Minor Party - United States

United States

In the United States are often known as third parties. Minor parties in the U.S. include the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, Constitution Party, and others that have less in influence than the major parties, which since the American Civil War (1861–1865) have been the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Since 1860, six presidential candidates other than Republicans and Democrats have received over 10% of the popular vote, although one of them was a former president, Theodore Roosevelt.

Third-Party Presidential Candidates, 1832-1996
Third-party candidates who received more than the historical average of 5.6 percent of the popular vote are listed below, three of which were former presidents (follow links for more information on their time as president).
Year Candidate Popular Vote % Electoral Votes Outcome in Next Election
1996 Reform H. Ross Perot 8.4 0 Did not run; endorsed Republican candidate George W. Bush
1992 Independent H. Ross Perot 18.9 0 Ran as Reform Party candidate
1980 Independent John B. Anderson 6.6 0 Did not run
1968 American Independent George C. Wallace 13.5 46 Won 1.4 percent of the popular vote
1924 Progressive Robert M. La Follette 16.6 13 Returned to Republican Party
1912 Progressive ("Bull Moose") Theodore Roosevelt 27.4 88 Returned to Republican Party
1912 Socialist Eugene V. Debs 6 0 Won 3.2 percent of the popular vote
1892 Populist James B. Weaver 8.5 22 Endorsed Democratic candidate
1860 Constitutional Union John Bell 12.6 39 Party dissolved
1860 Southern Democrats John C. Breckinridge 18.1 72 Party dissolved
1856 American ("Know-Nothing") Millard Fillmore 21.5 8 Party dissolved
1848 Free Soil Martin Van Buren 10.1 0 Won 4.9 percent of the vote
1832 Anti-Masonic William Wirt 7.7 7 Endorsed Whig candidate
Percentages in bold are those over 10% in elections since 1860.

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