American Solidarity Party


The American Solidarity Party, formerly the Christian Democratic Party USA, is an American syncretic political party founded in 2011 by David "Frost" Harris, Kirk Morrison, and Jack Quirk. It is a Christian democratic political party with center-left economic values and center-right social values. The party has a Solidarity National Committee and has numerous active state and local chapters.
The American Solidarity Party has been characterized as socially conservative and economically progressive. The ASP encourages social development along the lines of subsidiarity and sphere sovereignty, with a stated emphasis on "the importance of strong families, local communities, and voluntary associations". The party adheres to a consistent life ethic, opposing abortion, assisted suicide, capital punishment, euthanasia, IVF, surrogacy, and unjust war. They support universal healthcare, immigration, and welfare. It favors fiscally progressive policies, as well as a social market economy with a distributist character, which seeks "widespread economic participation and ownership", and providing a social safety net program.
In the 2024 United States presidential election, it was on the ballot in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Ohio. Peter Sonski was the party's nominee in the 2024 United States presidential election.
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History

The American Solidarity party was founded in 2011 as the Christian Democratic Party USA by founders David "Frost" Harris, Kirk Morrison, and Jack Quirk. The party's original name was inspired by its European counterparts, the Polish trade union known as Solidarity, and the current one reflects its more developed ideology and focus in the years since. The ASP mascot is the pelican, a traditional symbol of charity.
In 2012, the CDPUSA endorsed the independent candidacy of Joe Schriner for president.
In December 2020, the American Solidarity Party joined the board of the Coalition for Free and Open Elections.

Ideology

The American Solidarity Party largely adheres to the ideology of Christian democracy, which has been influenced by Catholic social teaching, Neo-Calvinist theology and the social teachings espoused by other traditions of Christianity in various parts of the world. As such, the ASP looks to the Christian democratic movements in Europe and the Americas.
The American Solidarity Party has been characterized as conservative on social issues while supporting government intervention in economic matters, making it communitarian.

Political stances

Social issues

The American Solidarity Party opposes abortion, euthanasia, and capital punishment on the basis of the sanctity of human life. It views the traditional family as being central to society.
The American Solidarity Party advocates for a sympathetic approach to immigration. They believe in balancing the need for secure borders with a commitment to human dignity. This involves addressing the root causes of migration, such as the impact of the country's military, political, and economic power abroad.

Economic issues

The American Solidarity Party supports a universal healthcare system as well as an economy containing widespread distribution of productive property, in particular increased worker ownership and management of their production.

Foreign policy issues

The American Solidarity Party is non-interventionist in its foreign policy, using peace as its guiding principle. It supports foreign aid and nonviolent diplomacy, while opposing violent military action as a means to resolve conflicts.

Electoral reform

The American Solidarity Party advocates for electoral reform, aiming to combat what they call a "political oligarchy" and gridlock. They propose proportional representation for the House of Representatives, endorse ranked-choice voting or approval voting in all elections, and support easy voter registration. The party also emphasizes fair access for independent candidates, access to impartial information, and pilot programs for electronic voting with consideration for security concerns.

Influences

Daniel Silliman writes that the American Solidarity Party, as with other Christian-democratic political parties, draws from Catholic social teaching and Neo-Calvinist theology. In the same vein, David McPherson says that the American Solidarity Party "affirm... the full spectrum of Catholic social teaching," contrasting the ASP to both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, each of which recognizes only some of these items. Its strongest support is in California and Texas, according to the Madera Tribune.
Members of the American Solidarity Party use the demonym "Solidarist" to refer to themselves.

Elections

The ASP has run candidates for federal, state, and local offices. There are currently three ASP members serving in elected office. All three are local offices.

Presidential elections

2016

During the 2016 presidential election season, the American Solidarity Party held an online convention on July 9, 2016, which nominated Amir Azarvan of Georgia for president and Mike Maturen of Michigan for vice-president. However, Azarvan subsequently withdrew, and in response the ticket was revised, with Maturen running for president and Juan Muñoz of Texas running for vice-president.
For the 2016 election, the American Solidarity Party was listed on the ballot in Colorado. It was a certified write-in option in Alabama, California, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. Maturen received 6,697 votes in Colorado.

2020

In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Brian Carroll, Joe Schriner, and Joshua Perkins announced their candidacies for the ASP nomination. Carroll was declared the winner of the nomination on September 9, 2019.
For the 2020 election, the American Solidarity Party was on the ballot in Arkansas, Colorado, Guam, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
It was a certified write-in option in Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

2024

On June 2, 2023, Peter Sonski won the nomination of the party for President of the United States. The primary was conducted by an online members' vote. The vice presidential nominee, Lauren Onak, was selected by Sonski before the national convention in early July in Plano, Texas, and she was formally nominated there. The party was on the ballot in Arkansas, Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Ohio. Additionally, the American Solidarity Party had approved write-in status in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
YearPresidential candidateVice presidential candidatePopular votes%Electoral votesResultBallot accessNotes
2024Peter SonskiLauren Onak47,070 0 LostSonski had write-in access in 33 additional states.
2020Brian CarrollAmar Patel40,365 0 LostCarroll had write-in access in 31 additional states.
2016Mike MaturenJuan Muñoz6,697 0 LostMaturen had write-in access in 18 additional states.

United States House of Representatives elections

In addition to the candidates below, Mike Vick ran as a write-in candidate for Illinois' 2nd congressional district in 2024. Illinois does not report write-in votes separately. The party also endorsed Democrat and AND Campaign co-founder House of Representatives elections in Illinois#District 1|Pastor Chris Butler] for U.S. Congress in 2022 [United States House of Representatives elections in Illinois#District 1|Illinois's 1st congressional district] in 2022. He was eliminated in the Democratic primary, receiving 3,707 votes.
YearCandidateStateDistrictVotes%ResultNotes
2025Reyna AndersonTexasTX-18263 LostRan as an independent; did not advance to top-two general
2024Erskine LeviCaliforniaCA-311,166 LostRan on a no party preference line; did not advance to top-two general
2022Oliver BlackWashingtonWA-03456 LostRan as an American Solidarity Party candidate; did not advance to top-two general
2022Erskine LeviCaliforniaCA-3117 LostRan as a write-in candidate; did not advance to top-two general
2020Shane HoffmanOhioOH-1575 LostRan as a write-in candidate
2018Brian CarrollCaliforniaCA-221,591 LostRan on a no party preference line; did not advance to top-two general

Statewide elections

In addition to the candidates below, Solidarity National Committee member Dr. Tyler Martin ran for governor of Nebraska in 2022. Nebraska does not report write-in votes separately, meaning Martin's vote share is unknown.
YearCandidateOfficeStateDistrictVotes%ResultNotes
2024Eric AntonAuditor GeneralPennsylvaniaAt-Large20,989 LostRan as an American Solidarity Party candidate
2024Richard McKibbinRailroad CommissionerTexasAt-Large1,656 LostRan as a write-in candidate
2022James HaninkGovernorCaliforniaAt-Large10,110 LostRan on a no party preference line; did not advance to top-two general
2022Desmond SilveiraSecretary of StateCaliforniaAt-Large235 LostRan as a write-in candidate
2022Jacqueline AbernathyGovernorTexasAt-Large1,243 LostRan as a write-in candidate
2021James HaninkGovernor CaliforniaAt-Large7,193 LostRan on a no party preference line; did not advance to top-two general
2018Desmond SilveiraGovernorCaliforniaAt-Large4,633 LostRan on a no party preference line; did not advance to top-two general

State legislature elections

In addition to the candidates below, in 2024, Amar Patel ran for state representative in Illinois' 48th district, and Jonathan Bruce ran for state representative in South Carolina's 8th district. Neither state reports write-in votes separately.

Notable party supporters