Barr is not the first woman to make it onto the presidential ballot as part of a third party that’s pretty far outside the mainstream. Starting in 1872, former writer and healer Victoria Claflin Woodhull ran as the National Equal Rights Party candidate on a platform that mixed socialism and free love. In 1940, the actress Gracie Allen ran a joke campaign as the Surprise Party’s candidate—and garnered more than 40,000 votes. More recently, Dr. Lenora Fulani ran on the New Alliance Party ticket in 1988 and was the first black woman to get on the ballot in all 50 states. Running on a Marxist platform, Fulani got more than 200,000 votes in ’88—but was also accused of anti-Semitism and misuse of campaign funds.
Victoria Claflin Woodhull was technically the first woman to mount a presidential campaign, in 1872, though she did not meet the constitutional age requirement of 35 and so did not appear on official ballots. Before her political career as the National Equal Rights Party candidate, Woodhull was a magnetic healer, Wall Street broker, and newspaper editor. Her platform was a mix of Socialism, early feminism, and free love.
ca. 1860 by Matthew Brady.
One of the first female lawyers in the United States and a noted suffragist, Belva Ann Lockwood ran in both 1884 and 1888 on the National Equal Rights Party ticket and was the first female candidate to make it onto the official presidential ballot. She was also the first female attorney allowed to argue before the Supreme Court.
Library of Congress.
Gracie Allen, the comedian and wife of George Burns, mounted a 1940 campaign as the Surprise Party candidate as a publicity stunt, complete with whistle-stop tour and memorial book. Famous quote: "Everybody knows a woman is better than a man when it comes to introducing bills into the House." With lines that good, she got more than 40,000 votes.
ca. 1926 Bettmann/Corbis.
Charlene Mitchell was a black socialist and feminist/civil rights activist who only made the ballot in two states as a Communist Party candidate in 1968. She continued her career in activism and is currently a member of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism.
Photograph courtesy CREDIT: University of Texas Libraries.
Marsha Feinland ran for president on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket in 1996—she was only on the ballot in California. The Peace and Freedom Party has a platform that’s “committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality,” according to the official party website. Most recently, Feinland unsuccessfully ran for senate in California in both 2004 and 2006.
Cynthia McKinney ran on the Green Party ticket in 2008. The former congresswoman from Georgia got more than 100,000 votes. McKinney made news earlier this year for going on state television in Iran and Libya to criticize U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Mario Tama/Getty Images News.
"In order to run a compassionate campaign, I can't accept money. I want to retain my freedom from corporate slavery—in your name, America!"—Roseanne Barr, Green Tea Party candidate, 2012.