Elijah Manley, the 17-year old independent presidential candidate who is known for being pro-sanders, is ready for a Vice President. Manley, an independent who was laughed at for running a Presidential campaign at age 17 has raised over $5k, and was recently officially recognized as a Presidential candidate by the Federal Elections Commission.
In May, Manley made the official call for a running mate. With little response, he launched a vetting committee. Many people thought of his run as a satirical move just left of Deez Nuts. The 17-year old presidential candidate is everything but satirical. Not only is his website elijahmanley.com available, but the candidate is expected to raise and spend nearly $20k by the next reporting period. Manley was supposed to drop out of the race to endorse and support Bernie Sanders, who he says has “A real progressive platform, and stays true to his principles.” But last month, Elijah Manley announced that he wants a running mate. Guess what? Almost a dozen people answered his call, including Deez Nuts, the satirical presidential candidate polling at 9%. The Manley campaign has announced that it plans to vet only four of the twelve that have applied. Let’s take a look at the four contenders.
1. Jesse Smith of Idaho
A self-described libertarian, Jesse Smith is anything but a kid. As a recent high school graduate, Jesse stands for smaller government, more accountability, and is a heavy advocate for overturning Citizens United. Jesse contacted the Manley campaign after searching for other candidates in the race besides the major candidates. Manley may not agree with Smith on everything, but the fight to overturn Citizens United is an important fight. Read Smith’s questionnaire here.
2. Robert Carter Lyon of Texas
Robert “Carter” Lyon is more on the liberal side of the fence. According to his questionnaire, he appears to be a centrist democrat, not far from Hillary Clinton on the issues. However, Carter is an Independent. Robert is heavily for educational reform, and marriage equality. He believes same sex marriage is a right, and that the government is responsible for protecting it.
3. Chad Leo of Maryland
Chad is probably by far, Manley’s most centrist applicant. Chad is a heavy Hillary Clinton supporter according to Social Media. According to his questionnaire, he has volunteered for both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. He is pre-registered as a Democrat. Chad believes in youth voice, standing up for a better education system, and is a strong advocate for gender equality. He has the second-best chance of being selected by Elijah Manley to be his running mate.
4. Peyton Williams of Texas
Peyton Williams, a youth activist who wants to run for President in 2036 is well ahead of all the others. It appears that Elijah Manley showed interest in recruiting Williams to his ticket, in a twitter post from @elijah_manley. Peyton is a heavy advocate for climate action, according to his questionnaire. Williams is also a supporter of Bernie Sander’s political revolution. Based off of his questionnaire responses, Williams has the best chance of being selected as the running mate.
Elijah Manley will announce his official running mate on July 7th, 2016-- via Facebook. Thank you, Dailykos Team! #FeelTheMan