Andre Barnett facts for kids

Andre Nigel Barnett (born June 2, 1976) is an American entrepreneur, politician, and model. He started his own information technology company. Later, he became the presidential candidate for the Reform Party in the 2012 United States presidential election. After that, he tried to win a seat in the United States House of Representatives for New York as a Republican.

Barnett was born in Zanesville, Ohio. He studied at Austin Peay State University and Western Governors University. He also served in the United States Army for four years. In 2000, he was injured and left the Army. He then became a fitness model and created WiseDome, Inc., an IT company.

In May 2011, Barnett announced he wanted to run for president with the Reform Party. He won the support of most of the party's delegates. He was on the ballot in one state and was a write-in candidate in a few others. He received nearly 1,000 votes across the country. In 2014, he tried to run for Congress in New York. However, he didn't get enough valid signatures to be on the ballot.

Andre Barnett's Early Life and Career

Andre Barnett was born in Zanesville, Ohio, on June 2, 1976. His parents are Terry and Brenda Barnett. He has one sister named LaTanya. When he was a child, Andre played football and ran track. He also studied music and acting. He finished Zanesville High School in 1994.

After high school, he went to Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, to study music. He later took online courses in information technology through Western Governors University.

In 1996, Barnett joined the United States Army. He served until 2000. He left the Army after a helicopter accident in Sarajevo. This accident caused him to be disabled and need surgery. In the years that followed, he became a fitness model. He also started WiseDome, an IT company that he is well-known for today.

Andre Barnett's 2012 Presidential Campaign

Running for President

Ballot access of Andre Barnett in the 2012 Presidential Election

On April 20, 2011, Andre Barnett officially announced his plan to run for president. He wanted to win the Reform Party's nomination. On April 14, 2012, he won a straw poll at the Reform Party of New Jersey's meeting. He beat former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer.

Barnett officially became the Reform Party's presidential nominee on August 12, 2012. This happened at the party's National Convention in Philadelphia. He received 95 percent of the delegates' support. Kenneth R. "Ken" Cross from Arkansas became his running mate.

Even though Barnett won the national nomination, some state parties chose other candidates. The Kansas Reform Party nominated Chuck Baldwin. The Mississippi Reform Party nominated Barbara Dale Washer. National party officials tried to argue that they should decide the nominee. However, the Kansas State Objections Board said the state party had the final say.

On October 4, 2012, Barnett took part in a debate for third-party presidential candidates. This debate was hosted by the Huffington Post. He debated with Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Justice Party candidate Rocky Anderson. A poll in Florida showed Barnett with zero percent support.

What Andre Barnett Believed In

Andre Barnett said he sees himself as a conservative. He believed that if he became president, he would make the federal government much smaller. He was described as a "conservative with a conscience." The website OnTheIssues called him a moderate conservative.

Barnett suggested changing the Department of Education. He wanted states to have more control over schools. He also supported prayer in schools. However, he was against school voucher programs. For foreign policy, Barnett wanted to bring the military home. He believed it should focus on homeland security instead. He also supported expanding free trade. But his plan also included adding taxes on imported goods.

Who Supported Andre Barnett

The Frederick Douglass Foundation of New York is a conservative group. In October 2011, they praised Barnett. They called him a true conservative and liked his political ideas. However, they did not officially support him. They suggested he consider running with the Republican Party instead.

Election Results

Summary of Votes

Andre Barnett was on the ballot in one state, Florida. He was also a qualified write-in candidate in six other states. These states were Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Texas, and Utah.

Barnett received a total of 956 votes across the country. Most of these votes, 820, came from Florida. Another 87 votes came from Texas. This was an improvement for the Reform Party. In the 2008 election, their candidate only appeared on the ballot in Mississippi. They received 481 votes nationally that year.

The Mississippi Reform Party's candidate, Barbara Dale Washer, received 1,016 votes. The Kansas Reform Party's candidate, Chuck Baldwin, received 5,017 votes.

Votes by State

This table shows how many votes Andre Barnett received in each state. It is based on the Federal Election Commission's report.

Andre Barnett's 2014 Congressional Campaign

In 2014, Andre Barnett tried to run for Congress in New York's 18th congressional district. He wanted to be the Republican candidate. He would have run against former congresswoman Nan Hayworth in the primary election. The winner of that primary would then challenge the current Democratic Representative Sean Patrick Maloney.

Barnett also signed a pledge about term limits. This means he promised not to serve more than three terms in the House of Representatives. He also promised not to serve more than two terms in the Senate if he were elected.

Barnett first submitted 1,252 signatures to be on the Republican primary ballot. However, 86 of these signatures were not valid. This meant Barnett did not have the 1,250 valid signatures he needed. Because of this, Nan Hayworth did not have to run in a Republican primary election.

Andre Barnett's Personal Life

Andre Barnett and his wife, Kimberly, live in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Images for kids

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  Ballot access of Andre Barnett in the 2012 Presidential Election