James Harris (Socialist Workers Party politician) facts for kids

James E. Harris, born in 1948, is an American politician who has been a member of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). He has run for President of the United States several times, including in 1996, 2000, and 2012. He also served as a stand-in candidate for Róger Calero in 2004 and 2008 in states where Calero could not be on the ballot because he was born in Nicaragua. Harris also worked as a writer for the party's newspaper, The Militant.

Early Life and Activism

Harris was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to Cleveland State University, where he helped start the Black Student Union. This group worked to support Black students and their rights.

Harris was also involved in the Student Mobilization Committee Against the War in Vietnam. This group protested the war, and Harris even worked on their national team in Washington, D.C. Later, he became an organizer for the Young Socialist Alliance. He ran for the school board in Cleveland as a candidate for the Socialist Workers Party, but he did not win.

Supporting the Cuban Revolution

In 1969, Harris supported the Cuban Revolution. He joined hundreds of other young people from the United States on the second Venceremos Brigade to Cuba. During this trip, the brigade members helped cut sugar cane for a couple of months. This helped Cuba produce more sugar.

Political Career and Campaigns

In 1977, Harris moved to New York City. There, he joined the staff of the National Student Coalition Against Racism. This group supported school desegregation, which means making sure schools were open to students of all races. Harris later became a national leader of this coalition.

In 1988, Harris ran for the United States Senate in New York as a Socialist Workers Party candidate. He finished seventh in the election. In the early 1990s, Harris lived and worked in Detroit and was a member of the United Auto Workers, a union for car factory workers. He also helped start a branch of the Socialist Workers Party in Peoria, Illinois.

Presidential Campaigns

Harris was the Socialist Workers Party's candidate for president in the 1996 election. His running mate was Laura Garza. During his campaign, he supported a woman's right to choose, suggested raising the minimum wage to $12, and believed the U.S. should not get involved in other countries' conflicts. He received 8,476 votes in that election.

Harris ran for president again in 2000 with Margaret Trowe as his running mate. In Florida, there was a computer mistake that first showed he had many more votes than he actually received. After a recount, it was corrected to show he had only 8 votes in that county.

In 2004 and 2008, Harris was a stand-in candidate for Róger Calero. Calero was born in Nicaragua, so he could not be on the ballot in all U.S. states. Harris ran in about a quarter of the states in both elections.

In 2009, Harris ran for mayor of Los Angeles and received 2,057 votes. He ran for president one last time in 2012 with Maura DeLuca as his running mate. They received 4,115 votes.

Later Activities

In 2013, on the 60th anniversary of the Korean War ceasefire, Harris visited Pyongyang as part of a Socialist Workers Party group. More recently, he supported Rachele Fruit for president in 2024.