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2000 Reform Party presidential primaries

← 1996 July 1, 2000 2004 →

Nominee Pat Buchanan John Hagelin Home state Virginia Iowa States carried 47 + D.C. 3 Popular vote 49,529 28,539 Percentage 63.44% 36.56%

First place by first-instance vote   Pat Buchanan (47 + D.C.)   John Hagelin (3)

FollowingRoss Perot's impressive showing during the 1996 presidential election, theReform Party of the United States of America became thecountry's largest third party. The party's 2000 presidential candidate would be entitled to $12.5 million (~$21.6 million in 2024) in matching funds. Several high-profile candidates vied for the nomination, including future PresidentDonald Trump,Pat Buchanan, and physicistJohn Hagelin. For a brief time, CongressmanJohn B. Anderson and CongressmanRon Paul, who previously ranthird party campaigns for President in1980 and1988 respectively, were considered potential candidates. Both Anderson and Paul ultimately declined to seek the nomination.

The party's 2000 candidates received a great deal of media attention, particularly after a dispute at the party's national convention inLong Beach, California led to a schism and the formation of a rebel faction. Supporters of physicistJohn Hagelin refused to accept Pat Buchanan as the party's chairman, and staged a walk-out, which was broadcast live on television.

Ultimately, a court decided Buchanan was the party's nominee. However, the drama surrounding the convention is often credited with leading to the downfall of the Reform Party. Ross Perot,Jesse Ventura, Pat Buchanan, Donald Trump, and other high-profile party members ultimately left the party after the 2000 election.

During the 1992 Republican Presidential Primaries, commentatorPat Buchanan fared extremely well and received 22.96% of the total vote. During his 1996 bid, Buchanan spent a brief time as theRepublican front-runner; his campaign carried four states, including New Hampshire, Alaska, Missouri, and Louisiana. Buchanan re-entered the presidential race in 2000, hoping to be the primary "Stop Bush" candidate. He was, however, viewed much less favorably by his fellow Republicans, and he struggled to place fifth during an IowaStraw Poll.^[1]

Reform Party memberWilliam von Raab launched a "Draft Buchanan" movement, and in October 1999 Buchanan announced his departure from the Republican Party, disparaging them (along with the Democrats) as a "beltway party." He announced that he would seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party, and immediately sought to align himself with the "Russ Verney faction" of the party. Some in the Reform Party voiced concerns that Buchanan, ardentlypro-life and anti-gay rights, would inadvertently move the party too far to the right. During a meeting with Reform Party leadership atPat Choate'sWashington, D.C. home, Buchanan assured the party elite that his campaign would not address social issues, instead focusing on economic policy.^[2]

At the time Buchanan entered the race, the Reform Party was engulfed in a feud between the supporters of Ross Perot and newly electedMinnesota GovernorJesse Ventura, who, as the Reform Party's highest elected official, was rumored to be considering a presidential bid on the party ticket in 2004. Buchanan's campaign immediately aligned itself with diverse factions within the party, includingRuss Verney andMarxistLenora Fulani.^[3]

On November 12, 1999, Fulani formally endorsed Buchanan, saying: "We are going to integrate that peasant army of his. We are going to bring black folks, Latino folks, gay folks and liberal folks into that army...I'm going to take Pat Buchanan to 125th Street in Harlem. We are going to have lunch at Sylvia's. I am going to take him to speak at Reverend Sharpton's National Action Network."^[4] Fulani became Buchanan's campaign co-chair.

At the same time, the Buchanan campaign began to gain support amongwhite nationalists.^[5][6] He gained the endorsement of formerKu Klux Klan leaderDavid Duke, who quit the Republican Party and joined the Reform Party to assist Buchanan's campaign.^[7] Almost all white nationalists left the Reform Party following the campaign; in 2004 the party nominatedLebanese-AmericanRalph Nader as its presidential candidate.

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Supporters of theJesse Ventura faction began encouragingDonald Trump to enter the race, likely as a placeholder for Ventura, who said he would not consider a presidential bid until after his term as governor ended. On October 19, 1999, Donald Trump announced he would file to appear on theCalifornia primary ballot.^[8] On October 25, 1999, Trump joined the Reform Party.^[9][10] His pre-campaign gained a great deal of media attention. Trump toldChris Matthews onHardball: "It's not so much the Reform Party, it's really the fact that I'd want to make that if I ran and spent a lot of money I could actually win, I could beat that Democrat-Republican apparatus."^[11][12] He toldFortune magazine in early January 2000: "'If I feel I could win—win—then I'd run. I think I have a good chance. Hey, I've got my name on half the major buildings in New York,' he said. 'I went to the Wharton School of Finance, which is the No. 1 school. I'm intelligent. Some people would say I'm very, very, very intelligent." He further said: "It's very possible that I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it."^[13]

During the California primary, he received 15,311 votes or 37% of the Reform votes cast, giving him the lead in a five-person field. His total was 0.3% of the entire California primary vote.^[14] Trump ultimately withdrew his candidacy. During an appearance onThe Today Show, he stated: "The Reform Party is a total mess! You have Buchanan, a right winger, and you have Fulani, a Communist, and they have merged.... I don't know what you have!"^[15]

PhysicistJohn Hagelin also entered the race for the Reform Party nomination. Hagelin had run for president in both 1992 and 1996 on theNatural Law Party ticket.

During his 2000 campaign, Hagelin appeared on ABC'sNightline (2000)^[16] andPolitically Incorrect (2000),^[17][18] NBC'sMeet the Press (2000),^[19] CNN'sLarry King Live,^[20] PBS's News Hour with Jim Lehrer,^[21]Inside Politics, CNBC'sHardball with Chris Matthews, and C-SPAN'sWashington Journal.^[22]

In July it was announced that Hagelin and Buchanan would be the only two candidates on the primary ballot.^[23] Supporters of Hagelin later charged the results of the party's open primary, which favored Buchanan by a wide margin, were "tainted." Buchanan countered thatRuss Verney had allowed the Hagelin campaign to mail a "Stop Buchanan" pamphlet using official "Reform Party" envelopes.^[24]

Much to the dismay of many Reform Party members, it became clear that the Hagelin campaign intended to merge the Natural Law Party, which was based on the teachings ofHinduguruMaharishi Mahesh Yogi with the secular Reform Party.^{[citation needed]} On August 2, Buchanan's website posted a copy of a proposed resolution to merge the two parties.^[25]

The animosity between the two campaigns reached a breaking point at the party's convention inLong Beach, California.^[26] Buchanan supporters blocked Hagelin and his delegates from entering the convention.^[27] Hagelin's supporters declared the convention illegitimate, and announced theirown rival convention nearby, where they endorsed John Hagelin as their presidential candidate.^[28]

With two individuals both claiming to be the Reform Party candidate, a court would have to determine who would be permitted to appear on the ballot and receive the $12.5 million in matching funds.

Reform Party presidential primary results by county

California

  Donald Trump

  John B. Anderson

  Robert M. Bowman

  Charles E. Collins

  George D. Weber

  No votes

Michigan

  Donald Trump

  Uncommitted

  Tie

  No votes

Ultimately, when theFederal Election Commission ruled Buchanan was to receive ballot status as the Reform candidate, as well as about $12.6 million in federal campaign funds secured by Perot's showing in the1996 election, Buchanan won the nomination. In his acceptance speech, Buchanan proposed U.S. withdrawal from theUnited Nations and expelling the U.N. from New York, abolishing theInternal Revenue Service,Department of Education,Department of Energy,Department of Housing and Urban Development, taxes on inheritance and capital gains, andaffirmative action programs.

As his running mate, Buchanan choseAfrican-American activist and retired teacher fromLos Angeles,Ezola B. Foster. Buchanan was supported in this election run by futureSocialist Party USA presidential candidateBrian Moore, who said in 2008 he supported Buchanan in 2000 because "he was for fair trade overfree trade. He had someprogressive positions that I thought would be helpful to the common man."^[29] On August 19, theNew York Right to Life Party, in convention, chose Buchanan as their nominee, with 90% of the districts voting for him.^[30]

On November 2, party founder Ross Perot endorsed RepublicanGeorge W. Bush for president.^[31]

The Reform Party never recovered from the 2000 fiasco. Many longtime members departed, the party's funds were depleted, and its reputation severely tarnished. OnElection Day, Pat Buchanan only received 448,895 votes, thus losing the Reform Party's ballot access in most states. Buchanan returned to the Republican Party in 2001. During the 2004 election cycle, the Reform Party nominatedRalph Nader in hopes of relinquishing themselves of the "pro-life" label Buchanan had bestowed upon them. In 2008,Ted Weill, who had been a critic of Buchanan, was the party's presidential candidate. Donald Trump joined the Democratic Party in 2001, left in 2009 and remained an independent until 2012 when he returned to the Republican Party, seeking the party'snomination for president in2016 and became the 45th President of the United States after defeating Democratic nomineeHillary Clinton, he would lose toJoe Biden in2020. Trump would berenominated by the Republican Party in2024, and became the 47th President of the United States after defeating Biden's vice president and Democratic nomineeKamala Harris.

• 
  FormerWhite House Communications DirectorPat Buchanan ofVirginia
  (Campaign)
• 
  PhysicistJohn Hagelin ofIowa
• 
  BusinessmanDonald Trump ofNew York
  (Campaign)
  Withdrew Feb. 14th, 2000
• 
  FormerRepresentativeJohn B. Anderson ofIllinois

• 
  GovernorJesse Ventura ofMinnesota^[32]
• 
  FormerGovernorLowell Weicker ofConnecticut^[32]
• 
  RepresentativeRon Paul ofTexas
• 
  FormerSenatorDavid Boren ofOklahoma^[33]
• 
  Billionaire, party founder and1996 presidential nomineeRoss Perot fromTexas^[32]
• 
  Actor and directorWarren Beatty fromVirginia^[32]
• 
  ActressCybill Shepherd fromTennessee^[32]
• 
  Economist and1996 vice presidential nomineePat Choate fromOklahoma^[33]

• Reform Party of the United States of America presidential primaries
• 2000 United States presidential primaries

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