Charlene Mitchell - Electoral Contests and Party Affiliations

Electoral Contests and Party Affiliations

As a third-party candidate in the 1968 election, Mitchell was the first African-American woman to run for President of the United States. She represented the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and her running mate was Michael "Mike" Zagarell, the National Youth Director of the party. At age 23, he was younger than the constitutionally required age of 35 to hold office. They were entered on the ballots in only two states. Mitchell's brother and sister-in-law Franklin and Kendra Alexander had also been active in the party.

In 1988 Mitchell ran as an Independent Progressive for U.S. Senator from New York against the incumbent Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He was re-elected by a large margin.

While Mitchell had long been a Communist Party member, she and other reform-minded people wanted changes. African Americans were unhappy with the leadership of Gus Hall, as they believed he failed to recognize the international Communist Party members' responsibility for problems in the Soviet Union and other European nations. They planned a reform movement and matters came to a head at a convention in December 1991. Many who signed a letter urging reform were purged by Gus Hall from the CPUSA's national committee, including Mitchell, Angela Davis, Kendra Alexander and other African-American leaders. as of 2006 Mitchell is active in the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS). It is an independent offshoot of the party.