The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a socialist political party in the United States which operates mostly in California. It was formed in 1967 from anti-Vietnam War and pro-civil rights movements.
PFP operates both as an organization unto itself and an umbrella organization in which socialist organizations compete to win PFP's ballot access.
Notable past and present members include Bob Avakian, Emmy Lou Packard, Byron Randall, and briefly Murray Rothbard and Howie Hawkins.
Ideology PFP is a socialist party "committed to feminism, [...] democracy, ecology, and racial equality", PFP strongly supports environmentalism, indigenous rights, LGBT rights, abortion rights, public healthcare, public education, and subsidized housing. PFP is anti-Zionist.
History
Founding After the 1967 Century City anti-Vietnam War march on June 23, 1967, anti-war and civil rights supporters began collecting petitions for the Peace and Freedom Party. PFP's founders opposed the Democratic Party's support for the war in Vietnam and saw the Democrats as failing to effectively support the civil rights movement.
On January 2, 1968, PFP organizers submitted 105,100 signatures to receive party status in California. PFP has had ballot access in California since 1968, except between 1998 and 2002. In 2003, PFP became the first party in the history of California to regain its ballot status.
In 1968, PFP suffered a minor split: Dick Gregory and others split to create the Freedom and Peace Party (FPP), for which Gregory ran in the 1968 United States presidential election. The FPP collapsed after the 1968 election.
In 1971, progressives nationwide organized the People's Party. In 1972 and 1976, PFP endorsed the PP's candidates. After the PP dissolved in 1977, PFP continued in California.
Registered voters The following shows the total number of voters registered with the Peace and Freedom Party in California as of January of each major election year since 2004 (the first year they met ballot qualifications).
Year Voters % 2004 71,441 0.48% 2006 59,193 0.38% 2008 57,182 0.36% 2010 55,036 0.33% 2012 59,012 0.35% 2014 76,268 0.43% 2016 75,579 0.44% 2018 75,094 0.40% 2020 94,016 0.46% 2022 113,278 0.51% 2024 133,914 0.61% 2026 149,397 0.65%
Election results The PFP has fielded over 200 electoral candidates in the United States for local, state, and federal offices. PFP candidates usually run as official PFP candidates on their own ballot line.
No PFP candidate has yet won a contested election.
Presidential elections Year Presidential candidate Vice presidential candidate Popular votes % Electoral votes Result Ballot access Notes Ref 2024 Claudia De la Cruz Karina Garcia 167,772 0 Lost The Party for Socialism and Liberation also nominated De la Cruz. 2020 Gloria La Riva Sunil Freeman 85,188 0 Lost The Party for Socialism and Liberation also nominated La Riva, with Leonard Peltier as her running mate. 2016 Gloria La Riva Dennis Banks 74,405 0 Lost The Party for Socialism and Liberation also nominated La Riva, with Eugene Puryear as her running mate. Peace and Freedom 2016 "Gloria La Riva – Peace and Freedom 2016". Retrieved on May 29, 2017. 2012 Roseanne Barr Cindy Sheehan 67,477 0 Lost Peace and Freedom 2012 "Roseanne Barr – Peace and Freedom 2012". Retrieved on May 29, 2017. 2008 Ralph Nader Matt Gonzalez 739,034 0 Lost "Election Results 2008". Retrieved on November 7, 2024. 2004 Leonard Peltier Janice Jordan 27,607 0 Lost Peace and Freedom 2004 "Leonard Peltier for President". Retrieved on April 28, 2013. 1996 Marsha Feinland Kate McClatchy 25,332 0 Lost 1992 Ronald Daniels Asiba Tupahache 27,961 0 Lost 1984 Sonia Johnson Emma Wong Mar 72,161 0 Lost 1980 Maureen Smith Elizabeth Cervantes Barron 18,116 0 Lost 1976 Margaret Wright Benjamin Spock 49,016 0 Lost Ran on the People's Party ballot line 1972 Benjamin Spock Julius Hobson 78,759 0 Lost Ran on the People's Party ballot line 1968 Eldridge Cleaver Peggy Terry, Judy Mage 36,571 0 Lost
Presidential preference primaries Like many minor parties in California, PFP holds a non-binding "preference primary" for President. The PFP presidential candidate is ultimately selected by the PFP State Convention, at which only State Central Committee (SCC) members can vote.California Elections Code, Div. 7, Part 5, Chap. 3, Art. 3, Par. 7843The SCC consists primarily of members of county central committees,California Elections Code, Div. 7, Part 5, Chap. 3, Art. 1, Par. 7800 who are elected in the state presidential primary elections.California Elections Code, Div. 7, Part 5, Chap. 3, Art. 3, Par. 7843 The SCC had about 130 members in 2024 and 90 in 2008.
Since January 2001, California has had a "modified" closed primary system in which political parties may choose to allow voters who are not affiliated with any party, or No Party Preference, to participate in the party's primary; the Peace and Freedom Party has never chosen to do so.
In 2016, both PFP's California state chair and Green candidate Jill Stein requested that the California Secretary of State allow Stein to be placed on the PFP party ballot, but this was rejected. Instead, PFP nominated Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate Gloria La Riva.
Presidential nominating conventions The party nominated its 1968 presidential ticket at the 1968 Peace and Freedom National Convention. The party (as part of the People's Party) nominated its tickets in the next two elections at the 1972 People's National Convention and 1975 People's National Convention.
After being relegated to a party with automatic ballot access in only California, the party's presidential nominees have been decided at state nominating conventions.
Party convention (SCC) state presidential nominating convention votes:
Year Total PSL Greens WWP FSP SPUSA NAP IWP Independents Abstentions Ref 2024 about 130 99 Claudia de la Cruz about 30 across Cornel West & Jasmine Sherman 2020 68 62 Gloria La Riva 3 Howie Hawkins 3 2016 80 56 Gloria La Riva 9 Jill Stein 12 Monica Moorehead 1 Lynn Kahn 64 37 Roseanne Barr 16 Stephen Durham 6 Stewart Alexander 5 63 29 Roseanne Barr 18 Stephen Durham 12 Stewart Alexander 4 2008 89 27 Gloria La Riva 6 Cynthia McKinney 10 Brian Moore 46 Ralph Nader 1996 17 8 Monica Moorehead 9 Marsha Feinland 1992 211 91 Lenora Fulani 120 Ronald Daniels (of Rainbow Coalition) 1988 200 Lenora Fulani Herb Lewin 1984 Sonia Johnson (of Citizens Party)
In 2012, Rocky Anderson won a plurality of delegates in PFP's non-binding preference primary, after failing to win enough votes to place his Justice Party on the ballot. However, Anderson failed to win representatives on the PFP's Central Committee, and withdrew 1 week before the convention. Instead, PFP backed Party for Socialism and Liberation's preferred candidate Roseanne Barr.
In 2008, PFP endorsed Independent Ralph Nader in his presidential campaign. Nader obtained enough signatures to appear on the ballot in Iowa and Utah as the Peace and Freedom Party candidate. This was the first expansion of the party beyond California since the 1970s. However, PFP did not obtain enough votes to guarantee ballot access in Iowa or Utah in subsequent elections.
In 2000, PFP did not qualify for the ballot in California.
In 1988, three factions within PFP — the Internationalist Workers Party, New Alliance Party, and Socialist Party USA plus Communist Party USA — sought the party's ballot line. They could not agree, and split the convention, which resulted in the Secretary of State voiding the PFP ballot line for the year.
Congressional elections