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:''For the political party created in 1944, see America First Party (1944).''
The 'America First Party' is a third party in the United States.
The party was formed in 2002 when a group of Pat Buchanan supporters left the Reform Party. The party is pro-life, opposes all gun control, seeks to end affirmative action, racial quotas, and illegal and unlimited immigration. Buchanan himself has never publicly professed any affiliation with the party, but it has attracted politicians such as former Boston mayor and Vatican ambassador Raymond Flynn. The party's web page shows recent press releases and articles on current issues which showcase the organization's positions. The AFP also publishes a 12-page newspaper which illustrates its policy positions and focuses on current problems in government.

Contents

Party composition

Issues

Smaller federal government

Church/State issues

Size and scope of the party

Ballot access

Recent candidates and conventions

Candidates recently elected

See also

External links

Party composition

The party is attractive to people who believe that the federal government's role should be very limited in domestic matters, and limited in foreign affairs in the Washingtonian sense, and they hold that these positions are required by the constitution. They support enforcement of laws against illegal immigration, and on constitutional and economic grounds, they seek to end U.S. involvement with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and World Trade Organization (WTO). The America First party opposed the 2003 invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq, and refers to the Iraq war as unconstitutional. On constitutional grounds, the party calls for an end to all foreign aid, without exception.
The party supports transferring more resources to United States National Guard personnel to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.

Issues

Smaller federal government

The party seeks to eliminate several Cabinet departments within the Executive branch of the U.S. federal government, such as the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Education. The party also seeks to eliminate all federal funding for schools, believing that federal government money has led to more federal control over schools -- control, the party believes, that should rest in the hands of local governments.

Church/State issues

The party opposes the idea that the Constitution bars expressions of religious faith in the public square. It seeks to overturn all bans on organized prayer in public places, especially in public schools, as well as bans on displays of religious icons (such as tablets of the Ten Commandments) on government property.

Size and scope of the party

Ballot access

The America First Party was on the ballot in the following states in December 2004:
# Florida [1]
# Mississippi [2]

Recent candidates and conventions

The America First Party ran 11 candidates for public office in the U.S. general elections of 2002.
In July 2003, the Party postponed its scheduled national convention, which was to take place on 24-26 July in Nashville, Tennessee. James "Bo" Gritz, a retired Colonel in the Green Berets and decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, was invited to speak at that convention, but was later removed from the speakers' list because of his alleged connection to white supremacist groups. This caused a fracture within the Party's organization, resulting in some AFP state affiliates leaving the national organization.
On 30 March 2004, America First Party candidate Jeffrey W.T. Buck was elected to the Representative Town Meeting Assembly of Framingham, Massachusetts representing the 13th Precinct--thus becoming the party's first elected official.
On October 12, 2004, the America First Party endorsed Constitution Party candidate Michael A. Peroutka for President of the United States.
The only AFP candidate that was running in the 2006 general election was Mr. Martin Scott McClellan for Brevard County School Board - District 1 in Florida. He lost with 24% of the vote, running second in a three-way race.

Candidates recently elected

# Florida: Martin Scott McClellan: Planning and Advisory Zoning Board
# Massachusetts: Jeffrey W. T. Buck: Framingham Town Meeting Member Precinct 13
# Massachusetts: Richard J. Parsons, Natick Town Meeting Member Precinct 9

See also

★ American conservatism

★ Pat Buchanan

★ Independent American Party

★ Constitution Party

★ Third parties in the U.S.

★ List of political parties in the United States

External links

★ Official Website

★ America First Party of Ohio