The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a United States political party founded in 1967 as a leftist organization opposed to the Vietnam War. The PFP reached its peak of support in 1968 when it nominated Black Panther spokesman Eldridge Cleaver for President. Although a convicted felon, Cleaver carried nearly 37,000 votes. During this time period, Bob Avakian was the spokesmen for the party in the San Fransisco Area. In another odd case, during the 1968 election, the New York Peace and Freedom Party consisted of a fractious coalition of competing Marxist groups along with libertarians led by Murray Rothbard.

In 1972, the PFP nominated democratic socialist and anti-war activist Benjamin Spock. Since then, the PFP has been active largely within the state of California, and it has been targeted by smaller extremist groups who were after its coveted California ballot spot. In 1996, the PFP successfully blocked an attempt by the Workers World Party to nominate its own Monica Moorehead. The PFP's 1996 Presidential candidate, Marsha Feinland , garnered over 25,000 votes in California. However, in 1998, the PFP failed to attain more than 2% of the votes, causing them to lose ballot status in the state.

Their position on the ballot was restored in 2003 after a voter registration drive, and jailed Native American activist Leonard Peltier was chosen as the party's 2004 presidential candidate in primaries in March 2004.

Presidential candidates

• 1968 - Eldridge Cleaver
• 1972 - Benjamin Spock
• 1980 - Maureen Smith
• 1988 - Herbert Lewin
• 1992 - Ronald Daniels
• 1996 - Marsha Feinland
• 2004 - Leonard Peltier

See also

• List of political parties in the United States

External link

• Official site