Reform Party (United States)
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Reform Party of the United States of America
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|---|---|
 |
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| Chairperson | Bill C. Merrell |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Bohemia, New York |
| Membership (February 2016) | 18,541 |
| Ideology |
Populism Protectionism Fiscal conservatism Anti-corruption |
| Political position | Center |
| International affiliation | None |
| Seats in the Senate |
0 / 100
|
| Seats in the House |
0 / 435
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| Governorships |
0 / 50
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| State Upper House Seats |
0 / 1,921
|
| State Lower House Seats |
0 / 5,410
|
| Other elected offices | 9 (2016) |
| Website | |
| www |
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The Reform Party of the United States of America (RPUSA), generally known as the Reform Party USA or the Reform Party, is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot.
Perot, who received 18.9% of the popular vote as an independent candidate in the 1992 presidential election and wanted to participate also in the 1996 presidential election, thought Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital issues. Perot claimed to represent a viable alternative to Republicans and Democrats, and, as a result, founded the Reform Party. Perot won 8.4% of the popular vote in 1996. Although he came nowhere close to winning the presidency, no other third-party or independent candidate has since managed to receive such a high share of the vote.
The party has nominated several notable candidates over the years, such as Perot himself, Pat Buchanan, and Ralph Nader, and also counted among its members such figures as Donald Trump, who later went on to become the 45th President of the United States under a Republican ticket. Its most significant victory came when Jesse Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998, although he left the party shortly into his term. 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 candidate has ever been able to attain at least 1% of the vote.
The party grew out of Ross Perot's efforts in the 1992 presidential election, where—running as an independent—he became the first non-major party candidate since 1912 to have been considered viable enough to win the presidency. Perot made a splash by bringing a focus to fiscal issues such as the federal deficit and national debt; government reform issues such as term limits, campaign finance reform, and lobbying reform; and issues on trade. A large part of his following was grounded in the belief he was addressing vital problems largely ignored by the two major parties.
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