Linda Jenness

Linda Jenness (born 1941^[1]) was a Socialist Workers Party candidate for president in the United States presidential election, 1972. She received 83,380 votes (vs. 47,169,911 for Richard Nixon).

In 1972, Jenness, Vice Presidential candidate Andrew Pulley, and People's Party candidates Benjamin Spock and Julius Hobson wrote to Major General Bert A. David, commanding officer of Fort Dix in New Jersey asking for permission to distribute campaign literature and to hold an election-related campaign meeting. Based on Fort Dix regulations 210-26 and 210-27, General David refused the request. Ultimately the case made its way to the United States Supreme Court (424 U.S. 828 -- Greer, Commander, Fort Dix Military Reservation, et al., v. Spock et al, which ruled against the plaintiffs).

Aged 31 at time of the election, she did not meet the Constitutional age requirement to hold the office of President, but the SWP was on the ballot in 25 states - six more than in 1968. She qualified for the Ohio ballot but was removed when she could not prove she was 35^[2].

Jenness had previously been the party's candidate for Governor of Georgia in 1970. She had collected 88,175 signatures in order to get on the ballot. Jenness, the SWP and two other candidates of the party brought a lawsuit Jenness v. Fortson 403 U.S. 431 (1971) regarding Georgia's ballot access standards, a case about which it has been said that it "continues to haunt the jurisprudence of ballot access law" (Raskin 2003, page 103).

She had also been involved in the case 26 F.C.C.2d 485 (1970), regarding media coverage of third-party candidates.

Books

Linda Jenness has authored several books and pamphlets, or provided introductions. Some of these are as follows:

• Jenness, Linda and Fidel Castro (1970). Woman & The Cuban Revolution Pathfinder Press
• Jenness, Linda (1972). Socialism and democracy; a speech by Linda Jenness, Socialist Workers Party candidate for president, 1972. Pathfinder Press ISBN 0-87348-280-8
• Jenness, Linda (1973). Feminism and Socialism. Pathfinder Press ISBN 1-199-12398-6
• Jenness, Linda and Andrew Pulley (1973). Introduction to Watergate: The View from the Left - Unpublicized Facts About Government Attacks on Dissenters and the Socialists; Strategy for Fighting Back Pathfinder Press
• Jenness, Linda (1975). Last Hired, First Fired: Affirmative Action VS. Seniority

References

• Raskin, Jamin (2003). Overruling Democracy; The Supreme Court Versus the American People

References

• 424 U.S. 828 -- Greer, Commander, Fort Dix Military Reservation, et al., v. Spock et al
• Results, 1972 American Presidential Election

Further reading

• Interview in Libertarian Forum, December 1972 (pdf)