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As of June 5, 2017, the party had 1,002 affiliated Colorado voters, and thus achieved minor party status in the state (i.e., the party is now able to place its candidates directly onto the General Election ballot by primary, petition or assembly).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Candidates/PoliticalPartyDirectory.html |title=Political Party Directory|publisher=Colorado Secretary of State |accessdate=November 6, 2016}}</ref>
As of June 5, 2017, the party had 1,002 affiliated Colorado voters, and thus achieved minor party status in the state (i.e., the party is now able to place its candidates directly onto the General Election ballot by primary, petition or assembly).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Candidates/PoliticalPartyDirectory.html |title=Political Party Directory|publisher=Colorado Secretary of State |accessdate=November 6, 2016}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Candidates/FAQs/QPOandMinorParty.html |title=Minor Parties and Qualified Political Organizations FAQs|publisher=Colorado Secretary of State |accessdate=November 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/newsRoom/pressReleases/2017/PR20170607UnityParty.html |title=News Release |publisher=Sos.state.co.us |accessdate=June 7, 2017}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/Candidates/FAQs/QPOandMinorParty.html |title=Minor Parties and Qualified Political Organizations FAQs|publisher=Colorado Secretary of State |accessdate=November 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/newsRoom/pressReleases/2017/PR20170607UnityParty.html |title=News Release |publisher=Sos.state.co.us |accessdate=June 7, 2017}}</ref>

==Unity Party of West Virginia==
The Unity Party of West Virginia was founded by Pastor [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-MR4SEEcjWnq2_5J2cMPSQ Andrew Rusher] who is the first & only chairman of the party as of April 10, 2019. The Unity Party of West Virginia doesn't hold elections for chairman as the post goes to the oldest ranking member which as of April 10, 2019 is Pastor Andrew Rusher.

===Unity Party of West Virginia Leadership===

* Chairman: Pastor [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-MR4SEEcjWnq2_5J2cMPSQ Andrew Rusher]
* Treasurer: [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO5xs0su2F9M7oXG5e1T0QA Tricia McGrath]
* Berkeley County Chairman: [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCejLltBhPf23SEuxUWUAnbQ James Newcomb]
* Berkeley County Vice Chairman: [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO5xs0su2F9M7oXG5e1T0QA Tricia McGrath]

===Unity Party of West Virginia Platform===

* Abortion:
* Marriage:
* Foster Care & Adoption:
* Religious Freedom:


==Platform==
==Platform==

Revision as of 05:16, 10 April 2019

Unity Party of America
ChairpersonBill Hammons
FounderBill Hammons
Founded2004 (2004)
IdeologyCentrism
Radical centrism
Third way
Political positionCenter
International affiliationNone
ColorsRed, white, and blue
Seats in the Senate
0 / 100
Seats in the House
0 / 435
Governorships
0 / 50
State Upper House Seats
0 / 1,972
State Lower House Seats
0 / 5,411
Other elected offices0
Website
unitedunitedstates.com

The Unity Party of America is a centrist political party founded on November 4, 2004[1] which has a membership in 38 states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin) listed on its website,[2] as well as the District of Columbia under the name "Unity Party of New Columbia".[3]

Origins

The Unity Party began in an online discussion forum in November 2004[4] and grew out of the Unity Runners organization; as the Unity Party website puts it, "The Unity Party of America movement had its beginnings in the concept of running marathons to raise campaign contributions for political candidates."[5] Unity Runners, in turn, had its origins in Runners for Clark, an antecedent organization which supported the presidential candidacy of General Wesley Clark.[6]

On June 16, 2016, Chairman Bill Hammons used YouTube to disavow any affiliation with Clark, while outlining the transition from Runners for Clark to Unity Runners to the Unity Party of America.[7]

History

Eric Bodenstab is described on the Unity Party website as having been the first Unity Party candidate, declaring in May 2007 for Boulder, Colorado City Council, even though that is a non-partisan election.[8][9] The Unity Party fielded two Congressional candidates in the 2008 election cycle (Bill Hammons in Colorado's 2nd District, who received 2,176 votes or 0.63%, and Terry Ronzio in Pennsylvania's 12th District, who did not qualify for the ballot).[10] Sherman Reickart declared for Brant, New York Town Council with the Unity Party,[11] Bill Hammons declared for Colorado's 2nd District again on June 22, 2009,[12] Energy Drilling Consultant Levi Hancock declared as the first Unity Party candidate for Colorado Governor in 2009,[13][14] and Oilfield Drilling Engineer Mike Nelson declared as a Unity Party candidate for Colorado's 4th Congressional District.[13][15] Hammons and Nelson are both former residents of Odessa, Texas, even though both now live in Colorado.[16][17]

On January 11, 2010, Navy veteran and Pueblo, Colorado resident Ray Roman declared as the Unity Party's first candidate for US Senate, running against incumbent Senator Michael Bennet.[18] That same month, Hammons appeared on Denver 9 News' Your Show to make the case for changing Colorado election law and allowing the Unity Party's more recently affiliated candidates to petition onto the General Election ballot as Unity Party candidates, along with himself.[19] On May 27, 2010, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed House Bill 10-1271, which allowed, beginning in 2012, Colorado's unaffiliated candidates for public office (including, technically, Unity Party candidates) to run for office if their voter registration had not changed during the year of the election in question.[20]

An April 9, 2010 Colorado Statesman article highlighted the fact that the Unity Party of Colorado had fielded twice as many candidates in 2010 as the Green Party of Colorado, and four times as many candidates as the Constitution Party of Colorado.[21]

On July 15, 2010, Hammons announced his withdrawal from the 2nd CD race, citing challenges in obtaining the required number of petition signatures to appear on the ballot a second time.[22] His fellow three Unity Party Colorado candidates had withdrawn as well.[23]

The party was recognized in the state of Colorado from 2008 to 2011 as a Qualified Political Organization[8] as a direct result of the petition of Unity Party Congressional candidate Bill Hammons onto the 2008 General Election ballot with 899 valid signatures.[24] As a QPO, the Unity Party was designated on the Colorado voter registration form as a voter affiliation option,[25] and 179 voters had affiliated with the Unity Party as of October 22, 2008,[26] an increase of 92% over the party's voter registration numbers just three weeks before. 407 Colorado voters had affiliated with the Unity Party as of June 1, 2011,[27] before the party was removed from the state voter registration form as a result of its failure to place a candidate on the general election ballot in the 2010 election cycle.[28]

As outlined below, the Unity Party of Colorado was placed back on the voter registration form three years later (in 2014) and, as of November 2016, had more than twice as many registered Colorado voters than it did before being removed from the state's registration form in 2011.

In June 2010, the Unity Party of Utah launched the first state Unity Party website, unityutah.com, and announced its inintention to petition, as a party, onto Utah's 2012 ballot.[29] As of October 2016, one national, eight state (Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, South Carolina and Texas), and two candidate (Roger Nichols for President, Bill Hammons for US Senate) Facebook pages were linked to from the Unity Party national website home page.[30] On April 27, 2011, Jim Pirtle of Colorado Springs declared as the Unity Party's first and only candidate of the 2012 election cycle, for Colorado's 5th Congressional District.[31] He received 22,738 votes, or 7.41%. However, he appeared on the ballot as a Libertarian.

In August 2014, the Unity Party was placed back on Colorado's voter registration form as the option "Unity," as a result of Hammons's successful petition onto the ballot for the 2014 Colorado U.S. Senate election.[32][33] (In the general election, Hammons came sixth out of six candidates, with 0.3% of the vote [6,427 votes].) As of November 1, 2014, 142 Colorado voters had affiliated with the party, an increase of over 200% over the previous month.[34][35] As of June 1, 2017, 999 Colorado voters had affiliated with the party, placing it within 1 registered voter of achieving the next level of party status in the state (as a Minor Party able to place its candidates directly onto General Election ballots by primary or assembly, without the need for petitions). The Unity Party achieved that new Minor Party status on June 5, 2017, with 1,002 affiliated voters, and had accrued 1,725 affiliated voters as of January 1, 2019, increasing membership at an average rate of 4% a month since achieving full party status.[36][37][38][39]

On November 4, 2015 the United National Committee registered with the Federal Election Commission, with Reid Strouss-Tallman listed as Treasurer and Galen Woodson Bercaw as Assistant Treasurer, though Bill Hammons is listed as the Chairman and Custodian of Records, and "W.R. Hammons" is listed on the submission envelope's return address.[40] On November 15, Hammons was mentioned by the Longmont Times-Call as a Unity Party candidate in the 2016 Colorado US Senate race.[41]

As of July 21, 2016 Hammons was listed as an official "Unity Party of Colorado" candidate to appear on the November General Election ballot and, at least as of the end of July, was the only Colorado US Senate candidate to successfully petition onto the General Election ballot, out of four candidates who attempted to do so. [42] [43]

At the end of August 2016, Hammons was profiled in the Colorado Independent as "Mr. Middle" and an "alternative to the alternatives."[44]

Hammons came in fifth out of seven candidates in the 2016 Colorado U.S. Senate race, with 8,408 votes in the November general election, though his vote count was later revised upward to 9,336.[45][46]

At the end of 2016, Hammons was listed as a 2018 Unity Party candidate for Colorado governor, and was quoted as saying "The establishment parties just might have a surprise of Pearl Harbor proportions in store in 2018."[47]

In August 2018 it was announced that Unity Party Gubernatorial nominee Hammons, along with his running mate Eric Bodenstab, would be appearing in the third slot on the Colorado statewide ballot, directly below the Democratic and Republican candidates and above the Libertarian candidates (the Constitution and Green parties had failed to field candidates).[48]

Bill Hammons

Bill Hammons

Unity Party Founder and Chairman Bill Hammons (along with his running mate Eric Bodenstab) received 25,854 votes in the 2018 Colorado Gubernatorial race.[49]

Party founder Hammons has been the party's national chairman since its inception, as well as the party's Colorado state party chairman.[50][51]

Logos

File:Unity Party of America U-check Logo.jpg
U-check Logo

In September 2016, the Unity Party changed its logo to the "U-check" symbol (the U-check appeared alongside Hammons's image during a candidate forum aired on Rocky Mountain PBS), then changed it back to the Tripartite Triangle.[52]

"Uniter" Nickname

In September 2017, Unity Party members agreed to begin to refer to themselves as "Uniters" (losing alternatives were "Unis" and "UPAs").[53]

Unity Party of Colorado

The Unity Party of Colorado was a Qualified Political Organization in that state until June 2017 (i.e., it was an official option as "Unity" on the state's voter registration form, but its candidates still had to petition onto the general election ballot).

As of June 5, 2017, the party had 1,002 affiliated Colorado voters, and thus achieved minor party status in the state (i.e., the party is now able to place its candidates directly onto the General Election ballot by primary, petition or assembly).[54] [55][56]

Unity Party of West Virginia

The Unity Party of West Virginia was founded by Pastor Andrew Rusher who is the first & only chairman of the party as of April 10, 2019. The Unity Party of West Virginia doesn't hold elections for chairman as the post goes to the oldest ranking member which as of April 10, 2019 is Pastor Andrew Rusher.

Unity Party of West Virginia Leadership

Unity Party of West Virginia Platform

  • Abortion:
  • Marriage:
  • Foster Care & Adoption:
  • Religious Freedom:

Platform

As of its April 2016 national convention in Colorado, the Unity Party platform lists 18 positions:[57]

  • A Balanced Budget Amendment, with a call for an Article V Convention to pass it and other Constitutional Amendments
  • An affirmation of the Second Amendment
  • An affirmation of the Fourth Amendment
  • Replacing Federal income taxes with a carbon tax as a means of "balancing the budget, combating global warming, and encouraging the development of alternative energy sources"
  • A full tax deduction for the health care costs of all Americans "forced" to pay for their own health coverage
  • A "Tithe Pool" to guarantee entitlement programs on a year-by-year basis
  • Support for "all" efforts to get the U.S. military better healthcare and retirement benefits, as well as making it easier for veterans to get access to the benefits they need, "no question asked"
  • Support of global free trade with provisions for a Global Minimum Wage and carbon tariffs
  • Term limits of two terms for US Senators and four terms for US Representatives
  • Term limits of 12 years for Federal Judges, including US Supreme Court Justices
  • The enhancement of electoral security with paper receipts for all individual votes in Federal elections
  • Outlawing the drawing of legislative districts along partisan lines (i.e., outlawing Gerrymandering)
  • A repeal of Citizens United v. FEC
  • A resign to run proposal forcing federal officeholders to resign immediately upon filing for a primary election for a higher office, to "allow for the holding of replacement elections in a seamless and efficient manner"
  • Raising the US political donation age to 16 and lowering the voting age to 16
  • Support of a "focused, efficient and aggressive" US space program to "provide us with the 'life jacket' Humankind might need"
  • Support for District of Columbia Statehood "with appropriate provisions for Federal property"
  • Support for the "right of self-determination for all Peoples, including their right to establish new States"

The party's motto is "Not right, not left, but forward."[8]

United National Committee

The United National Committee, the governing body of the Unity Party of America per the Unity Party Constitution[58] adopted on April 17, 2010, was formed on the same day. As of August 2018, the UNC consists of 32 members.[59]

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Unity Party of America". Unityparty.us. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  2. ^ "Unity Party of America". Unityparty.us. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  3. ^ "Unity Party of New Columbia". Unityparty.us. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  4. ^ "Unity Party of America: Third Way & New Day in American Politics". Unityparty.us. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  5. ^ "Running for America – The Unity Party of America's Unity Runners". Unityparty.us. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  6. ^ Peterson, Eric S. "Salt Lake City News – News Articles: Unity Party of Utah". Cityweekly.net. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  7. ^ "Unity Party's Hammons Disavows Wes Clark". youtube.com/user/BoulderBill. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c "Unity Party of America". Unityparty.us. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  9. ^ [1] Archived August 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Terry Ronzio – Walking for Troops". Electronzio.com. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  11. ^ "Unity Party Candidate Sherman Reickart for Brant NY Town Council". Unityparty.us. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  12. ^ [2] Archived June 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ a b "Online Guide to Colorado Politics". Politics1. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  14. ^ "Elect Levi". Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  15. ^ "Mike Nelson for Congress - Home". Archived from the original on November 11, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  16. ^ "Writing and Running in Boulder, Colorado – The Author's Story". Wrhammons.com. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  17. ^ "Mike Nelson for Congress - About me and my point of view". Archived from the original on February 12, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  18. ^ "Unity Party Welcome from Unity Party of America Chairman". Unityparty.us. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  19. ^ "Unity Party of America – Not Right, Not Left, But Forward". Unityparty.us. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  20. ^ "Colorado General Assembly". Leg.state.co.us. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  21. ^ "Third party candidates take root..." Colorado Statesman. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  22. ^ "Unity Party candidate Bill Hammons drops out of 2nd CD race – Boulder Daily Camera". Dailycamera.com. July 7, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  23. ^ "Online Guide to Colorado Politics". Politics1. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  24. ^ "Third-party candidate enters fray". SummitDaily.com. June 30, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  25. ^ "Elections & Voting" (PDF). Elections.colorado.gov. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  26. ^ "Elections & Voting" (PDF). Elections.colorado.gov. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  27. ^ "Total Registered Voters By Party Affiliation and Status" (PDF). Sos.state.co.us. June 1, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  28. ^ "Political Party Information". Sos.state.co.us. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  29. ^ "Unity Party aims for a place on Utah ballot". Deseret News. June 29, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  30. ^ "Unity Party of America Home Page". unityparty.us. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  31. ^ Zubeck, Pam (April 27, 2011). "Pirtle to the rescue? | IndyBlog". Csindy.com. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  32. ^ "2014 General Election Candidate Petition List". Sos.state.co.us. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  33. ^ "Colorado Voter Registration Form" (PDF). Sos.state.co.us. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  34. ^ "Total Registered Voters by Party Affiliation and Status" (PDF). Sos.state.co.us. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
  35. ^ "Total Registered Voters by Party Affiliation and Status" (PDF). Sos.state.co.us. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  36. ^ "Total Registered Voters by Party Affiliation and Status" (PDF). Sos.state.co.us. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  37. ^ "Minor Parties and Qualified Political Organizations FAQs". Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  38. ^ "News Release". Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  39. ^ "Total Registered Voters by Party Affiliation and Status" (PDF). Sos.state.co.us. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  40. ^ "United National Committee Statement of Organization" (PDF). fec.gov. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  41. ^ "Boulder County Republican, Democratic party chiefs prepare for 2016 election battles". timescall.com. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  42. ^ "2016 General Election Candidate List". sos.state.co.us. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  43. ^ "2016 General Election Petition Candidates". sos.state.co.us. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  44. ^ "Meet Mr. Middle, the Unity Party's nominee for U.S. Senate in Colorado". coloradoindependent.com. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  45. ^ "Colorado U.S. Senate Results:Michael Bennet Wins". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  46. ^ "U.S. Senate - Results: Elections". The Denver Post. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  47. ^ "Candidates already lining up for 2018 governor's race". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  48. ^ "2018 General Election Candidate List". Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  49. ^ "Colorado Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  50. ^ "The United National Committee of the Unity Party of America". Unityparty.us. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  51. ^ "Colorado's Unity Party: Third Way & New Day in American Politics". Unityparty.us. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  52. ^ "Colorado Votes: Race for the Senate". Rocky Mountain PBS. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  53. ^ "Colorado Unity Party nicknames itself the 'Uniters'". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  54. ^ "Political Party Directory". Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  55. ^ "Minor Parties and Qualified Political Organizations FAQs". Colorado Secretary of State. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  56. ^ "News Release". Sos.state.co.us. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  57. ^ "Balanced Budget Amendment & Term Limits - Unity Party of America". Unityparty.us. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
  58. ^ "Unity Party Constitution: Constitution of Unity Party of America". Unityparty.us. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  59. ^ "United National Committee - Unity Party of America". unitedunitedstates.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.

External links

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