# American Constitution Party (Colorado)

The American Constitution Party (ACP) is one of the state of Colorado's political parties. It is affiliated with the national-level Constitution Party, a conservative political party in the United States that says it bases most of its policy positions on the Constitution. The party asserts that the US is a Christian nation founded on the Bible and that American jurisprudence should be restored to what the party claims is its "Biblical foundations". The ACP qualified for major party status in Colorado after receiving more than 36% of the vote in the 2010 gubernatorial election. As the party did not field a candidate in the 2014 election, it reverted to minor party status.

## Background

The American Constitution Party registered as a political party with the state of Colorado on July 23, 2000. In July 2013, the ACP had just over 7,000 registered Colorado voters affiliated with it. Some of the party's positions include:
    ACP members ... call for the abolition of the Food and Drug Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the departments of Education and Energy and the Federal Election Commission. They seek the repeal of a number of laws, including one aimed at preventing threats and force against abortion clinics and women seeking abortions and a 1960s-era law meant to end discriminatory election practices.
For most of its existence, the ACP has existed as one of Colorado's "minor parties", and has never elected one of its candidates to office.

## Party platform

The American Constitution Party of Colorado seeks to:
   * Allow state legislatures, not voters, to pick U.S. senators (i.e., repeal the 17th Amendment)
   * Repeal legislation making it illegal to use force or the threat of force to interfere with a woman seeking an abortion
   * Abolish congressional pensions
   * End the Endangered Species Act
   * Terminate the U.S. Departments of Energy and Education, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Election Commission and the Internal Revenue Service
   * Ban electronic voting to prevent voter fraud
   * Repeal all federal campaign-finance laws
   * Repeal the Voting Rights Act of 1965
   * End compulsory public school attendance and promote homeschooling, private schools or religious schools
   * End any domestic federal aid not provided for in the U.S. Constitution, as it is "not only illegal, it is immoral"
   * End foreign aid and participation in multinational groups, such as the United Nations, as well as multinational treaties
   * Retake the Panama Canal for the United States
   * Prevent women from serving in combat as "these 'advances' undermine the integrity, morale and performance of our military organizations"
   * "Cease financing or arming of belligerents in the world's troubled areas"
   * Return to the people all federal lands held by the government without constitutional authorization
   * Revoke the legalization of the union of gay couples in either marriages or civil unions
   * Immediately collect all foreign debts owed to the U.S.
The ACP is affiliated with the national-level Constitution Party, which has developed a party platform as well.

## 2010 Colorado gubernatorial election

Former Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo ran as the party's candidate for Colorado governor in 2010 after the campaign of Republican Party nominee Dan Maes collapsed politically. He won around 36% of the vote, receiving more than 2.5 times the vote of Republican Party nominee Maes. Democratic candidate John Hickenlooper won the election with just over 51% of the vote.
Colorado gubernatorial election (2010) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | John Hickenlooper | 912,005 | 51.01% | −5.97% |
| | Constitution | Tom Tancredo | 651,232 | 36.43% | +35.80% |
| | Republican | Dan Maes | 199,034 | 11.13% | −29.03% |
| | Libertarian | Jaimes Brown | 13,314 | 0.74% | −0.75% |
| | Independent | Jason R. Clark | 8,576 | 0.48% | |
| | Independent | Paul Fiorino | 3,483 | 0.19% | |
| | Write-ins | | 86 | 0.00% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 260,773 | 14.59% | −2.24% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,787,730 | | |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Swing | | |

### Context and aftermath

Under state law, the American Constitution Party's vote share in the 2010 gubernatorial election elevated the party from "minor" to "major" party status. Any party that earns 10% or more of the votes cast for governor is a defined under statute as a "major party". Major party status gives the party a place at or near the top of the ballot in the 2014 gubernatorial election.
However, because of the additional organizational, financial, and compliance requirements triggered by major party status, ACP leaders were ambivalent about the change.
After the election, Tancredo quickly rejoined the Republican Party, disappointing an ACP leadership struggling to contend with major party status and how to successfully leverage the increased attention the party had received because of his candidacy.
The party effectively relinquished its 'major party' status by the 2014 gubernatorial election, by virtue of not running or fielding a candidate.

## Best results in major races

| Office | Percent (%) | District | Year | Candidate |
| Governor | 36.38% | Statewide | 2010 | Tom Tancredo |
| Governor | 3.62% | Statewide | 1994 | Kevin Swanson |
| Governor | 0.86% | Statewide | 2022 | Danielle Neuschwanger |
| US Senate | 2.56% | Statewide | 2008 | Douglass Campbell |
| US Senate | 1.52% | Statewide | 2002 | Douglass Campbell |
| US Senate | 0.89% | Statewide | 2004 | Douglass Campbell |
| US House | 4.66% | CO 4 | 2010 | Doug Aden |
| US House | 4.30% | CO 5 | 2012 | Kenneth R. Harvell |
| US House | 3.78% | CO 4 | 2000 | Leslie Hanks |
| State senate | 15.19% | SD 12 | 2012 | James Michael Bristol |
| State senate | 9.51% | SD 10 | 2012 | Christopher Mull |
| State senate | 5.08% | SD 31 | 2010 | Clifton Powell |
| State house | 15.91% | HD 21 | 2012 | Sean Halstead |
| State house | 13.86% | HD 16 | 2012 | David Rawe |
| State house | 11.50% | HD 15 | 2012 | Michael Edstrom |

## Recent electoral history

Although the American Constitution Party's political and organizational sophistication did not grow despite the attention brought to it by Tancredo's 2010 gubernatorial candidacy, the party fielded more candidates in the 2010 and 2012 cycles than it had in the entirety of the previous decade.
In the 2022 elections, the party fielded candidates in races for US House, in Districts 2, 4 and 5, as well as in statewide elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and in District 8 for the Board of Education. All were unsuccessful, recording less than 1% of the vote in most of these races.
Candidates fielded 2002-2014 :
| Election Year | Office | Name |
| 2014 | Adams County Sheriff | James Fariello |
| 2014 | Mesa County Assessor | Steve Henderson |
| 2013 | Steamboat Springs School Board | Joseph Andrew |
| 2012 | Adams County Commissioner | James Fariello |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 14 | Ryan Dyer |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 14 | Thomas O'dell |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 15 | Michael Edstrom |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 16 | David Rawe |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 17 | Barry Pace |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 18 | Amy Fedde |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 19 | Timothy Biolchini |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 20 | Donna Burdick |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 21 | Sean Halstead |
| 2012 | Colorado House, District 61 | Robert Petrowsky |
| 2012 | Colorado Senate, District 10 | Christopher Mull |
| 2012 | Colorado Senate, District 12 | James Bristol |
| 2012 | CU Regent, At-Large | Tyler Belmont |
| 2012 | CU Regent, At-Large | Brian Scott |
| 2012 | CU Regent, District 5 | Gina Biolchini |
| 2012 | El Paso County Commissioner | Kathy Payne |
| 2010 | Adams County Sheriff | James Fariello |
| 2010 | Colorado Senate, District 31 | Clifton Powell |
| 2010 | Governor | Benjamin Goss |
| 2010 | Governor | Tom Tancredo |
| 2010 | Lt. Governor | Patricia Miller |
| 2010 | Motezuma County Sheriff | Gerald Wallace |
| 2010 | Secretary of State | Amanda Campbell |
| 2008 | Colorado House, District 27 | Amanda Campbell |
| 2008 | Colorado House, District 37 | Brian Olds |
| 2008 | Park County Commissioner | Zdenko Novkovic |
| 2006 | Colorado House, District 53 | Darren Morrison |
| 2006 | Colorado Senate, District 16 | Tim Leonard |
| 2006 | CU Regent, At-Large | Douglas "Dayhorse" Campbell |
| 2006 | Governor | Clyde Harkins |
| 2006 | La Plata County Commissioner | Padraig Lynch |
| 2006 | Lt. Governor | Tracy Davison |
| 2002 | Attorney General | Gaar Potter |
| 2002 | Colorado House | Paul Berthelot |
| 2002 | Colorado House, District 57 | Dr. Zane Newitt |
| 2002 | Lt. Governor | Desiree Hickson |