American Constitution Party (Colorado)

The American Constitution Party (ACN) is one of the state of Colorado's political parties. It is affiliated with the national-level Constitution Party, a conservative political party in the United States that says it bases most of its policy positions on the Constitution.[1] The party asserts that the US is a Christian nation founded on the Bible and that American jurisprudence should be restored to what the party claims is its "Biblical foundations".[2] The ACN qualified for major party status in Colorado after receiving more than 36% of the vote in the 2010 gubernatorial election.[3] As the party did not field a candidate in the 2014 election, it reverted to minor party status.[4]

American Constitution Party
FoundedJuly 23, 2000
HeadquartersArvada, Colorado
IdeologyPaleoconservatism
Social conservatism
Christian right
Nationalism
Political positionRight-wing to far-right
National affiliationConstitution Party
State Senate
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State House
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Website
http://www.americanconstitutionparty.com

Background

The American Constitution Party registered as a political party with the state of Colorado on July 23, 2000.[5] In July 2013, the ACN had just over 7,000 registered Colorado voters affiliated with it.[6] Some of the party's positions include:

ACN members ... call for the abolition of the Food and Drug Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the departments of Education and Energy and the Federal Election Commission. They seek the repeal of a number of laws, including one aimed at preventing threats and force against abortion clinics and women seeking abortions and a 1960s-era law meant to end discriminatory election practices.[7]

For most of its existence, the ACN has existed as one of Colorado's "minor parties", and has never elected one of its candidates to office.

Party platform

The American Constitution Party of Colorado seeks to:[7]

  • Allow state legislatures, not voters, to pick U.S. senators (i.e., repeal the 17th Amendment)
  • Repeal legislation making it illegal to use force or the threat of force to interfere with a woman seeking an abortion
  • Abolish congressional pensions
  • End the Endangered Species Act
  • Terminate the U.S. Departments of Energy and Education, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Election Commission and the Internal Revenue Service
  • Ban electronic voting to prevent voter fraud
  • Repeal all federal campaign-finance laws
  • Repeal the Voting Rights Act of 1965
  • End compulsory public school attendance and promote homeschooling, private schools or religious schools
  • End any domestic federal aid not provided for in the U.S. Constitution, as it is "not only illegal, it is immoral"
  • End foreign aid and participation in multinational groups, such as the United Nations, as well as multinational treaties
  • Retake the Panama Canal for the United States
  • Prevent women from serving in combat as "these 'advances' undermine the integrity, morale and performance of our military organizations"
  • "Cease financing or arming of belligerents in the world's troubled areas"
  • Return to the people all federal lands held by the government without constitutional authorization
  • Revoke the legalization of the union of gay couples in either marriages or civil unions
  • Immediately collect all foreign debts owed to the U.S.

The ACN is affiliated with the national-level Constitution Party, which has developed a party platform as well.[8]

Major party status

Under state law, the American Constitution Party's vote share in the 2010 gubernatorial election elevated the party from "minor" to "major" party status. Any party that earns 10% or more of the votes cast for governor is a defined under statute as a "major party". Major party status gives the party a place at or near the top of the ballot in the 2014 gubernatorial election.

However, because of the additional organizational, financial, and compliance requirements triggered by major party status, ACN leaders have been ambivalent about the change.[9][10]

2010 gubernatorial election

Former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo ran as the party's candidate for Colorado governor in 2010 after the campaign of Republican Party nominee Dan Maes collapsed politically. He won around 36% of the vote, receiving more than 2.5 times the vote of Republican Party nominee Maes.[11] Democratic candidate John Hickenlooper won the election with just over 51% of the vote.

County results for the 2010 gubernatorial election
Colorado gubernatorial election (2010)[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic John Hickenlooper 912,005 51.01% -5.97%
Constitution Tom Tancredo 651,232 36.43% +35.80%
Republican Dan Maes 199,034 11.13% -29.03%
Libertarian Jaimes Brown 13,314 0.74% -0.75%
Independent Jason R. Clark 8,576 0.48%
Independent Paul Fiorino 3,483 0.19%
Write-ins 86 0.00%
Majority 260,773 14.59% -2.24%
Turnout 1,787,730
Democratic hold Swing

After the election, Tancredo quickly rejoined the Republican Party, disappointing an ACN leadership struggling to contend with major party status and how to successfully leverage the increased attention the party had received because of his candidacy.[13]

Candidates

Although the American Constitution Party's political and organizational sophistication did not grow despite the attention brought to it by Tancredo's 2010 gubernatorial candidacy, the party has fielded more candidates in the 2010 and 2012 cycles than it had in the entirety of the previous decade.[14]

Election YearOfficeName
2014Adams County SheriffJames Fariello
2014Mesa County AssessorSteve Henderson
2013Steamboat Springs School BoardJoseph Andrew
2012Adams County CommissionerJames Fariello
2012Colorado House, District 14Ryan Dyer
2012Colorado House, District 14Thomas O'dell
2012Colorado House, District 15Michael Edstrom
2012Colorado House, District 16David Rawe
2012Colorado House, District 17Barry Pace
2012Colorado House, District 18Amy Fedde
2012Colorado House, District 19Timothy Biolchini
2012Colorado House, District 20Donna Burdick
2012Colorado House, District 21Sean Halstead
2012Colorado House, District 61Robert Petrowsky
2012Colorado Senate, District 10Christopher Mull
2012Colorado Senate, District 12James Bristol
2012CU Regent, At-LargeTyler Belmont
2012CU Regent, At-LargeBrian Scott
2012CU Regent, District 5Gina Biolchini
2012El Paso County CommissionerKathy Payne
2010Adams County SheriffJames Fariello
2010Colorado Senate, District 31Clifton Powell
2010GovernorBenjamin Goss
2010GovernorTom Tancredo
2010Lt. GovernorPatricia Miller
2010Motezuma County SheriffGerald Wallace
2010Secretary of StateAmanda Campbell
2008Colorado House, District 27Amanda Campbell
2008Colorado House, District 37Brian Olds
2008Park County CommissionerZdenko Novkovic
2006Colorado House, District 53Darren Morrison
2006Colorado Senate, District 16Tim Leonard
2006CU Regent, At-LargeDouglas "Dayhorse" Campbell
2006GovernorClyde Harkins
2006La Plata County CommissionerPadraig Lynch
2006Lt. GovernorTracy Davison
2002Attorney GeneralGaar Potter
2002Colorado HousePaul Berthelot
2002Colorado House, District 57Dr. Zane Newitt
2002Lt. GovernorDesiree Hickson

See also

References
  1. Carrie Budoff; Thomas Fitzgerald (8 August 2004). "Candidate counts on anger at Specter Democrats are hoping that James Clymer, of the Constitution Party, will draw off enough conservative support to boost Hoeffel's chances". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  2. Preamble to Constitution Party Platform Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine "The Constitution Party gratefully acknowledges the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States. We hereby appeal to Him for mercy, aid, comfort, guidance and the protection of His Providence as we work to restore and preserve these United States. This great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions but on a foundation of Christian principles and values. For this very reason peoples of all faiths have been and are afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here. The goal of the Constitution Party is to restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries."
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-11-21. Retrieved 2010-11-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Political Party Directory". www.sos.state.co.us. Archived from the original on 2017-08-01. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
  5. "TRACER - Committee Detail". tracer.sos.colorado.gov. Archived from the original on 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
  6. "Colorado Secretary of State: Voter Registration Statistics". Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
  7. Jessica Fender, "Tancredo's new party way out in right field" Archived 2013-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, The Denver Post, July 27, 2010.
  8. Constitution Party 2012 National Platform Archived February 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Steven K. Paulson, "ACN Not Relishing Role As Colorado Major Party" Archived 2014-03-17 at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press, May 8, 2011.]
  10. Patricia Calhoun, "American Constitution Party faces major headaches as a major Colorado party" Archived 2013-08-01 at the Wayback Machine, Westword Magazine blogs; March 6, 2012.
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-10-12. Retrieved 2010-11-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. Peter Marcus, "American Constitution Party feels majorly scorned by Tancredo" Archived 2015-12-13 at the Wayback Machine, The Colorado Statesman; October 12, 2012
  14. "Colorado Secretary of State". Archived from the original on 2013-08-27. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
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