Louis J. Marinelli

Marinelli's first political experience came through his volunteer work on the John Edwards presidential campaign in 2004 in the Iowa Democratic Caucuses.[10] Weeks before the caucuses were to begin, Marinelli, 17, boarded a train alone out of Depew, New York bound for the small Iowa town of Osceola. There, Marinelli joined hundreds of volunteers from across the United States who likewise traveled to Iowa that year to volunteer for the campaign in exchange for the promise of room and board. In the weeks leading up the Iowa Democratic Caucuses, Marinelli was part of the campaign's GOTV effort in the town of Newton, Iowa and was a precinct captain for John Edwards there the night of his surprising second-place finish behind eventual Democratic Party nominee, John Kerry. Invited to continue along with the campaign to New Hampshire, Marinelli had to return to Tonawanda for his high school early graduation ceremony.

Marinelli felt the Democratic Party shifted too far to the left when it nominated John Kerry instead of his preferred candidate John Edwards who he felt was more of a moderate, particularly on social issues and the War on Terror.[11] In 2006, Marinelli launched a Facebook group called "Protect Marriage: One Man, One Woman" which eventually grew to become the largest online social media network of social conservatives against the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. It grew so large, in fact, that in 2009 Marinelli's "Protect Marriage: One Man, One Woman" network merged with the National Organization for Marriage and Marinelli became a paid strategist for that organization (often working remotely from Russia) and the eventual brainchild of its 2010 Summer for Marriage Tour, for which he returned to the United States in order to participate.

The 2010 Summer for Marriage Tour was a political bus tour that traveled 10,000 miles in thirty days, stopping in 21 cities in 17 states across the United States. Marinelli traveled the country alongside the organization's president, Brian Brown, and CEO Maggie Gallagher, rallying support against the spread of same-sex marriage. Attendance at these rallies were generally low and none of them attracted much fanfare.[12]

Throughout the Summer for Marriage Tour, the National Organization for Marriage was followed by reporters and staffers of the progressive grassroots advocacy organization called the Courage Campaign. These staffers frequently approached Marinelli while on tour and discussed his anti-equality activism. It was these interactions that Marinelli claimed softened his anti-gay rights beliefs and eventual support for marriage equality.

A few months after the Summer for Marriage Tour, in December 2010, Marinelli broke ranks with the National Organization for Marriage by announcing his support for the repeal of Don't ask, don't tell days before Congress repealed it. On April 11, 2011, Marinelli announced his support for marriage equality, his resignation from the National Organization for Marriage and issued a very public apology to the LGBT community for his years of anti-gay activism.[13][14][15][16] In the months immediately following this announcement, Marinelli proceeded to publish confidential information about his knowledge of the inner workings of the National Organization for Marriage under direct threat from Brian Brown of legal action for violation of a confidentiality agreement.[17][18]

Again claiming disillusionment with the United States government and political system, in 2014 Marinelli launched a campaign for California to secede from the United States to become an independent country. Under the name "Sovereign California,"Marinelli grew another social media platform on Facebook and Twitter to champion this cause. Shortly thereafter, Marinelli became acquainted with an author and researcher by the name of Marcus Ruiz Evans, who wrote a book called California's Next Century, which argued for California to obtain sub-national sovereignty within the United States through a process called devolution.[19] Marinelli and Marcus Ruiz Evans adopted this idea as the goal of Sovereign California.

In 2015, with the release of a 165-page report on California's future (of the same title), Marinelli and Ruiz Evans re-branded Sovereign California's name and mission to that of Yes California,[20] inspired by the 2014 Yes Scotland campaign[21][22] for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, and announced their plan to achieve full independence from the United States, or secession, via an independence referendum for California in 2020. This re-branding came as a result of research conducted and assembled into their 165-page report, as well as from feedback from the public while touring the state with their message of devolution.

On January 6, 2016, the California Secretary of State's office sent a memorandum to all 58 county Registrar of Voters acknowledging the establishment of the California National Party and asked that each county "track all registrations and inform this office of the number of voters registered with the California National Party for all future reports of registration."[23] Marinelli was subsequently listed on the California Secretary of State's website as the interim chairman of this party. He was voted out at their first party conference in 2016 and officially disavowed by the party when he announced his intention to relocate to Russia a few months later.

On July 14, 2015, Marinelli announced his intention to run for California State Assembly in California's 80th State Assembly district.[24] According to California legislative historian Alex Vassar, Marinelli is the first candidate in California history to run for state office on a platform of national independence from the United States. When asked if there had ever been a candidate with an independence platform, Vassar replied, "Not on a platform of national independence. I'd definitely say that Stan Statham's campaigns were absolutely a referendum on his proposal to create a state of Jefferson. It was the cause he was most commonly known for, so him being reelected was clearly an endorsement of that by his constituents. But actual independence? I can't remember that."

On March 25, 2016, the Secretary of State of California's office released its official notice to candidates where Marinelli was listed as a candidate having been nominated and qualified for the June 7, 2016, primary ballot with the ballot designation "California Independence Leader" and a political party of "No Party Preference".[25]

Marinelli has been the primary proponent of several citizen's ballot initiatives most of which were related to California's secession from the United States.

On February 20, 2015, Marinelli filed an initiative at the California Secretary of State's office requesting a circulating title and summary for an initiative to establish a state panel to investigate California's autonomy.[26] The title and summary was issued on April 28, 2015, summarizing the initiative as follows: "Creates state panel of government officials and private experts to explore establishing California’s autonomy from the United States. Requires the panel to hold public hearings and take expert testimony, investigate impacts from California’s statehood, determine impact of establishing autonomy, submit a monthly report on its activities to the Legislature, and prepare an annual report of its findings."[27] Marinelli needed 365,880 signatures to qualify the measure for the 2016 ballot but it failed on November 6, 2015.[28]

On March 24, 2015, Marinelli filed an initiative at the California Secretary of State's office requesting a circulating title and summary for an initiative to amend the California constitution to change the title of the chief executive of the state of California from Governor to President.[29] The title and summary was issued on May 29, 2015, summarizing the initiative as follows: "Amends the California Constitution to replace the word Governor with the word President."[30] Marinelli needed 585,407 signatures to qualify the measure for the 2016 ballot but it failed on December 10, 2015.[31]

On March 24, 2015, Marinelli also filed an initiative at the California Secretary of State's office requesting a circulating title and summary for an initiative to require the Flag of California to be displayed at equal height with the Flag of the United States.[32] The title and summary was issued on May 29, 2015, summarizing the initiative as follows: "Requires display of the California State flag in the position of first honor when both the United States flag and the California State flag are displayed at schools, universities, colleges, courtrooms, government buildings, and state parks, and at events held in coliseums, stadiums, bowls, other open air sites, and race tracks."[33] Marinelli needed 365,880 signatures to qualify the measure for the 2016 ballot but it failed on December 10, 2015.[34]

On March 24, 2015, Marinelli filed a third initiative at the California Secretary of State's office requesting a circulating title and summary for an initiative that would prohibit political contributions to influence state elections from non-residents of California.[35] The title and summary was issued on May 29, 2015, summarizing the initiative as follows: "Prohibits candidates, committees, and certain political mailer organizations from receiving funds from non-California residents. Exempts funds provided to candidates for federal office, or to political mailer organizations advocating for or against candidates for federal office."[36] Marinelli needed 365,880 signatures to qualify the measure for the 2016 ballot but it failed on December 10, 2015.[37]

On April 20, 2015, Marinelli filed an initiative at the California Secretary of State's office requesting a circulating title and summary for an initiative that would create a state agency to issue state residency permits to undocumented immigrants living in California who registered with the state and paid state income taxes.[38] The title and summary was issued on June 24, 2015, summarizing the initiative as follows: "Authorizes California residence permits for qualifying undocumented immigrants. Creates new state department to administer permit system. Requires permit holders to pay state income taxes. Makes permit holders eligible for certain public benefits. Prohibits state and local government from using public funds to support or otherwise participate in federal immigration enforcement against permit holders."[39] Marinelli needed 365,880 signatures to qualify the measure for the 2016 ballot but it failed on January 5, 2016.[40]

In explaining the proposal, Marinelli said of undocumented immigrants, "If you come forward, register, pay state income taxes and get your immunizations, California will allow you to stay in California and you will be here legally, at least as far as California is concerned."[41] The proposal was a beefed-up version of an initiative authored and proposed by Barton C. Gilbert that would have banned any local or state funds or resources in California from being used to detain and deport a resident of California.[42] Gilbert continues to work with Marinelli and is a board member of the Yes California campaign.