A.I.P. Rarick 1980

Red and white text on a blue and white background

John R. Rarick ran for United States President as the nominee of the American Independent Party (AIP) in 1980. An attorney, Rarick was a state district court judge in St. Francisville, Louisiana from 1961 to 1966 before serving as the representative of the Sixth Congressional District in the United States Congress from 1967 to 1975. Rarick was a member of the Democratic Party, but he grew frustrated with his party's increasingly liberal philosophies. In his congressional campaign, Rarick ran on a segregationist, anti-federal government platform.

Rarick supported American Independent Party candidate George Wallace for president against Democrat Hubert Humphrey and Republican Richard Nixon in 1968. Rarick was stripped of seniority by the House Democratic Caucus for having openly supported Wallace. In 1974, the Democratic Party refused to renominate Rarick for his congressional seat. In 1976, Rarick ran failed campaigns both to return to Congress and to receive the AIP's presidential nomination. In the 1980 general election, Ronald Reagan was elected as US President. One of ten candidates, Rarick only appeared on the ballot in eight states,and received just over 40,000 (0.05%) votes.