THE VP by Tom Mortenson

While there has never been a woman elected as Vice President, throughout our history, many women have tried, but none have been successful. As our Nation celebrates the Centennial of Women Suffrage on August 26, it may come as a revelation that a suffragist was the first to be nominated for the position in 1848. At the National Convention of the Liberty Party, six percent of the delegates cast their ballots for Lucretia Mott to be their party's candidate for Vice President. Mott was strongly opposed to slavery and for women's rights.

On March 20, 1854, a new political party, the Republicans formed in Ripon, Wisconsin. Three women were present at the meeting of this new political party that has won more Presidential elections than any other party in our history, and was instrumental in support of women voting (19th Amendment). In 1964, GOP Senator Margaret Chase Smith was the first woman candidate for President of a major party.

In 1888, Marietta L. B. Stow, was the VP running mate on the National Equal Rights Party ticket. This minor party supported women suffrage. Stow is considered the first woman to run for VP and got around 4,000 votes nationwide.

In the 1940s, the GOP selected Charlotta Amanda Spears Bass as a western regional director for Wendell Willkie's Republican presidential campaign. She became the Progressive Party VP candidate in 1952, the first African-American woman nominated for Vice President.

In 1980, another minor party, the Right to Life Party, selected Carroll Driscoll. Two other minor political parties, the Peace and Freedom Party (Elizabeth Cervantes Barron) and Workers World Party (Gavrielle Holmes, also known as Gavrielle Gemma) ran for the office.

The first VP candidate who was a Native American woman was Rosa Clemente on the Citizens Party ticket in 1980. (Charles Curtis, Republican from Kansas, a Native American, served as VP with President Hoover from 1929 to 1933).

In the 1984 election, Gloria La Riva ran as the VP candidate on the Workers World Party ticket. The Democrats nominated the first female vice-presidential nominee representing a significant party with Geraldine Anne "Gerry" Ferraro as thier candidate.

The Libertarian Party ran Nancy Lord in 1992 and Jo Jorgensen in 1996.

1996 and 2000 saw Native American, Winona LaDuke, as Ralph Nader's running mate as members of the Green Party.

2020 is a year where we see a major party,, the Democrat Party, and a number of minor-third parties place women as their VP candidates.

Already within Republican circles Nicki Haley, former Ambassador to the United Nation, and former South Carolina Governor is mentioned as a likely candidate for either President of Vice President in 2024. Susan Collins the senior Senator from Maine and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem are mentioned as possible VP candidates in 2024.

History shows that many women have run for Vice-President, mainly on third party tickets, from every part of our Nation, from minorities, and all walks of life. Their legacy points to an ever-evolving Nation. In the words of Lincoln, a more perfect Union. Where our government truly is "of, by, and for (all) the people."

Two surprising events surrounding women running for VP was that in 2008 the Democrat party rejected Hillary Clinton despite winning more primaries and delegates than any woman in history.

The second is that former Governor Sarah Palin, running with John McCain, holds the record for any woman VP candidate in terms of popular and electoral college votes in our history.

While we cannot predict the future, the day will come when we will see a woman serve not only as Vice-President, but as President.