Reform Party of the United States of America
Updated: 11/4/2025, 9:38:07 PM Wikipedia source
The Reform Party of the United States of America (RPUSA), generally known as the Reform Party USA or the Reform Party, is a centrist political party in the United States. The party was founded in 1995 by Ross Perot. Perot believed Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital issues. After he received 18.9 percent of the popular vote as an independent candidate in the 1992 presidential election, he founded the Reform Party and presented it as a viable alternative to Republicans and Democrats. As the Reform Party presidential nominee, Perot won 8.4 percent of the popular vote in the 1996 presidential election. While he did not receive a single electoral vote, no other third-party or independent candidate has since managed to receive as high a share of the popular vote. The party has nominated other presidential candidates over the years, including Pat Buchanan and Ralph Nader. Its most significant victory came when Jesse Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998, although he left the party shortly into his term. Donald Trump was a member of the Reform Party during his brief 2000 presidential campaign. In around the year 2000, party infighting and scandals led to a major decline in the party's strength. Beginning with Buchanan's poor showing in the 2000 election, no Reform Party presidential nominee since 1996 has been able to gather 1 percent of the popular vote.
Infobox
Colors
mw- Purple
Founded
1995; 30 years ago (1995)
Founder
Ross Perot
Ideology
PopulismRadical centrismFiscal conservatismCentrismLiberalismAutarky
Membership
6,819 (2021 est.)
Chairperson
Nicholas Hensley
Headquarters
Dallas, Texas
Elected offices
11 / 519,682[citation needed]
Political position
Center
Tables
· Collapse › Best results in major races
President
President
Office
President
Percent
mw- .mw- .mw- 14.19%
District
Maine
Year
1996
Place
3rd
Candidate
Ross Perot
13.56%
13.56%
Office
13.56%
Percent
Montana
District
1996
Year
3rd
12.71%
12.71%
Office
12.71%
Percent
Idaho
District
1996
Year
3rd
US Senate
US Senate
Office
US Senate
Percent
15.42%
District
Mississippi
Year
2002
Place
2nd
Candidate
Shawn O'Hara
8.37%
8.37%
Office
8.37%
Percent
Kansas
District
2002
Year
3rd
Place
George Cook
6.98%
6.98%
Office
6.98%
Percent
Minnesota
District
1996
Year
3rd
Place
Dean Barkley
US House
US House
Office
US House
Percent
33.70%
District
Florida District 5
Year
1998
Place
2nd
Candidate
Jack Gargan
21.09%
21.09%
Office
21.09%
Percent
California District 21
District
1998
Year
2nd
Place
John Evans
20.99%
20.99%
Office
20.99%
Percent
Mississippi District 1
District
2004
Year
2nd
Place
Barbara Dale Washer
Governor
Governor
Office
Governor
Percent
36.99%
District
Minnesota
Year
1998
Place
1st
Candidate
Jesse Ventura
15.33%
15.33%
Office
15.33%
Percent
Kentucky
District
1999
Year
3rd
Place
Gatewood Galbraith
2.08%
2.08%
Office
2.08%
Percent
New Hampshire
District
1996
Year
3rd
Place
Fred Bramante
| Office | Percent | District | Year | Place | Candidate |
| President | mw- .mw- 14.19% | Maine | 1996 | 3rd | Ross Perot |
| 13.56% | Montana | 1996 | 3rd | ||
| 12.71% | Idaho | 1996 | 3rd | ||
| US Senate | 15.42% | Mississippi | 2002 | 2nd | Shawn O'Hara |
| 8.37% | Kansas | 2002 | 3rd | George Cook | |
| 6.98% | Minnesota | 1996 | 3rd | Dean Barkley | |
| US House | 33.70% | Florida District 5 | 1998 | 2nd | Jack Gargan |
| 21.09% | California District 21 | 1998 | 2nd | John Evans | |
| 20.99% | Mississippi District 1 | 2004 | 2nd | Barbara Dale Washer | |
| Governor | 36.99% | Minnesota | 1998 | 1st | Jesse Ventura |
| 15.33% | Kentucky | 1999 | 3rd | Gatewood Galbraith | |
| 2.08% | New Hampshire | 1996 | 3rd | Fred Bramante |
· Presidential tickets
1996
1996
Year
1996
Presidential nominee
Ross Perot(campaign)
Home state
Texas
Previous positions
BusinessmanCandidate for President of the United States(1992)
Vice presidential nominee
Pat Choate
Home state
District of Columbia
Previous positions
Economist
Votes
8,085,294 (#3) (8.4%)0 EV
2000
2000
Year
2000
Presidential nominee
Pat Buchanan(campaign)
Home state
Virginia
Previous positions
White House Director of Communications(1985–1987)Candidate for President of the United States(1992; 1996)
Vice presidential nominee
Ezola Foster
Home state
California
Previous positions
ActivistCandidate for California's 48th State Assembly district(1986)
Votes
448,895 (#4) (0.4%)0 EV
2004
2004
Year
2004
Presidential nominee
Ralph Nader(campaign)
Home state
Connecticut
Previous positions
Lawyer, activistCandidate for President of the United States(1996; 2000)
Vice presidential nominee
Peter Camejo
Home state
California
Previous positions
Candidate for Mayor of Berkeley(1967)Candidate for President of the United States(1976)Candidate for Governor of California(2002; 2003)
Votes
465,151 (0.4%)0 EV
2008
2008
Year
2008
Presidential nominee
Ted Weill
Home state
Mississippi
Previous positions
Nominee for United States Senator from Mississippi(1996)
Vice presidential nominee
Frank McEnulty
Home state
California
Previous positions
Businessman
Votes
481 (0.0004%)0 EV
2012
2012
Year
2012
Presidential nominee
Andre Barnett
Home state
New York
Previous positions
Entrepreneur
Vice presidential nominee
Ken Cross
Home state
Arkansas
Previous positions
Engineer, businessman
Votes
962 (0.001%)0 EV
2020
2020
Year
2020
Presidential nominee
Rocky De La Fuente(campaign)
Home state
California
Previous positions
BusinessmanCandidate for President of the United States(2016)
Vice presidential nominee
Darcy Richardson
Home state
Florida
Previous positions
HistorianAuthor2018 Reform Party Nominee for Governor of Florida
Votes
88,238 (#5) (0.06%)0 EV
2024
2024
Year
2024
Presidential nominee
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.(campaign)
Home state
California
Previous positions
Attorney, activist
Vice presidential nominee
Nicole Shanahan
Home state
California
Previous positions
Attorney, technologist
Votes
681,450 (#4) (0.46%)0 EV
| Year | Presidential nominee | Home state | Previous positions | Vice presidential nominee | Home state | Previous positions | Votes | Notes |
| 1996 | Ross Perot(campaign) | Texas | BusinessmanCandidate for President of the United States(1992) | Pat Choate | District of Columbia | Economist | 8,085,294 (#3) (8.4%)0 EV | |
| 2000 | Pat Buchanan(campaign) | Virginia | White House Director of Communications(1985–1987)Candidate for President of the United States(1992; 1996) | Ezola Foster | California | ActivistCandidate for California's 48th State Assembly district(1986) | 448,895 (#4) (0.4%)0 EV | |
| 2004 | Ralph Nader(campaign) | Connecticut | Lawyer, activistCandidate for President of the United States(1996; 2000) | Peter Camejo | California | Candidate for Mayor of Berkeley(1967)Candidate for President of the United States(1976)Candidate for Governor of California(2002; 2003) | 465,151 (0.4%)0 EV | |
| 2008 | Ted Weill | Mississippi | Nominee for United States Senator from Mississippi(1996) | Frank McEnulty | California | Businessman | 481 (0.0004%)0 EV | |
| 2012 | Andre Barnett | New York | Entrepreneur | Ken Cross | Arkansas | Engineer, businessman | 962 (0.001%)0 EV | |
| 2016 | Rocky De La Fuente(campaign) | California | Businessman | Michael Steinberg | Florida | LawyerCandidate for Florida's 47th State House of Representatives district(2002; 2010)Candidate for Florida's 11th congressional district(2006) | 33,136 (#9) (0.02%)0 EV | |
| 2020 | Rocky De La Fuente(campaign) | California | BusinessmanCandidate for President of the United States(2016) | Darcy Richardson | Florida | HistorianAuthor2018 Reform Party Nominee for Governor of Florida | 88,238 (#5) (0.06%)0 EV | |
| 2024 | Robert F. Kennedy Jr.(campaign) | California | Attorney, activist | Nicole Shanahan | California | Attorney, technologist | 681,450 (#4) (0.46%)0 EV |
References
- Ballot Access Newshttp://ballot-access.org/2021/03/28/march-2021-ballot-access-news-print-edition/
- Reform Partyhttp://www.reformparty.org/about/faq/
- "Get to Know The Reform Party"https://reformparty.org/about-reform-party/faq/
- "Reform Party National Committee - FAQ"http://www.reformparty.org/about/faq/
- "Minnesota's Jesse Ventura punches out a new book"https://edition.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/08/28/politics.ventura.reut/index.html
- Three's a Crowd: The Dynamic of Third Parties, Ross Perot, and Republican Resurgencehttps://books.google.com/books?id=hccTYGs99RoC
- Independent Weeklyhttps://web.archive.org/web/20160104184456/http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A266409
- Federal Election Commissionhttps://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/federalelections2004.pdf#page=11
- Reform Party National Committeehttp://www.reformparty.org
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/ross-perot-death.html
- Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/ross-perot-eccentric-billionaire-who-made-two-independent-runs-for-president-dies-at-89/2019/07/09/d1debf90-a253-11e9-b732-41a79c2551bf_story.html
- Newsweekhttps://www.newsweek.com/quitter-why-perot-bowed-out-se-campaign-200392
- Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1992/10/06/ross-perot-hes-back-and-under-attack/332843cc-8b24-4082-a146-221b4d209c00/
- Atlantic Herald – Fall of the Reform Party[permanent dead link]http://www.ahherald.com/content/view/3623/28/
- "Tea party activists: Don't confuse them with independents"https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0216/Tea-party-activists-Don-t-confuse-them-with-independents
- www.americanreformparty.nethttp://www.americanreformparty.net/blog/comments/american_reform_party_endorses_mitt_romney_for_president
- www.americanreformparty.nethttp://www.americanreformparty.net/blog/comments/the-american-reform-party-endorses-donald-trump-for-president-of-the-united
- Mariana's Varietyhttps://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10524/51417/1/Marianas%20Variety%20Vol.%2026%2c%20No.%2019%2c%201999-04-12.pdf
- "The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands American Reform Party Application"https://web.archive.org/web/20080724040943/http://www.americanreform.org/Mariana-Islands/
- "Presidency 2000 – The Reform Party Candidates"https://web.archive.org/web/20101028101426/http://www.politics1.com/reform.htm
- "Independent Gay Forum – Pat Buchanan: On the Record"https://web.archive.org/web/20100613005525/http://indegayforum.org/news/show/26834.html
- "Richard Watanabe – Newsweek Quotes, 1999"https://web.archive.org/web/20081221205300/http://www.sph.umich.edu/~rwatt/old_nw3.htm
- "Video: Headlines - Men Behaving Bradley | The Daily Show | Comedy Central"http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-february-14-2000/headlines---men-behaving-bradley
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/14/nyregion/quotation-of-the-day-815233.html
- BuzzFeed Newshttps://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/meet-the-prominent-white-nationalists-fired-up-to-support-do#.vuV8WvAdp
- "Buchanan Foster"https://web.archive.org/web/20001018122148/http://www.buchananreform.com/
- The San Diego Union-Tribune
- Politico Magazinehttps://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/04/22/pat-buchanan-trump-president-history-profile-215042/
- Southern Poverty Law Centerhttps://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/patrick-buchanans-reform-party-begins-unravel/
- "LAWSUIT NEWS, Ballot Access News"http://www.ballot-access.org/2004/0501.html#11
- "Presidential Ballot Status, Ballot Access News"https://web.archive.org/web/20020618140231/http://ballot-access.org/2000/1001.html#09
- http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070627/NEWS01/706270314/1002[dead link]http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070627/NEWS01/706270314/1002
- "Third Party Watch"http://thirdpartywatch.com/page/2/
- "Colorado Cumulative Report"https://web.archive.org/web/20061206233124/http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/electionresults2006G/
- "Eidsness withdraws from 4th District race"https://archive.today/20130124201822/http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20071002/NEWS/71002020
- "Reform Party of Florida site"https://web.archive.org/web/20100628175744/http://www.rpfla.org/
- "Max Linn's website"http://maxlinn.com
- "BallotAccess.org"http://www.ballot-access.org/2007/030107.html
- "Dallas Reform Party Meeting", www.ballot-access.org, July 7, 2008http://www.ballot-access.org/2008/07/20/dallas-reform-party-meeting/
- "Reform Party of the United States of America"https://web.archive.org/web/20080924035234/http://reformpa.web.aplus.net/news.htm
- https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=6012839 [dead link]https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=6012839
- "Rebuilding the Reform Party | Third Party Voices"https://web.archive.org/web/20170115200213/http://www.ahherald.com/index.php/Third-Party-Voices/rebuilding-the-reform-party.html
- "Conservative President 2008: Imperato Looking For Reform Party Nomination"https://conservativepresident2008.blogspot.com/2007/02/imperato-looking-for-reform-party.html
- "Ballot Access News "Blog Archive" Federal Judge in New York Hears Reform Party Lawsuit"http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/04/federal-judge-in-new-york-hears-reform-party-lawsuit/
- "Ballot Access News "Blog Archive" Federal Court in New York Issues Ruling in Internal Reform Party Dispute"http://www.ballot-access.org/2009/12/16/federal-court-in-new-york-issues-ruling-in-internal-reform-party-dispute/comment-page-1/#comment-782094
- "Corruption : Corruption News and Photos"https://web.archive.org/web/20210216202944/https://www.baltimoresun.com/
- "Pat Choate, Historian Michael Kazin On Tea Party's Appeal"https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123447238&ft=1&f=1014
- "Challengers file in 4 Miss. congressional races - WLBT 3 – Jackson, MS"http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12063153
- thegreenpapers.comhttp://www.thegreenpapers.com/G10/MS
- CBS Newshttps://web.archive.org/web/20100405183958/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20001664-503544.html
- "Reform Party of New Jersey Pat Choate on Tea Parties, Foreign Policy, and NAFTA |"https://web.archive.org/web/20170115200228/http://reformpartynj.org/archives/139
- ballot-access.orghttp://www.ballot-access.org/2010/06/27/kristin-davis-new-york-gubernatorial-candidate-will-petition-under-reform-party-label/
- "Reform Party chooses Andre Barnett for president;"http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/08/13/reform-party-chooses-andre-barnett-for-president/
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-07-31/rocky-de-la-fuente-trump
- Reform Partyhttps://reformparty.org/convention-2020/
- Ballot Access Newshttps://ballot-access.org/2023/09/19/reform-party-loses-its-qualified-status-in-florida/
- Reform Partyhttps://web.archive.org/web/20240524034156/https://reformparty.org/the-reform-party-nominates-robert-kennedy-jr-for-president-of-the-united-states/
- Independent Political Reporthttps://independentpoliticalreport.com/2024/05/florida-reform-party-works-to-restore-party-status-and-ballot-access-after-2023-revocation/
- "RFK Jr. suspends presidential campaign and endorses Trump"https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/23/politics/rfk-jr-suspends-campaign/index.html
- NPRhttps://www.npr.org/2024/08/26/g-s1-19634/rfk-jr-withdraw-ballot-battleground-states-michigan-north-carolina
- While Nader and Camejo ran as independents, they also received the nomination of the Reform Party.
- "Reform Party Chooses Andre Barnett for President | Ballot Access News"http://ballot-access.org/2012/08/13/reform-party-chooses-andre-barnett-for-president/
- De La Fuente and Steinberg were also the nominees of the American Delta Party.
- The Detroit Newshttps://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/08/michigan-sheriffs-conspiracy-laden-election-lawsuit-stalls-runway/6487894002/
- "The Reform Party has nominated Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente @JoinRocky for President of the United States. ¡Felicitac..."https://x.com/ReformParty/status/1274441081200017409
- The Perot Legacy: A New Political Pathhttps://books.google.com/books?id=AhJuBIGuom8C&dq=reform+party+of+new+jersey+Ross+Perot&pg=PA99