United Citizens Party facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
United Citizens Party
(Patriot Party of South Carolina) |
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| Founded | 1969 |
| Split from | Democratic Party |
| Ideology | Progressivism Black nationalism |
| Political position | center-left to left |
| National affiliation | Reform (1996) |
| Website | |
| Archived Website | |
The United Citizens Party (UCP) was a political group started in 1969 in South Carolina, USA. John Roy Harper II and others created it because the main Democratic Party in the state wasn't choosing Black candidates for elections. The UCP wanted to help Black people get elected to important government jobs, especially in areas where most people were Black. In 1970, thanks to the UCP, the first three Black people were elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives since the Reconstruction period after the Civil War.
Contents
The United Citizens Party Story
How the Party Started
John Roy Harper II was the first president of the United Citizens Party. He was chosen at their first big meeting on April 13, 1970. Harper said he left the Democratic Party because they wouldn't support Black candidates. In 1970, the UCP had Thomas Broadwater run for Governor. The party's main idea was to create a group that would truly represent what "we, the people, want done." They felt that white politicians had not kept promises to Black communities.
In 1972, the party helped George McGovern get on the ballot for president in his election against Richard Nixon. This was done through a process called fusion voting, where a candidate can appear on the ballot for more than one party. The 1972 elections also saw more Black South Carolinians elected to the House. This happened largely because of the UCP's efforts, even if the party didn't elect its own candidates directly. By 1974, experts like Hanes Walton Jr. and William H. Boone saw the UCP as a successful example of a Black political party at the state level.
The Party's Comeback
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After 1972, the UCP didn't run many candidates and became quiet for a while. But in 1986, new election rules in South Carolina said that a party had to run candidates in at least every other election. So, in 1988, the New Alliance Party from New York used the UCP's spot to run Lenora Fulani for President. She ran again as a UCP candidate in 1992. During this time, Fulani changed the party's name to the Patriot Party (PP). She also worked with supporters of Ross Perot to create a national party for him.
In 1996, for his second try at president, Perot's new Reform Party (RP) also got on the ballot in South Carolina. This meant Perot appeared twice: once for the RP and once for the PP. The PP helped Perot get 36,913 votes in South Carolina, while the Reform Party got 27,464 votes. Together, these 64,386 votes made up 5.60% of all votes in the state. However, once the Reform Party had its own strong group in South Carolina, Perot's supporters moved there, and the Patriot Party became quiet again.
The Party's Second Comeback
In 2000, Michael Avey, a professor, and some friends took over the quiet Patriot Party. They asked the Federal Election Commission to change the name back to the United Citizens Party. Ralph Nader ran as the UCP's choice for president in his 2000 campaign. He received 20,279 votes, which was about 1.47% of all votes. The UCP's original founder, Harper, supported Avey's efforts. He said that the problems the UCP first pointed out 30 years ago were still issues. He felt that while more Black lawmakers had been elected, they still needed more support to make a real difference.
In the 2002 election for a special district in South Carolina, Mark Whittington received 17,189 votes, or 10.03% of the total. Activist Kevin Alexander Gray wanted to run for governor for the South Carolina United Citizens’ Party and the South Carolina Green Party. He didn't get enough signatures to be on the ballot, so he ran as a write-in candidate.
2004 Presidential Election
For the 2004 presidential election, the UCP chose to support Walt Brown, who was the candidate for the Socialist Party. Brown received 2,124 votes, which was about 0.1% of the total votes.
In 2006, the Party supported John "JC" Nelums for State House District 79. They did not support candidates from any other parties that year.
2008 Presidential Election
On March 29, 2008, the party decided to support Barack Obama for the 2008 presidential election. However, Obama did not accept their nomination. He appeared on the ballot only as the candidate for the Democratic Party.
In 2010, the party also supported former football player Morgan Bruce Reeves for governor, along with the South Carolina Green Party. Reeves received 0.9% of the votes. In November 2014, the party nominated Reeves for Governor again and David Edmond for Commissioner of Agriculture. Reeves received 0.5% of the votes.
In 2018 and 2022, Chris Nelums ran as a United Citizens Party candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture. In 2018, Nelums received 118,671 votes (8.85%). In 2022, he received 95,625 votes (6.84%).
2024 Presidential Election
For the 2024 United States presidential election, the UCP chose to nominate Cornel West as their candidate. Also on the 2024 UCP ticket are Gregg Marcel Dixon, running for South Carolina's 6th Congressional District against the current Democratic leader Jim Clyburn. Chris Nelums is running for State Senate District 19, challenging the current Democratic leader Tameika Isaac Devine.
Presidential Candidates
- 1972 – George McGovern
- 1984 – Dennis Serrette
- 1988 – Lenora Fulani
- 1992 – Lenora Fulani
- 1996 – Ross Perot
- 2000 – Ralph Nader
- 2004 – Walt Brown
- 2008 – Barack Obama
- 2024 – Cornel West
Learn More
- Peoples, Betsy. Historically Black political party still alive. The New Crisis. Nov/Dec 2002.
