Family losses from alcohol led Wood to Prohibition Party

Health care, Independents and third parties, Politics

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Why would Michael Wood, 66, a former head of an e-commerce company and married father of two, run for president as the nominee of the anti-alcohol Prohibition Party?

It’s partly because when he was a young man, one cousin drank himself to death at a college fraternity party, while another family member was injured by a drunk driver.

The Prohibition Party has existed since 1869, making it the nation’s oldest third party. It has fielded a presidential candidate in every election since 1872. It is best known historically for supporting a national ban on alcohol sales, a stance it does not take today. 

Wood will be one of five non-major party presidential candidates on the Arkansas ballot, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has dropped out of the race. The others are Chase Oliver with the Libertarian Party, Peter Sonski with the American Solidarity Party, and Jill Stein with the Green Party. Wood’s vice presidential running mate is John Pietrowski. Continue reading Family losses from alcohol led Wood to Prohibition Party →

Sonski running on life, solidarity

Elections, Independents and third parties

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Arkansans who don’t want to vote for former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris will have four other candidates to choose from, not including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has left the race but will remain on the ballot. Today, let’s meet Peter Sonski with the American Solidarity Party.

The ASP was incorporated in 2016 and largely bases its platform on a Christian worldview and Catholic social teaching, Sonski said. Its website says its presidential candidate received 42,305 votes nationwide in 2020. That included 1,713 in Arkansas, or .14% of the vote statewide.

The party believes in the sanctity of human life and that all public policies should benefit human beings. 

“We start with that foundation, and we are pro-life from womb to tomb, as we like to say,” he told me.  Continue reading Sonski running on life, solidarity →

Libertarian Oliver: Limit government to military, disputes

Independents and third parties

By Steve Brawner , © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Arkansans will have other presidential choices besides Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump this election. Chase Oliver will be one of them.

Oliver, 37, is the Libertarian Party nominee. Mike ter Maat is his vice presidential candidate.

Oliver will be one of up to five non-major party candidates on Arkansans’ ballots. Others who have qualified are independent Robert F. Kennedy along with the American Solidarity, Green and Prohibition parties. The latter three have submitted enough signatures but still must submit their presidential and vice presidential candidates by Aug. 22. The Green and Prohibition parties have submitted only their presidential candidates so far. 

I plan to devote a column to each of these candidates who will talk to me. We’ll start today with Oliver. 

Continue reading Libertarian Oliver: Limit government to military, disputes →

If you can’t beat them, go around them?

Elections, State government

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

It’s hard for many groups to get much done via representative democracy in Arkansas these days, so this election season – and maybe in future ones – they are trying the direct democracy route.

As you may have noticed, there are more proposed ballot initiatives this year than voters can shake a stick at. 

Meanwhile, there are few competitive candidate races. The presidential race is a foreground conclusion at this point. The only statewide race will be a special election for state treasurer, which Republican Secretary of State John Thurston almost certainly will win. Republicans will likely maintain their control of more than 80% of the Legislature. Continue reading If you can’t beat them, go around them? →