Stewart Alexander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stewart Alexander
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Alexander in Los Angeles, 2011
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| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1, 1951 Newport News, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Socialist |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberty Union (affiliated non-member) Peace and Freedom (1998–2012) Green (2010–2011) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | California State University, Dominguez Hills |
| Occupation | Political writer, activist, automobile salesperson |
Stewart Alexis Alexander (born October 1, 1951) is an American politician who believes in democratic socialism. This is a political idea where the government and the people work together to make sure everyone has access to important services. He was chosen by the Socialist Party USA to run for president in the 2012 election. Before that, he ran for Vice President in the 2008 election.
Alexander has been involved in politics in California for many years. In 2006, he ran for Lieutenant Governor of California as a member of the Peace and Freedom Party. He has also been connected with the Green Party.
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Early Life and Career
Stewart Alexis Alexander was born in Newport News, Virginia. His father was a brick mason and a minister, and his mother was a nurse. At the time of his birth, the hospital was segregated, meaning Black and white people were kept in separate areas. Because of this, he and his mother were moved to a room in the basement.
Later, Alexander joined the Air Force Reserve. He also worked at Safeway grocery stores and went to college at California State University, Dominguez Hills. To pay for school, he worked extra hours stocking shelves. During this time, he was married and had a son.
After leaving the Air Force in 1976, he worked different jobs. For a short time, he was a licensed contractor and also worked for the Lockheed Aircraft company.
Becoming a Community Leader
When Alexander returned to Los Angeles, he became active in helping his community. He joined the NAACP, an organization that works for the rights of African Americans. He became a leader in the Inglewood and South Bay branch of the NAACP.
From 1986 to 1989, he hosted a radio talk show. On his show, he talked about important social issues in Los Angeles, like crime and city development. He interviewed government officials and community leaders to find solutions to these problems.
Running for Mayor of Los Angeles
In 1987, a community activist named Norton Halper encouraged Alexander to run for mayor of Los Angeles. To get his name on the ballot, Alexander had to collect 1,000 signatures from voters. He went door-to-door and visited over 14,000 homes to get them.
His campaign focused on "redevelopment," which is when cities use tax money to build new projects. Alexander felt this money was mostly helping rich companies instead of the people who needed jobs and social programs. He believed that improving these social conditions could help prevent problems like the Los Angeles riots of 1992.
In the election, Tom Bradley won. Alexander came in seventh place with 2,691 votes.
Later Political Campaigns
After the mayoral race, Alexander worked as a car salesman. He started looking at political parties other than the main Democratic and Republican parties. He saw that many people were interested in independent candidates like H. Ross Perot and believed Americans wanted more choices.
- 2006: He was the Peace and Freedom Party candidate for lieutenant governor in California.
- 2008: The Socialist Party USA nominated him to run for Vice President of the United States.
- 2010: He ran for governor of California with the Peace and Freedom Party but was not successful.
- 2011: The Socialist Party USA chose him as their candidate for President of the United States.
2012 Presidential Campaign
At the Socialist Party USA national convention in 2011, Stewart Alexander was officially nominated to run for president. His running mate for vice president was Alejandro Mendoza from Texas.
In 2012, Alexander also tried to get the nomination from the Peace and Freedom Party in California. However, the party chose a different ticket: comedian Roseanne Barr for president and activist Cindy Sheehan for vice president. After this, Alexander left his leadership role in the Peace and Freedom Party. He felt the party was not giving enough support to socialist candidates.
See also
- Brian Moore, the Socialist Party's nominee for president in the 2008 election
