Conservative Party (United States) facts for kids

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In the United States, the Conservative Party isn't one big national party. Instead, it's a name used by different smaller parties in various states. These parties believe in 'conservative' ideas. They often formed when people disagreed within the main Democratic and Republican parties.

These conservative ideas include:

Fiscal conservatism: Being careful with government money, like a family budget.
Social conservatism: Believing in traditional values and ways of life.
States' rights: The idea that individual states should have more power than the national government.
Nationalism: A strong love for one's country.

While there isn't a national Conservative Party today, the Republican Party generally follows conservative ideas. Some smaller parties, like the Constitution Party and American Independent Party, also have conservative views. In the late 1960s, the American Independent Party was even called the American Conservative Party in some states. A separate American Conservative Party was created in 2008 but stopped operating in 2016. The Conservative Party USA started in 2009 to help organize state-level conservative groups.

History of Conservative Parties
- 19th Century Beginnings
- 20th and 21st Century Conservative Parties
See also

History of Conservative Parties

19th Century Beginnings

Connecticut's Conservative Candidates

In Connecticut, a politician named Elisha Phelps ran as a Conservative Party candidate for governor in 1838 and 1839. He didn't win, getting a small percentage of the votes. Later, in 1842, Luther Loomis also ran as a Conservative candidate for governor, receiving a similar small share of the votes.

Virginia's Conservative Party After the Civil War

After the American Civil War, during a time called the Reconstruction era, a new Conservative Party formed in Virginia. This party brought together former members of the Democratic and Whig parties, along with some moderate Republicans. They wanted to oppose the changes happening during Reconstruction.

Leaders like Alexander Hugh Holmes Stuart helped the party win many seats in the Virginia General Assembly in 1869. The party supported economic changes and created a public school system, though it was segregated. However, the party later split over how to pay off the state's debt. This led to a new group called the Readjuster Party, which eventually defeated the Conservatives. By 1883, most members of Virginia's Conservative Party joined the Democratic Party.

In other Southern states after the Civil War, former Whigs also formed parties called "Conservative" or "Democratic-Conservative." Over time, these parties all merged into the Democratic Party.

South Carolina's Conservative Efforts

James Chesnut Jr. helped start the Conservative Party of South Carolina in 1874.

In 1874, James Chesnut Jr. started the Conservative Party of South Carolina. His goal was to encourage white voters to participate, as the state's Democratic Party wasn't very active. The Conservatives worked with another group, the Independent Republicans, to try and win elections.

Even though their candidates didn't win the main statewide elections, the Conservatives did manage to reduce the Republican Party's power in the state legislature. They also helped elect Edmund W. M. Mackey to Congress. However, the Conservative Party didn't achieve big wins in 1874. This led the Democrats to reorganize, and they became strong again in the 1876 elections, which marked the end of the Conservative Party in South Carolina.

North Carolina's Conservative Coalition

In North Carolina, after the Whig Party ended and the Civil War began, some former Whigs and Unionist Democrats formed a group called the Conservative Party. This name continued after the war for those who didn't agree with the Reconstruction policies set by the U.S. Congress. In 1876, this party changed its name to the Democratic Party. A key leader of the Conservative Party during and after the Civil War was Governor Zebulon B. Vance.

20th and 21st Century Conservative Parties

Delaware's Conservative Party

In 2009, a Conservative Party of Delaware had an online presence. It was connected to the national Conservative Party USA. In 2024, the party officially gained recognition in Delaware. This happened after enough Delaware residents registered as Conservative voters. A political activist named Will McVay helped reorganize the party. In 2024, the party nominated Vermin Supreme for President and Jonathan Realz for Vice President. They also supported Jon Roe for the 2024 Delaware Senate election.

Illinois's Conservative Party

In 2018, Illinois State Senator Sam McCann left the Republican Party. He then created the Conservative Party of Illinois to run for governor. McCann said he was an "independent conservative." He wanted to offer voters another choice besides the two wealthy candidates from Chicago. McCann collected enough signatures to be on the ballot. He finished third in the election, getting 4.23% of the votes.

New Jersey's Conservative Party

In 1963, some candidates in New Jersey ran as Conservatives for the state Assembly. This showed a split within the Republican Party across the country. These Conservative candidates disagreed with the more liberal policies of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. They supported the growing conservative ideas promoted by U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater. This split became less noticeable after Goldwater became the Republican presidential candidate in 1964.

In 1992, a separate New Jersey Conservative Party was started by Tom Blomquist. He had run for governor before. Blomquist ran as a Conservative in the 1993 governor's race, getting a small percentage of the vote. The party grew and supported many candidates for the state Assembly and U.S. House of Representatives in the 1990s. In 2001, they were involved in a lawsuit to help New Jersey voters join third parties. After Donald Trump was elected in 2016, more people registered with third parties in New Jersey. By 2018, the Conservative Party became the state's fourth-largest political party.

New York's Conservative Party

Donald Trump accepting the Conservative Party's nomination for President in 2016.

The Conservative Party of New York State was formed in 1962. People were unhappy with what they saw as the liberal views of New York's Republican Party. New York has a special voting system where candidates can appear on more than one party's line on the ballot. The Conservative Party uses this system to support candidates, often Republicans, but they won't support Republicans they think are too liberal.

In 1965, writer William F. Buckley Jr. ran for Mayor of New York City as a Conservative, getting 13.4% of the votes. His brother, James L. Buckley, ran for U.S. Senate in 1968 and received 17.31% of the votes. James later won a U.S. Senate seat in 1970 as the Conservative Party candidate. In 1978, William Carney was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Conservative.

The New York Times newspaper has said that the party has been successful in New York, which is generally a state that votes for Democrats. The party has pushed the Republican Party in New York to be more conservative. As of 2018, the Conservative Party holds a strong position on New York ballots because it has received the third-highest number of votes in several governor's elections.

Virginia's Later Conservative Party

In 1965, a new Conservative Party of Virginia was created. This happened because they didn't like that Mills Godwin was nominated as the Democratic candidate for governor. They opposed him because he was reaching out to African-American voters. About 300 people met in Richmond, Virginia, to officially start the party. They nominated William J. Story Jr. for governor. In 1969, the party nominated Beverly McDowell for governor, but he finished fourth in the election.

Washington's Conservative Party

In 1966, Floyd Paxton and other very conservative people started the Conservative Party of Washington. They nominated candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and the state legislature. The party attracted Republicans who were unhappy with Governor Daniel J. Evans. Some party leaders supported George Wallace for president in 1968, but his campaign ran under the American Independent Party name instead of the Conservative Party. By 1970, the Conservative Party name no longer appeared on ballots in Washington.