People's Party (United States, 2017) Explained

People's Party
Logo Alt:Logo of the People's Party
Colorcode:
  1. ba1e48
Leader:Nick Brana
Predecessor:Draft Bernie for a People's Party
Position:Syncretic
Founded:[1]
Student Wing:Students for a People's Party[2]
Ideology:Populism
Non-interventionism[3]
Historical:
Progressivism
Country:United States

The People's Party (formerly the Movement for a People's Party, MPP) is a syncretic political organization in the United States aimed at "forming a major new political party free of corporate money and influence."[4]

Initially a progressive political organization, Nick Brana formed the party after the 2016 presidential election as a successor to the "Draft Bernie for a People's Party" group. Bernie Sanders declined to be the People's Party's figurehead, instead seeking the presidential nomination in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. In the 2024 United States presidential election, the party will have ballot access in Florida.

History

In 2017, Nick Brana founded the Movement for a People's Party (MPP) out of the "Draft Bernie for a People's Party" group, which had failed to gain Bernie Sanders's support.[5] [6] Brana had worked on Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign as the National Political Outreach Coordinator.[7]

In September 2017, the group gave an invitation with 50,000 signatures to Sanders to lead the creation of the People's Party,[8] which Sanders ignored.[9]

In August 2020, the organization held a virtual People's Convention[10] [11] that was viewed by 400,000 people on various platforms. Speakers included former Democratic Party 2020 presidential election candidate Marianne Williamson, former Harvard University professor and philosopher Cornel West, Sanders 2020 co-chair Nina Turner, former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, comedian/political commentator/satirist Jimmy Dore, journalist Chris Hedges and podcaster Ryan Knight. The convention's purpose was to "vote on forming a major new political party free of corporate money and influence," a measure that was approved by 99% of those viewing the convention online. While many speakers expressed distaste for the candidates in the 2020 presidential election, the party did not contest the election. Brana said that their goal was "to form a party beginning in 2021, to run in the midterms in 2022 and, perhaps, to run a presidential candidate in 2024."[12]

In December 2020, the first People's Party state organization was registered in Maine.[13] [14] According to Michael Sylvester, the party will focus on pushing congressional officials into supporting a floor vote for Medicare for All.

In September 2021, the People's Party gained ballot access in Florida, the first state where it has done so.[15] [16]

In February 2022, Brana was accused of sexual harassment by Zana Day, former MPP executive director, which was corroborated by coworker Paula Jean Swearengin.[17] Brana denied these claims, calling them "false and politically motivated," and accused other MPP board members of a "liberal takeover attempt."[18] As a result, he forced out several MPP board members.

Election results

PP has never run its own candidates. PP has endorsed two existing candidates' campaigns.

Presidential elections

On June 5, 2023, Cornel West announced his candidacy for president with the People's Party, becoming the first person to run for office under the People's Party banner.[19] Due to the party's controversies and lack of ballot access, West was challenged and criticized by some progressive activists for associating himself with the group. Some progressives called for West to work instead with the Green Party, which has run presidential candidates for decades and has much larger ballot access. At the same time, some Democrats feared that, without ranked-choice voting, a West third-party run might be a "spoiler", diverting swing state votes from the presumptive front-runner, Joe Biden, in favor of the 2024 Republican nominee.[20] On June 14, West announced that he was instead seeking the endorsement of the Green Party.[21] West later changed his affiliation once again to independent.[22]

In April 2023, PP encouraged Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run as an independent "outside of the corrupt duopoly".[23] In October, Brana began working for Kennedy's presidential campaign.[24] As of May 2024, Brana serves as Kennedy's "ballot access director".[25] In August, Kennedy suspended his campaign and endorsed Donald Trump.[26]

Congressional elections

Before the 2022 United States midterm elections, the People's Party announced that it was "aiming to run a dozen or more federal races, including a seat or two in the U.S. Senate."[29] The party, ultimately, did not run any candidates in the 2022 elections.

Statewide elections

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Ehrle . Carol . Draft Bernie Launches 'Movement for a People's Party' Amid Explosive DNC Rigging Revelations and Record Support for a Major New Party . November 30, 2020 . Draft Bernie For a People's Party . November 9, 2017 . Washington, D.C. . en . November 9, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201109035714/https://draftbernie.org/2017/11/09/press-release-draft-bernie-launches-movement-peoples-party-amid-explosive-dnc-rigging-revelations-record-support-major-new-party/ . live .
  2. Web site: Students for a People's Party . Movement for a People's Party . August 15, 2020 . March 16, 2021 . February 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210228041714/https://peoplesparty.org/organize/students-for-a-peoples-party/ . live .
  3. Web site: Our Platform . Movement for a People's Party . August 14, 2020 . December 3, 2020 . December 5, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201205090229/https://peoplesparty.org/platform/ . live .
  4. Web site: August 24, 2020 . The People's Party Free Of Corporate Money . August 23, 2022 . en-US . August 17, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200817223601/https://peoplesparty.org/ . live .
  5. News: Crosse . Jacob . Kishore . Joseph . The Movement for a People's Party: No program, no principles, no future . November 30, 2020 . World Socialist Web Site . September 7, 2020 . en . November 30, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201130233714/https://www8.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/09/07/pepa-s07.html . live.
  6. News: Haltiwanger . John . Americans are desperate for a third major political party in the Trump era . September 27, 2017 . Newsweek . en . August 21, 2020 . September 18, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200918114614/https://www.newsweek.com/most-americans-desperate-third-major-political-party-trump-era-672540 . live.
  7. News: Roque . Lucas . Over Politics? Hold Up, the People's Party Wants You . YR Media . October 13, 2020 . en . October 18, 2020 . October 18, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201018104456/https://yr.media/news/over-politics-hold-up-the-peoples-party-wants-you/ . live.
  8. News: Sainato . Michael . Progressives to Serve Bernie Sanders With Petition to Start New Party . . August 22, 2017 . March 6, 2021 . January 26, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210126034917/https://observer.com/2017/08/draft-bernie-sanders-new-party-petition/ . live.
  9. News: Zipp . Ricky . Draft Bernie Sanders movement plows on without the senator . . September 11, 2017 . March 6, 2021 . April 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210414133507/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/09/11/draft-bernie-movement-plows-ahead-despite-cold-shoulder-sanders/652967001/ . live.
  10. Web site: Marianne Williamson is back — to talk about forming a third party . Holly . Otterbein . POLITICO . en . August 21, 2020 . January 16, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210116043910/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/19/marianne-williamson-third-party-398411 . live.
  11. Web site: Griffiths . Shawn . More Than 400,000 Tune In to 'People's Convention'; Overwhelmingly Vote to Form New Party . August 31, 2020 . Independent Voter News . en . September 16, 2020 . September 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200925034148/https://ivn.us/posts/more-than-400-000-tune-in-to-peoples-convention-overwhelmingly-vote-to-form-new-party . live.
  12. News: The Trailer: It's not 2016 for third-party candidates . The Washington Post . September 8, 2020 . September 23, 2020 . Weigel . David . en . September 9, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200909114211/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/09/08/trailer-it-not-2016-third-party-candidates/ . live.
  13. News: Collins . Steve . Maine People's Party plans to start enrolling members this week . December 31, 2020 . Lewiston Sun Journal . December 30, 2020 . en . December 30, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201230113040/https://www.sunjournal.com/2020/12/29/maine-peoples-party-plans-to-start-enrolling-members-this-week/ . live.
  14. Web site: Maine Becomes First State To Register The People's Party! . Movement for a People's Party . December 1, 2020 . March 16, 2021 . January 18, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210118173501/https://peoplesparty.org/maine-first-state-register-peoples-party/ . live.
  15. Web site: 'The People's Party' gains ballot access in Florida and aims to challenge corporate politics. Garcia, Justin. October 8, 2021. October 13, 2021. October 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211009000156/https://www.cltampa.com/news-views/local-news/article/21157032/the-peoples-party-gains-ballot-access-in-florida-and-aims-to-challenge-corporate-politics. live.
  16. Web site: Political Parties - Division of Elections - Florida Department of State. October 6, 2021. October 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211006153819/https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/candidates-committees/political-parties/. live.
  17. Web site: July 13, 2022 . "It Did Scare Me": Assault, Harassment Allegations Against MPP Head Nick Brana . . live . July 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220713173003/https://eoinhiggins.substack.com/p/it-did-scare-me-assault-harassment.
  18. Web site: February 23, 2022 . Movement for a People's Party . Nick . Brana . People's Party Blocks Liberal Takeover Attempt . dead . December 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221207094215/https://peoplesparty.org/peoples-party-blocks-liberal-takeover-attempt/.
  19. Web site: Cornel West Announces Presidential Bid ... as a People's Party Candidate . Prem . Thakker . June 5, 2023 . . live . June 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230605194830/https://newrepublic.com/post/173244/cornel-west-announces-presidential-bid-peoples-party-candidate.
  20. Web site: Otterbein . Holly . June 10, 2023 . Why some Dems fear Cornel West presents a unique challenge for Joe Biden . June 13, 2023 . POLITICO . en.
  21. News: Cornel West seeking Green Party nomination for presidential run . Jared . Gans . . June 14, 2023.
  22. News: Cornel West leaves the Green Party in favor of an independent bid . Brittany . Gibson . . October 5, 2023.
  23. Web site: 28 December 2023 . The People's Party in 2023 and heading into 2024 . People's Party . Also in 2023, the People’s Party participated in the Independent Voter’s Convention, in Austin, TX. There, the People’s Party made important connections and participated in anti-war and independent voter panels. We connected with RFK Jr.'s campaign and the People’s Party strongly encouraged Bobby to run as an independent, so that he would not be cut off at the Democratic Party primary. RFK Jr. demonstrated courage and confirmed the seriousness of his challenge to the duopoly when he in October announced he is running as an independent. We salute RFK Jr. for this decision as his candidacy outside of the duopoly allows him to run outside of the control of both major political parties. We also encourage RFK Jr. to make the formation of a new party a cornerstone of his campaign, since he will need support and base of a political party not only for ballot access but also to govern once in office..
  24. Web site: Live Team Coverage of RFK's Historic Announcement. October 9, 2023. April 10, 2024. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 2024 presidential campaign. Join us for LIVE Team Coverage from the Maverick News team of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s historic announcement from Independence Mall in Philadelphia. Nick Brana and Tyler Nixon will be reporting on the ground in Philly, and our anchor team of Rick Walker and Lori Spencer bring you commentary and analysis before and after Mr. Kennedy's speech..
  25. Web site: State by state, RFK Jr. pushes for nationwide ballot access . Pellish. Aaron. McKend. Eva. May 8, 2024. CNN. May 8, 2024.
  26. News: RFK Jr. suspends his presidential bid and backs Donald Trump before appearing with him at his rally . Jonathan J. . Cooper . Michelle L. . Price . Gabriel . Sandoval . August 23, 2024 . AP News . August 23, 2024.
  27. Web site: Tim Canova . Ballotpedia .
  28. Web site: FLORIDA MPP Chapter hosting a Tim Canova campaign event . May 13, 2018 . People's Party .
  29. Web site: April 23, 2021 . We're looking for a new kind of representation! . Movement for a People's Party . dead . May 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210507221256/https://www.peoplesparty.org/were-looking-peoples-party-candidates/.
  30. Web site: Statewide Direct Primary Election - Statement of the Vote, June 5, 2018 . .
  31. Web site: MPP endorsed candidate for Lt. Governor, Gayle McLaughlin, stands for truth tellers like The Jimmy Dore Show! . April 21, 2018 . People's Party .

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