The 2020 Constitution Party presidential primaries were a series of primary elections determining the allocation of delegates in the selection of the Constitution Party's presidential nominee in the 2020 United States presidential election. On May 2, 2020, the Constitution Party nominated Don Blankenship for president and William Mohr for vice-president.[1] Several state parties split from the national Constitution Party to nominate their own candidates.[2]
Background
Constitution Party nominees for president historically have received around 0.1% of the general election vote.[citation needed] In 2016 with attorney Darrell Castle as its nominee, the party reached a milestone, receiving over 200,000 votes for president for the first time.[3] During the early months of 2019, there was some consternation among Constitution Party members over a perceived lack of candidates for the nomination.[4]
State affiliate disputes
After the Constitution Party chose Blankenship as its presidential nominee, there was substantial tension among several state affiliates of the Constitution Party over nominating Blankenship, who has been convicted of conspiring to willfully violate mine safety and health standards in relation to the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster.[5] The same day that Blankenship was chosen as the nominee, the Constitution Party of Virginia broke with the national party, instead choosing to back LibertarianJustin Amash for the presidency.[5]
On May 13, 2020, the Constitution Party of New Mexico also broke with the national CP, giving Blankenship's fellow candidate Samm Tittle their ballot line.[6] Tittle was also endorsed by the Virginia Party after Amash withdrew from the presidential race.[2] The Constitution Party of Idaho was reportedly considering not nominating William Mohr for vice president, and instead choosing their own vice presidential nominee, but they eventually acquiesced and nominated him for vice president.[7][8]
Filing for the primaries began in August 2019. indicates that the candidate was on the ballot for the upcoming primary contest and indicates that the candidate did not appear on the ballot in that state's contest.
^ abJ. R. Myers is a member of the Life and Liberty Party, but was on the ballot for the Constitution Party primary in Idaho.
^In the below table, blank cells indicate the candidate was not a ballot option or approved write-in candidate. Shaded cells indicate withdrawn candidates.
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