Reform Party of Florida

Reform Party membership in Florida has decreased since the year 2000.[1]

After a great deal of infighting conservative presidential candidate Pat Buchanan was granted the party's ballot line.[5] Due to confusion over the design of some ballots, it is thought that many residents miscast their vote for Buchanan, believing they were casting their vote for Al Gore. Buchanan received an unexpectedly strong 3,407 votes in Palm Beach County.[6] Many accused Buchanan of being a "spoiler."

In 2004, the party gained national attention when efforts were made by local Democrats to keep Ralph Nader, the Reform Party presidential candidate, off Florida's ballot.[7] The affair garnered a great deal of media attention, with moderate Senator John McCain publicly condemning the attempts to keep Nader off the ballot.[8]

The courts eventually sided with Nader, and his name appeared on the ballot. Nader's spokesperson, Kevin Zeese, criticized the ordeal, saying: "We hope Democrats engage on issues and stop anti-democratic efforts to prevent voters from having a choice." [9]

Nader received 32,971 votes in Florida.[10]

Max Linn, a financial planner and President of the "Eight is Enough" term limit campaign[11] ran as the Reform Party nominee in the 2006 Florida Gubernatorial election. His running mate was Tom Macklin[12] former mayor of Avon Park and founder of the American Party.[13] Despite his unorthodox media blitz, Linn gained most of his notoriety among the Florida electorate for an emergency landing he made on an Orlando, Florida highway in October 2006 when a plane he rented had engine difficulties. Linn was not hurt, although he spent a day in the hospital under observation. Linn got 92,595 votes and in total 1.92% of the popular vote.[14]

In 2008, Jim Brown ran for Polk County, Florida commissioner; his campaign received some press as he was the first Reform candidate ever to run for local office in the state.[16] Brown lost to incumbent Sam Johnson in the general election, garnering 13,453 votes, 6 percent of the total.[17]

Former Democratic presidential candidate Darcy G. Richardson and former state legislator Nancy Argenziano ran as the nominees of the Reform Party for Governor and Lt. Governor of Florida in 2018. It was the first time in more than a decade the Reform Party had fielded a statewide candidate in any state. The ticket finished in third place, capturing 47,140 votes.

Since 1996, the Reform Party of Florida has placed a candidate for President of the United States on the ballot in every election except 2008.

The party's best performance in a presidential race came from Ross Perot in 1996.