Rumor: Cindy Sheehan to Accept Socialist Party Vice-Presidential Nomination

Some of our sources close to the Socialist Party USA’s ongoing national convention in Los Angeles are telling Uncovered Politics that Cindy Sheenhan has either announced her intention to seek the SP-USA’s vice-presidential nomination, or has agreed to accept the nomination if it is offered to her by the delegates. Several dozen Socialist Party delegates will select the party’s presidential and vice-presidential nominees later this afternoon. The leading candidates for president are Stewart Alexander of California and Jerry Levy of Vermont. Alexander was the Socialist Party’s 2008 candidate for vice-president and is thought to be the front-runner for this year’s top spot on the ticket.

Sheehan, who became the nation’s most prominent anti-war activist after her son was killed in Iraq, is probably best known for her extended encampment outside of then-president George W. Bush’s Texas ranch in 2005. However, she has also directly engaged in the electoral process before.

Sheehan challenged Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s re-election in 2008, running as an independent in the overwhelmingly Democratic district. In the end, Sheehan finished in second place with 16.2% of the vote to Pelosi’s 71.9%. Seen as a disappointing showing to some, Sheehan had actually outpolled the Republican nominee that year and achieved the largest percentage of any Pelosi-challenger since Republican Elsa C. Cheung had taken her on in 1994. Sheehan had also polled the largest number of popular votes (over 46,000) of any candidate, from any party, who has dared take on Pelosi since she was elected to Congress.

We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.