Utah Independent American Party
The Utah Independent American Party is a third party in Utah that runs a national party named the Independent American Party which promotes Ultraconservative, Paleoconservative, and Mormon values. The UIAP currently stands as the 3rd largest political party in Utah with over 90,000 registered voters as of December 2025.
History
The UIAP was founded in 1993 by Will Christensen, Wayne Hill, and John Poulson, Mormons in Utah that wanted a "truly conservative" party, in line with the teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, the 13th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The party has claimed that the Republican party are too Progressive, and that there are no parties more conservative than the UIAP. The party picked its name in reference to a prophecy from Joseph Smith recorded by Mosiah Hancock that both the Republican and Democratic parties would be destroyed by an "Independent American Party." The party is based on Benson's speech titled The Proper Role of Government which establishes "."In 1995 the party became the Utah state affiliate of the American Party, however, following the failure of the AP to secure a national ballot line for the 1996 election the UIAP called an internal straw poll in 1998 where members where presented three options; remain affiliated with the AP, affiliate with the nascent National U.S. Taxpayers Party, or form a "National Independent American Party", with the members choosing the third option with 79% in favor. The party often uses 1998 as their foundation year. In 2001 the party created additional affiliates in Minnesota and Tennessee.
The Independent American Party of Minnesota isn't a registered party, rather they've registered as a PAC. The PAC was involved in the Draft Ron Paul movement in 2001 for the 2004 election. In 2014 the National party announced that US Navy veteran Daryle Darnell was leading the party, and was making preparations for the 2016 United States Presidential Election. At the same time the National party announced that they would be running Cary Lee Peterson for Guam's at-large congressional district.
In 2021 Wayne Hill and Will Christensen died within 30 days of each other, in November and December respectively, and since John Poulson had died some years earlier the UIAP was left without strong coherent leadership. Greg Duerden eventually rose to become the party's chairman. In 2023 the party surpassed 80,000 registered members, and announced plans to open branches to represent Mormon colonies in Central and South America. The party has been supported by Cliven Bundy, made famous for his Bundy standoff against various federal police forces.