The American Independent Party is a ballot qualified California political party. The group is headquartered near Sacramento in Vacaville, California. Background
The American Independent Party (AIP) aims to support "limited constitutional government with emphasis on the rights of the several states to govern their own local affairs and educational systems." The AIP was founded by William Shearer o
n July 8, 1967, in Bakersfield, Calif. The group organized a statewide voter registration drive to place the party's presidential nominee, former Governor of Alabama George C. Wallace garnered seven percent of the California vote and 14 percent of the national vote. Since 1968 the American Independent Party is a ballot-qualified party recognized by the California Secretary of State, with its registered I.D. # 742371. Though a number of AIP state affiliates and Wallace supporters fell idle following the 1968 elections, the California AIP remained operational. The 38 remaining state affiliates regrouped under the banner of the national American Party in 1969 and supported former Congressman John G. as the party's 1972 presidential nominee. In 1976, the American Party splintered and the California group became a member of the renewed national AIP. The AIP supported former Democratic Governor of Georgia Lester G. Maddox as the 1976 presidential nominee and former Congressman John Rarick (R-La.) as the 1980 presidential nominee. Though the national AIP saw little electoral success and eventually dwindled, the California AIP remained active. In 1991, the California AIP aligned with the national U.S. Taxpayers Party, which later became the Constitution Party. The group split from the Constitution Party in 2008 and became the California affiliate of the national America's Party. In 2012, the California AIP announced its intention to reinstate a national AIP leading up to the 2016 election cycle. The AIP website states that the party is the California affiliate of the national American Independent Party of these Unites States. For the General Election, November 8, 2016, it has nominated Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President. In addition it has endorsed candidates for the House of Representatives, State Senate, and State Assembly. See: http://aipca.org/index.html. According to the California secretary of state, the AIP remains a ballot qualified political party for the 2016 election cycle. http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/political-parties/american-independent.htm