Andre Barnett

Andre Nigel Barnett (born June 2, 1976) is an American entrepreneur, politician, and model. After founding an information technology company, he was the presidential candidate of the Reform Party in the 2012 United States presidential election, and later sought a New York seat in the United States House of Representatives as a Republican.

Born in Zanesville, Ohio, Barnett attended Austin Peay State University and Western Governors University before serving in the United States Army for four years. After he was injured and discharged in 2000, he became a male fitness model and founded WiseDome, Inc., an IT company.

In May 2011, Barnett announced his intention to seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party of the United States for the following year's presidential election. He faced several other candidates, and secured the support of 95 percent of delegates at the party's nominating convention the following year. He ran as a moderate conservative, supporting a smaller role for the federal government, and took socially conservative stands on issues like abortion and same-sex partnerships. He appeared on the ballot in one state and was a certified write-in candidate in several others, ultimately receiving just under 1,000 votes nationally. In 2014, he ran for the Republican nomination in New York's 18th congressional district, but failed to submit enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.