Natural Law Party of Michigan
| Natural Law Party of Michigan | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Hartland, Mich. |
| Type: | Political party |
| Top official: | Doug Dern, Chair |
| Website: | Official website |
The Natural Law Party of Michigan is a minor political party in Michigan. The group was the Michigan political party affiliate of the former national Natural Law Party. The party is headquartered in Hartland, Michigan.[1]
Background
The Natural Law Party of Michigan (NLPM) was established as the Michigan affiliate of the national Natural Law Party, which was founded in 1992 in order to "bring the light of science into politics" and oppose the political influence of special interest groups. Though the national party disbanded in 2004, the NLPM has remained active in Michigan. The party does not adhere to a specific platform and allows candidates to run for office according to their independent principles.[2][3][4]
The NLPM has supported a number of presidential candidates, including Socialist Party candidate Walt Brown in 2004, independent candidate Ralph Nader in 2008 and Justice Party nominee Ross "Rocky" Anderson in 2012. During the 2014 election cycle, the party nominated six candidates for local, state and federal offices. Three NLPM candidates earned more than 16,083 votes in partisan races, which allowed the party to maintain ballot access through the 2016 elections. Bridgette Guzman, the 2014 NLPM candidate for Michigan State University trustee, received the highest level of voter support with 35,097 votes.[3][5][6][7]
Platform
The Natural Law Party of Michigan does not adhere to a traditional party platform. The party allows its candidates to run for office according to their independent principles.[4]
Rules and bylaws
| Candidate ballot access |
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The state party is governed by a set of rules and bylaws. Typically, these give structure to the different levels of organization—local, county, and state committees—and establish protocol for electing committee members. The bylaws also typically give details on the party's process for nominating and sending delegates to the national party convention during presidential elections. As of March 2016, the rules and bylaws of the Natural Law Party of Michigan were not publicly available.
Convention
As of March 2016, no information was available regarding the 2016 convention of the Natural Law Party of Michigan.[8]
Leadership
The following individuals hold leadership positions with the Natural Law Party of Michigan:[9]
- Doug Dern, Chair
- Kathy Dern, Secretary
- Kathleen Oakford, Treasurer
- Fred Byrne, Western Michigan coordinator
- Wendy Conway, Local coordinator
Noteworthy events
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential nomination (2024)
In April 2024, the Natural Law Party of Michigan nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) as its 2024 presidential candidate, allowing Kennedy to gain ballot access in the state through party nomination rather than by filing as an independent candidate.[10]
Kenndey Campaign Western Michigan Regional Coordinator Bill Costantino said, "Kennedy is good for Michigan. As an environmental champion for more than 40 years, Kennedy will work to restore our Great Lakes region, which holds 20% of the world's freshwater. He will ensure a thriving fishing economy and ecosystem for commercial fishermen and individual anglers."[10]
Michigan Natural Law Party Chairman Doug Dern said, "He’s the most qualified candidate in the modern-day history of America. We welcome Mr. Kennedy and Ms. Shanahan to the party."[10]
Recent news
See also
External links
- Natural Law Party of Michigan homepage
- Jason Gatties For Secretary of State homepage
- Cass County Natural Law Party homepage
Footnotes
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Michigan political party status," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ Natural Law Party, "Introduction," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ballot Access News, "Natural Law Party of Michigan nominates Rocky Anderson for president," August 7, 2012
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jason Gatties for Secretary of State, "Natural Law Party of Michigan," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ Independent Political Report, "Michigan Natural Law Party chooses Rocky Anderson for president," August 7, 2012
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2014 general election results," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ Cass County Natural Law Party, "Welcome from the chair," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ Michigan Bureau of Elections, "Campaign Finance Filing Schedule," accessed March 11, 2016
- ↑ Natural Law Party, "Natural Law Party of Michigan," accessed October 17, 2023
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Kennedy's campaign website, "Kennedy Gains Ballot Access in Battleground State of Michigan," April 18, 2024
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