Reform Party of the United States of America

This article is about the party founded by Ross Perot. For the party dedicated to the U.S. Annexation of Hawaii, see Reform Party (Hawaii). For the short-lived party formed in Wisconsin in 1873, see Reform Party (19th-century Wisconsin). For the Mormon Reform Party, see Reform Party (Mormon).

Reform Party of the
United States of America
ChairpersonNicholas Hensley
FounderRoss Perot
Founded1995; 29 years ago (1995)
HeadquartersDallas, Texas
MembershipDecrease 6,819 (2021 est.)[1]
IdeologyPopulism
Radical centrism
Political positionCenter[2]
Colors  Purple
Elected offices11 (2024)[citation needed]
Preview warning: Page using Template:Citation needed with unknown parameter "month"
Website
reformparty.org

The Reform Party of the United States of America (RPUSA), generally known as the Reform Party USA or the Reform Party, is a centrist political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot.

Perot believed Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital issues. After he received 18.9 percent of the popular vote as an independent candidate in the 1992 presidential election, he founded the Reform Party and presented it as a viable alternative to Republicans and Democrats.[3] As the Reform Party presidential nominee, Perot won 8.4 percent of the popular vote in the 1996 presidential election. While he did not receive a single electoral vote, no other third-party or independent candidate has since managed to receive as high a share of the popular vote.

The party has nominated other presidential candidates over the years, including Pat Buchanan and Ralph Nader.[4][5] Its most significant victory came when Jesse Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998, although he left the party shortly into his term. Donald Trump was a member of the Reform Party during his brief 2000 presidential campaign. In around the year 2000, party infighting and scandals led to a major decline in the party's strength. Beginning with Buchanan's poor showing in the 2000 election, no Reform Party presidential nominee since 1996 has been able to gather 1 percent of the popular vote.

  1. ^ Winger, Richard (March 28, 2021). "March 2021 Ballot Access News Print Edition". Ballot Access News. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  2. ^ "Minnesota's Jesse Ventura punches out a new book". CNN. August 28, 2000.
  3. ^ Stone, Walter J.; Rapoport, Ronald B. (November 9, 2005). Three's a Crowd: The Dynamic of Third Parties, Ross Perot, and Republican Resurgence. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-11453-5.
  4. ^ "Q&A with Socialist Party presidential candidate Brian Moore". Independent Weekly. October 8, 2008. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
  5. ^ "Federal Elections 2004" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. Washington, D.C. 2005. Retrieved February 24, 2024.