The Pirate Party announced earlier this month that it endorsed political satirist and frequent presidential candidate Vermin Supreme as its presidential nominee during the party’s recent national convention.
Party members voted to endorse Vermin Supreme during their national convention in Bensenville, Illinois, which took place from June 1 to June 2. In addition to formally supporting Supreme, they also selected new national party leadership, set plans to organize a Pride event, and discussed future priorities, including the finalization of state affiliates in Florida and West Virginia.
According to the party, Supreme is running on a platform of satirical critiques of governmental overreach and advocacy for libertarian and anarchist principles. His platform includes his usual aims, such as providing a free pony for every American and mandatory toothbrushing laws, which the party states are intended to critique unrealistic government promises and threats to personal freedoms. He also emphasizes the importance of the right to bear arms and the abolishment of the state.
The Pirate Party did not state if it also endorsed a vice presidential candidate to join the ticket. According to Supreme’s own campaign site, he does not yet have an announced vice presidential candidate. While the party has chapters in at least six states and is fielding a legislative candidate on the ballot in Massachusetts, none of those chapters have ballot access as of this article.
Supreme has run for president every election cycle since 1992, appearing on the ballot of several different parties over that period. In 2020, he had one of his more successful bids while running with the Libertarian Party, where he earned over 20% of delegate support at the party’s national convention, losing to eventual nominee Jo Jorgensen on the fourth round of voting. His running mate in the lead-up to the convention, podcaster Spike Cohen, was successfully selected as the party’s vice presidential nominee. Following that, Supreme was elected as a member of the Libertarian Party’s Judicial Committee for one term.
Prior to his endorsement, Supreme appeared on the Democratic presidential primary ballot in New Hampshire earlier this year, where he earned 912 votes, accounting for 0.7% of the total cast.
They thought it would split Democrat votes? I can’t think of any other reason. Clearly, not as easy (at least anymore) as several people say below, and unlikely to be a viable path for Pirates. Colorado is also harder than it used to be. I don’t remember exact details.
To the people below and anyone else reading this, here’s the 3 ways to get ballot access in Florida:
1. State affiliates of the political parties treated as “national committees” by the FEC are always able to place presidential candidates on the ballot, those being: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Natural Law, and Reform. However, the state can revoke that privelige if you don’t file the right tax forms and other paperwork. RFK Jr. got the nomination from the Reform party, so he clears that goal.
2. Finish a huge petition of over 100,000 signatures and pay millions to do it.
3. Get placed on the ballot by the Secretary of State, bypassing all other requirements. PSL got on the ballot in the state this way. Why did the Republican secretary place a Communist on the presidential ballot? Who knows!
So, did Vermin replace his boot with a pirate cap?
Eye patch might look nice on him, too.
Maybe replace his tooth brush with a cutlass.
Vermin is straight (or possibly bi) and married to a woman. No kids. They live in Massachusetts. I assume Terry is straight, at least officially, or the cp wouldn’t have run him. I’d have to look up whether he is married, if so once or more than once, has children, etc. I don’t care enough to do so .
Cue for Terry to sprinkle glitter on Vermin Supreme and turn him straight.
At some point, that stopped being true And then they only gave presidential ballot access to FEC recognized national committees. If Darryl is correct , PSL was for some reason an exception to that, but are standing questions from last round. If what you just said was true there would have been an additional dozen or do presidential candidates on in FL in 2016 and 20. And, Kennedy would not have needed Reform or Natural Law in FL. So clearly observer latest is not true, but no explanation yet of PSL exception. Lawsuit which didn’t cover anyone else? Something other? Richard Winger reading this?
In Florida, all a party has to do to become qualified is file its officers and bylaws, and it can then put its presidential nominee on the ballot. No petition needed. Colorado used to be similarly easy but isn’t anymore. I’m not sure if there might be another one or two out there like that, or that require only a very small number of petition signers. But Florida is definitely the lowest hanging fruit.
I’ve seen Richard Winger say they discontinued letting parties do that. Maybe I missed something. Hopefully he will clarify. Why did Kennedy need Reform or Natural Law in Florida if that’s the case? Why don’t they have a lot more presidential candidates like they used to?
PSL was on the ballot in 2020 despite not being part of a FEC recognized party and without petitioning.
No, it does not. It used to, in years past. More recently, Florida only gives presidential ballot access to “national committees” – basically, the 5 or so parties that the FEC considered national the last time they redid the list something like 30 years ago. Everyone else has an extremely difficult petition to complete. Rfk jr priced it in the millions – yes, for Florida alone.
@curious: organizing an affiliate, which would give them ballot access
Organizing what? A website? Social media discussion forum? Ballot access drive? Kegger?
Little birdies are saying they’re organizing in Florida.
Enjoy 0 ballot access
Zero presidential ballot access, correct?