American Solidarity Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids American Solidarity Party
Leader	Marcos Lopez (as Executive Director)
Chairperson	Jack Ternan
Founded	2016; 9 years ago (2016)
Youth wing	Young Americans for Solidarity
Ideology	Christian democracy Distributism Social market economy
Political position	Syncretic Fiscal: Center-left Social: Center-right
Colors	Orange
Slogan	"Pro Life, Pro Family, Pro Worker"
Seats in the Senate	0 / 100
Seats in the House	0 / 435
Governorships	0 / 50
State Upper House Seats	0 / 1,972
State Lower House Seats	0 / 5,411
Other elected officials	3
Politics of the United States Political parties

The American Solidarity Party (ASP) is a political party in the United States. Its ideas are based on Christian democracy, a political movement popular in Europe and other parts of the world. The party was started in 2011 and became official in 2016.

The ASP has a national committee and many local groups in different states. The party is often described as being socially conservative, meaning it holds traditional values on social topics. At the same time, it supports government action to help the economy and its citizens.

The party believes in the importance of strong families and local communities. It supports economic ideas like distributism, which aims for more people to own businesses and property. The ASP also supports having a social safety net to help people in need. In the 2024 United States presidential election, the party's candidate was Peter Sonski.

History

Members of the American Solidarity Party at a regional meeting in 2017.

The American Solidarity Party was founded in 2011. Its original name was the Christian Democratic Party USA (CDPUSA). The founders were David "Frost" Harris, Kirk Morrison, and Jack Quirk.

The name "Solidarity" was inspired by a famous Polish trade union. The party's mascot is the pelican, which is a traditional symbol for charity and helping others.

In 2012, the party supported Joe Schriner, an independent candidate for president. By 2020, the ASP had grown enough to join the Coalition for Free and Open Elections (COFOE), a group that works to make elections fair for all parties.

What the Party Believes

The American Solidarity Party's main ideas come from Christian democracy. This political viewpoint is influenced by Catholic social teaching and the ideas of other Christian groups. The ASP is similar to Christian democratic parties in Europe and the Americas.

The party is sometimes called communitarian because it focuses on the good of the community. It mixes conservative ideas on social issues with more liberal ideas on economic issues.

Social Issues

The ASP believes in the "sanctity of human life." Because of this, the party is against the death penalty. It also believes that the traditional family is a key part of a healthy society.

On immigration, the party wants a caring approach. It supports secure borders but also wants to treat immigrants with dignity. The ASP believes it's important to understand why people migrate, including how U.S. actions in other countries might play a role.

Economic Issues

The ASP supports a universal health care system, where everyone has access to medical care. The party also wants an economy where more people own the places they work. This idea, called distributism, encourages worker-owned businesses and more control for employees.

Foreign Policy

In world affairs, the American Solidarity Party is non-interventionist. This means it believes the U.S. should avoid getting involved in wars in other countries. The party supports using peaceful talks and foreign aid to solve problems instead of military force.

Fixing Elections

The ASP wants to change the way elections work in the U.S. The party supports electoral reform to fight against what it sees as a system controlled by a few powerful people.

Some of their ideas include:

• Using proportional representation for the House of Representatives.
• Using ranked-choice voting for all elections.
• Making it easier for people to register to vote.
• Ensuring that independent and third-party candidates have fair access to be on the ballot.

Elections and Candidates

2016 Presidential Election

In 2016, the ASP nominated Mike Maturen for president and Juan Muñoz for vice president. The party was on the ballot in Colorado and was a write-in choice in 18 other states. Maturen received 6,697 votes.

2018 Elections

In 2018, Desmond Silveira ran for governor of California and received 4,633 votes in the primary. Brian T. Carroll ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress in California and got 1,591 votes in the primary.

2020 Presidential Election

For the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the ASP nominated Brian T. Carroll for president. The party was on the ballot in nine states and territories, including Colorado, Illinois, and Wisconsin. It was a write-in option in 31 other states. Carroll received 42,305 votes nationwide.

2022 Elections

In 2022, several ASP members ran for office.

• Dr. James G. Hanink ran for governor of California and received 10,110 votes.
• Dr. Mark A. Ruzon and Desmond A. Silveira ran as write-in candidates for U.S. Senate and Secretary of State in California.
• Dr. Jacqueline Abernathy was a write-in candidate for governor of Texas, getting 1,326 votes.

2024 Presidential Election

Peter Sonski won the party's nomination for president in June 2023. His running mate for vice president was Lauren Onak.

The party was on the ballot in eight states, including Arkansas, Florida, and Ohio. It was also an official write-in option in over 30 other states. The ticket received 46,472 votes.

Also in 2024, Dr. Mark Ruzon ran for the U.S. Senate in California, receiving over 13,000 votes in the primary. Erskine Levi Jr. ran for a U.S. House seat in California, and Analisa Roche ran as a write-in for the U.S. Senate in Texas.

Presidential Tickets

Election	Name	Running Mate	Campaign Announcement date	Votes
2024	Peter Sonski Member Regional School District 17 board of education in Connecticut	Lauren Onak Community organizer, non-profit executive, and teacher in Massachusetts	Campaign: February 20, 2023 Nomination: June 2, 2023 FEC Filing	46,472 (#8) 0 EV
2020	Brian Carroll Teacher from California	Amar Patel National Committee Chair of the American Solidarity Party from Illinois	Campaign: April 2, 2019 Nomination: September 9, 2019 FEC Filing	42,305 (#10) 0 EV
2016	Mike Maturen replacing Amir Azarvan Salesperson from Michigan	Juan Muñoz replacing Mike Maturen State Party Chair from Texas	FEC Filing	6,697 (#15) 0 EV

Presidential Election Results

American Solidarity Party ballot access during the 2024 presidential election      Certified for ballot      Registered write-in      Automatic write-in      Not on ballot

The American Solidarity Party has worked to get its presidential candidates on the ballot in more states with each election. Being "on the ballot" means the candidate's name is printed for voters to choose. A "write-in" means voters have to write the candidate's name themselves.

Below is a table showing the party's results in presidential elections.

ASP ballot status in 2020      On ballot      Write-in      Not on ballot

ASP ballot status in 2016      On ballot      Write-in      Not on ballot

Notable party supporters

• Stephen Bainbridge, UCLA law professor
• Charles A. Coulombe, Catholic author, historian, and lecturer
• Patrick Deneen, author and member of ASP board of advisors
• Rod Dreher, senior editor and blogger at The American Conservative and author
• Dan Lipinski, former US representative
• Terry Mattingly, journalist, author, and professor
• George Yancey, sociologist and professor of sociology at Baylor University
• Howard Ahmanson Jr., philanthropist and writer

See also

• Center for Public Justice
• Communitarianism
• Prohibition Party
• Social market economy
• Social conservatism in the United States
• Social Gospel
• Subsidiarity