Liberty Union Party

The Liberty Union Party of Vermont, founded in June 1970 by former Congressman William H. Meyer, Paul Diamondstone and others , originated in the anti-war and movements of the late 1960s and defines itself as a nonviolent socialist party.

Bernie Sanders joined Liberty Union in 1971, and was a candidate for several offices on their ticket before deciding to run as an independent.

The Liberty Union Party sometimes endorses the candidates of other parties which it feels offer a vision and goals compatible with its own. Over the years, it has selected various Presidential candidates from several national leftist political parties. In 1980, 1988, 1996 and 2000 it endorsed the Socialist Party USA's candidates. Mary Alice Herbert, the party's 2006 candidate for Lieutenant Governor, was the Vice Presidential candidate of the Socialist Party USA in 2004. However, due to conflicts with her running mate, Walt Brown, the LUP gave its ballot line to Workers World Party candidates John Parker and Teresa Gutierrez.

Some Liberty Union members in 2004 sought the state-wide nomination of the Vermont Progressive Party, which had achieved major ballot status in 2000.

The Liberty Union Party lost its major party status in 1994, but requalified in 2004 due to Auditor of Accounts candidate Jerry Levy's six percent showing. In 2006, the Liberty Union Party had nine candidates for offices including Governor, United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, and again received enough votes to retain its major party status.

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