American Solidarity Party
The American Solidarity Party is a Christian democratic political party in the United States. It was founded in 2011 and officially incorporated in 2016. The party has a National Committee and has numerous active state and local chapters. The ASP is a minor third party, with no elected officials in national or state government, and one city official elected in 2019. Brian T. Carroll is the party’s nominee in the 2020 presidential election.
The ASP encourages social development along the lines of subsidiarity and sphere sovereignty, with a stated emphasis on "the importance of strong families, local communities, and voluntary associations". They also have a stated policy of defending religious freedom. The American Solidarity Party favors a social market economy, and seeks "widespread economic participation and ownership" through supporting small business. They also call for providing a safety net. In order to promote environmental stewardship and sustainability, the ASP platform calls for conservation and a transition toward more renewable sources of energy, while rejecting population control measures.
History
The ASP was founded in 2011 as the "Christian Democratic Party USA". In 2012, the CDPUSA endorsed the independent candidacy of Joe Schriner for President.The name of the party was changed after the 2012 election to the "American Solidarity Party", and a national committee was created for the purpose of drafting a platform and developing the party’s online presence. Kirk Morrison chaired the committee until late 2015. Dr. Stephen Beall, who drafted the original platform, became chair in 2016 and organized the party’s first online convention in July. He was succeeded by Matthew Bartko, who worked to incorporate the ASP as a legal entity and presided over the formation of numerous state chapters.
Names and symbols
The party was founded in 2011 as the Christian Democratic Party USA. Shortly after the 2012 election, the CDP USA renamed itself the American Solidarity Party.The ASP mascot is the pelican, a traditional symbol of charity. The party’s political color is orange, as with other Christian Democratic political parties.
Some members of the American Solidarity Party refer to themselves as Solidarists.
Ideology and influences
The American Solidarity Party has been characterized as conservative on social issues while supporting some government intervention in economic matters. The ASP's 2016 presidential nominee, Mike Maturen, has characterized the party as "centrist", as has The Irish Times.Membership and leadership in the American Solidarity Party is open to people of all backgrounds, creeds, etc. The American Solidarity Party adheres to the ideology of Christian democracy, which has been influenced by Catholic Social Teaching and Neo-Calvinist theology. As such, the ASP looks to the Christian Democratic movements in Europe and the Americas, and to American religious populists such as Martin Luther King. As the name indicates, the American Solidarity Party draws its inspiration from Solidarity, founded by Lech Wałęsa in 1980. In addition, the ASP shares the socially conservative positions of the Netherlands' Anti-Revolutionary Party, founded by Dutch prime minister and Calvinist theologian Abraham Kuyper in 1879.
A core principle of the American Solidarity Party is the consistent life ethic, understood as "respect for life and the dignity of all persons on all issues." Like other social conservatives, the ASP opposes abortion, euthanasia, and embryonic stem cell research, but it differs from many of them by rejecting capital punishment and holding to Just War principles in foreign policy. It regards economic justice as an essential aspect of respect for human life.
The American Solidarity Party also calls for fair labor practices and the strengthening of labor organizations, a wider distribution of wealth and productive property, the provision of decent health care to all members of society, responsible stewardship of the environment, and policies that strengthen the family and civil society.
David McPherson of First Things says that the American Solidarity Party "affirm... the full spectrum of Catholic social teaching," contrasting the ASP to both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, each of which recognizes only some of these items. Its strongest support is in California, Ohio, and Texas, according to the Madera Tribune.
Political positions
The American Solidarity Party holds to the following principles:- Sanctity of Life: Human life is sacred, from conception to natural death. We thus oppose abortion, euthanasia, and any direct and intentional attacks on innocent human life. We oppose the death penalty as an unnecessary measure to protect human life.
- Social Justice: We affirm a special collective responsibility to the most vulnerable members of society and call for societal structures that uphold the equal value and dignity of each person, regardless of any personal characteristics. This requires efforts to address systemic and historic injustices, including long-standing racial injustice, in a way that confronts inequalities that disparage innate personal dignity.
- Community-Oriented Society: Humans are created to live in communities, and the proper organization of our communities is necessary for the flourishing of our societies. Society consists of various institutions and communities, like families, governments, and religious groups, whose primary authority over their own affairs should be respected and defended. Higher levels of government should serve to empower and support lower levels of authority, rather than replace them.
- Centrality of the Family: Natural marriage and the family are the central institutions of society and must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. As the family provides for the nurturing of children, it is the imperative of the state to advance the wellbeing of all families, while respecting the duty of family members to fulfill their roles freely.
- Economic Security: The state and subsidiary organizations must act to remedy economic injustice by creating conditions for widespread ownership of property and production. Personal, cooperative, and social ownership are all valid in a just society. Workers’ rights and a family wage must be ensured, and those who cannot work should receive income adequate for full participation in society.
- Care for the Environment: Cultivation and good stewardship ought to characterize the relationship between humanity and creation. The earth and its fruits are universally destined for the benefit of all people. Both government and civil society have a responsibility to protect natural resources, now and for future generations.
- Peace and International Solidarity: Peace is the fruit of justice and requires solidarity among peoples and nations. Aid and trade policies must advance justice, sustainability, and human flourishing. Diplomatic and nonviolent means of resolution must be exhausted before violent means can be considered. Military action must strictly adhere to just-war principles.
Elections
2016
Presidential election
During the 2016 presidential election season, the American Solidarity Party held an online convention on July 9, 2016, which nominated Dr. Amir Azarvan of Georgia for president and Mike Maturen of Michigan for vice-president. However, Azarvan subsequently withdrew, and in response the ticket was revised, with Maturen running for president and Juan Muñoz of Texas running for vice-president.For the 2016 election, the American Solidarity Party was listed on the ballot in Colorado. It was a certified write-in option in Alabama, California, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. Maturen received 6,662 reported votes, not including states that didn't report votes for him.
2017
New Jersey legislative election
For the November 2017 off-year elections, the American Solidarity Party ran a candidate for New Jersey legislature, Monica Sohler, in the 6th district. She received 821 votes.2018
Thiensville, Wisconsin Village Board election
Marianne Bovee ran for Thiensville, Wisconsin Village Board, receiving 155 votes, narrowly missing out by 5 votes.California Governor
Desmond Silveira, a software engineer, was formerly national committee member of the American Solidarity Party, the campaign manager for the Maturen-Muñoz 2016 campaign, vice chair of the ASP, and director of operations for the party. In 2018, he ran for governor, receiving 4,633 votes in the election.California's 22nd congressional district
ran against Devin Nunes for California's 22nd congressional district as an American Solidarity candidate, receiving 1,591 votes in the election.San Diego City Council, District 6
Kevin Lee Egger ran for San Diego City Council District 6, receiving 1,111 votes in the election.2019
Sheboygan, Wisconsin city attorney
Charles "Chuck" Adams, who was first elected as the Sheboygan city attorney in 2015, ran for re-election on April 2, 2019 and won the election, receiving 5198 votes. Adams became the first to be elected to public office while a member of the party. However, he has since left the party, leaving them without an elected official.2020
Presidential election
In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Brian Carroll, Joe Schriner, and Joshua Perkins announced their candidacies for the ASP nomination. Carroll was declared the winner of the nomination on September 9, 2019.Ohio's 15th congressional district
Shane Hoffman is running for Ohio's 15th congressional district as a write-in candidate. A librarian, Hoffman had previously worked with other central Ohio libraries on anti-hunger initiatives. Hoffman would state that the impetus for his run for Congress was a wish to end poverty and hunger by reforming the American economy along distributist lines.Presidential tickets
| Election | Name | Experience | Home state | Running Mate | Home state | Experience | Campaign Announcement date | Votes | Ref. |
| 2016 | Mike Maturen replacing Amir Azarvan | Businessman | Michigan | Juan Muñoz replacing Mike Maturen | Texas | Businessman | FEC Filing | 6,797 0 EV | |
| 2020 | Brian Carroll | Teacher Independent candidate for U.S. Representative from CA-22 in 2018 | California | Amar Patel | Illinois | Former Party Chairman | Campaign: April 2, 2019 Nomination: September 9, 2019 FEC Filing |
Presidential ballot access
Notable party members
- Charles A. Coulombe, Catholic author, historian, and lecturer
- Terry Mattingly, journalist, author, and professor
- Mike Maturen, former presidential candidate
- Joe Schriner, presidential candidate
- Jeremy McLellan, comedian