderson won a plurality of delegates in PFP's non-binding preference primary, after failing to win enough votes to place his Justice Party on the ballot. However, Anderson failed to win representatives on the PFP's Central Committee, and withdrew 1 week before the convention. Instead, PFP backed Party for Socialism and Liberation's preferred candidate Roseanne Barr.

In 2008, PFP endorsed Independent Ralph Nader in his presidential campaign. Nader obtained enough signatures to appear on the ballot in Iowa and Utah as the Peace and Freedom Party candidate. This was the first expansion of the party beyond California since the 1970s. However, PFP did not obtain enough votes to guarantee ballot access in Iowa or Utah in subsequent elections.

In 2000, PFP did not qualify for the ballot in California.

In 1988, three factions within PFP — the Internationalist Workers Party, New Alliance Party, and Socialist Party USA plus Communist Party USA — sought the party's ballot line. They could not agree, and split the convention, which resulted in the Secretary of State voiding the PFP ballot line for the year.

Congressional elections

Statewide elections

National conventions

See also

• American Left
• Democratic Socialists of America
• Green Party of the United States
• Socialist Party of America
• Party for Socialism and Liberation
• History of the socialist movement in the United States

Notes

1. Previously, the SEC was named the State Central Committee (SCC).
2. 2024: Votes in California: 72,539 (0.5%)
3. 2020: "Ballot access" above includes all states where La Riva was not a write-in; ie, where they were a listed PSL, PFP, or LUP candidate.
4. 2020: Votes in California: 50,887 (0.29%)
5. 2016: "Ballot access" above includes all states where La Riva was not a write-in; ie, where they were a listed PSL, PFP, or LUP candidate.
6. 2016: Votes in California: 66,101 (0.46%)
7. 2012: Votes in California: 53,824 (0.41%)
8. 2008: Votes in California: 108,381 (0.8%)
9. 2004: Votes in California: 27,607 (0.22%)
10. 1996: Votes in California: 25,332 (0.25%)
11. 1992: Votes in California: 18,597 (0.21%)
12. 1984: Votes in California: 26,297 (0.28%)
13. 1980: Votes in California: 18,116 (0.21%)
14. 1976: Votes in California: 41,731 (0.53%)
15. 1972: Votes in California: 55,167 (0.66%)
16. The Freedom and Peace Party, which had split from the Peace and Freedom Party, nominated Dick Gregory for President and Mark Lane for Vice President. It received 47,149 votes.
17. 1968: Votes in California: 27,707 (0.38%)
18. In 2016, Kahn also ran for the Reform Party presidential primary.
19. ^ In 2012, PSL supported Peta Lindsay, who was too young to qualify for the ballot. Roseanne Barr was nominally independent, but was tactically supported by the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
20. In addition to running in the regularly scheduled election, Parker also ran as a write-in candidate in the special election for the same exact seat, but for a term to expire on January 3, 2023. Parker received 9,951 votes, or 0.1 percent, as a write-in candidate in the special election race.

References

1. ^ "Report of Registration by County" (PDF). California Secretary of State. January 5, 2024.
2. ^ Haldane, David (January 11, 1988). "Peace, Freedom Party Still in Fray After 20 Years on Ballot". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
3. ^ "California Peace and Freedom Party chooses Gloria La Riva, Dennis Banks as President, VP candidates". Liberation News. Party for Socialism and Liberation. August 16, 2016.
4. ^ Peters, Casey (Winter 1997). "Peace and Freedom Party from 1967 to 1997". Synthesis/Regeneration (12).
5. "Report of Registration" (PDF). California Secretary of State. January 7, 2000.
6. "Report of Registration" (PDF). California Secretary of State. February 10, 2005.
7. "Report of Registration" (PDF). California Secretary of State. January 5, 2010.
8. "Report of Registration" (PDF). California Secretary of State. January 5, 2016.
9. "Report of Registration" (PDF). California Secretary of State. February 10, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 4, 2019.
10. "Report of Registration" (PDF). California Secretary of State. February 10, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-03-20.
11. Winger, Richard (December 3, 2023). "Peace & Freedom Presidential Primary Ballot Will Contain Three Names". Retrieved December 3, 2023.
12. ^ Stein, Mark (August 14, 1988). "Peace and Freedom Convention Becomes Free-for-All". LA Times.
13. ^ Cornish, Megan (December 2013). "Leaked recording reveals how Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) cut socialist candidates from the California ballot". Freedom Socialist. Freedom Socialist Party.
14. ^ Richardson, Darcy (August 5, 2012). "Peace and Freedom Party Nominates Roseanne Barr for President".
15. ^ "Three candidates in Presidential Primary for Peace and Freedom Party". Peace and Freedom Party. January 4, 2024.
16. ^ "Claudia De la Cruz recognized as presumptive PFP POTUS nominee". Peace and Freedom Party. April 26, 2024.
17. ^ "Convention to pick ticket". Peace and Freedom Party. May 15, 2008.
18. "Our bylaws". Peace and Freedom Party.
19. "History of Political Parties That Have Adopted Party Rules Regarding No Party Preference Voters". California Secretary of State. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
20. "About the Peace and Freedom Party". Peace and Freedom Party. Archived from the original on 2020-05-16. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
21. ^ Elden, James; Schweitzer, David (1971). "New Third Party Radicalism: The Case of the California Peace and Freedom Party". The Western Political Quarterly. 24 (4). Western Political Science Association: 761–74. doi:10.2307/447112. JSTOR 447112.
22. ^ Phillips, Joseph (2020). "The Peace and Freedom Party of California". Beyond Donkeys and Elephants: Minor Political Parties in Contemporary American Politics. University Press of Kansas. pp. 121–137. doi:10.2307/j.ctv15tt76n. ISBN 978-0-7006-2929-9.
23. "Los Angeles Times".
24. Fletcher, Ed (March 15, 2003). "Anti-War Party is Back on the Ballot". The Sacramento Bee.
25. Thompson, Hunter S. (1979) . The Great Shark Hunt. Gonzo Papers. Vol. 1. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 20. ISBN 0-7432-5045-1. Hubert Humphrey lost that election by a handful of votes – mine among them – and if I had it to do again I would still vote for Dick Gregory.
26. "Vote.ss.ca.gov". Vote.ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original on June 29, 2006. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
27. "Vote.ss.ca.gov". Vote.ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
28. "Statement of Vote Summary Pages" (PDF). elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
29. ^ Weber, C. T. (March 9, 2021). "PFP Presidential and VP Candidates, 1968-2020".
30. ^ "Federal Elections 2020" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. October 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 4, 2022.
31. ^ "Gloria La Riva Nominated by Peace and Freedom Party in CA". Liberation News. Party for Socialism and Liberation. August 2, 2020.
32. ^ "Federal Elections 2016" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. December 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
33. ^ Peace and Freedom 2016 "Gloria La Riva – Peace and Freedom 2016". Retrieved on May 29, 2017.
34. Peace and Freedom 2012 "Roseanne Barr – Peace and Freedom 2012". Retrieved on May 29, 2017.
35. "Federal Elections 2012" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
36. "Election Results 2008". Retrieved on November 7, 2024.
37. Peace and Freedom 2004 "Leonard Peltier for President". Retrieved on April 28, 2013.
38. ^ "Federal Elections 2004" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
39. ^ "Federal Elections 96" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
40. ^ "Federal Elections 92" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
41. ^ "Federal Elections 84" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
42. ^ "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of 1980" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. April 1981. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 1, 2007.
43. ^ "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of 1976" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. April 1977. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 1, 2007.
44. "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of 1972" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. April 1973. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 1, 2007.
45. ^ "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of 1968" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. April 1969. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 1, 2007.
46. "It's official: Claudia De la Cruz wins PFP POTUS nomination PFP Elections & Campaigns". Peace and Freedom Party. October 4, 2024.
47. "PFP Convention". Our Campaigns.
48. "Nader Wins Peace & Freedom Party Nomination – Ballot Access News". Ballot-access.org. 2 August 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
49. "PFP Convention". Our Campaigns.
50. "PFP Convention". Our Campaigns.
51. "PFP Convention". Our Campaigns.
52. ^ "PFP Presidential and VP Candidates, 1968-2020". Peace and Freedom Party. July 3, 2008.
53. "Lewin Is Peace and Freedom Nominee". LA Times. August 15, 1988. Lewin, 73, is a veteran labor union organizer who also is affiliated with the Internationalist Workers Party, a San Francisco-based Trotskyite group. For vice president the delegates nominated Emma Mar, who identifies herself as an independent socialist. Lewin, with 684 votes, finished fourth in the nonbinding Peace and Freedom presidential primary in June, but he captured the nomination by relying on party rules that permitted him to bring to the convention as delegates a large number of undocumented immigrants, minors, convicted felons and other people who are not eligible to vote.
54. Alexander, Robert J. (1991). International Trotskyism, 1929–1985: A Documented Analysis of the Movement. Duke University Press. pp. 761–951. ISBN 978-0-8223-0975-8.
55. "SB 505 (Umberg) Presidential primary elections Oppose" (PDF). Peace and Freedom Party.
56. "Nov. 2008 Statement of Vote: U.S. President by County" (PDF). California Secretary of State.
57. "P&F Campaign 2008: Nader/Gonzalez ticket". Peace and Freedom Party.
58. Winger, Richard (6 August 2008). "Nader Submits Iowa Petition Using "Peace & Freedom" Ballot Label". Ballot Access News.
59. Cite error: The named reference FEC20XX was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
60. ^ Cite error: The named reference FEC2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
61. "Federal Elections 2018" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. October 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
62. "Federal Elections 2014" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. November 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
63. ^ Cite error: The named reference FEC2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
64. ^ "Federal Elections 2008" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. July 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 2, 2019.
65. ^ Cite error: The named reference FEC2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
66. ^ Cite error: The named reference FEC1998 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
67. ^ Cite error: The named reference FEC1994 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
68. ^ Cite error: The named reference FEC1990 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
69. ^ Cite error: The named reference FEC1988 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
70. ^ Cite error: The named reference FEC1986 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
71. ^ Cite error: The named reference HC1982 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
72. ^ Cite error: The named reference HC1978 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
73. "Statewide Direct Primary Election - Statement of the Vote, June 5, 2018" (PDF). California Secretary of State.
74. "Election 2018: Gayle McLaughlin for Lt. Governor". Peace and Freedom Party. Archived from the original on 2018-05-25.

External links

• Official website
• The Real and Slightly Expurgated History of the PFP (through 2008)

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Major parties (ballot-qualified)	Democratic Republican
Minor parties (ballot-qualified)	American Independent Green Libertarian Peace and Freedom
Minor parties (not ballot-qualified)	California National Pirate
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