Anderson, John Bayard (1922-2017), a Republican congressman from Illinois, ran as an independent candidate for president of the United States in 1980. When Anderson announced his candidacy, he was serving his 10th term in the U.S. House of Representatives. His running mate was former Governor Patrick J. Lucey of Wisconsin.
Anderson was originally a candidate for the 1980 Republican presidential nomination. During the campaign, he became known for his strong, often liberal, statements on controversial issues. His political views differed greatly from those of many other Republicans, and he withdrew from the race after he lost primary elections in several important states. Anderson then decided to run as an independent.
Anderson first won election to the House in 1960. During his early years in Congress, he became known as a conservative. In the late 1960’s, however, Anderson grew more liberal. In 1968, he broke with conservative Republicans by voting for a bill that outlawed racial discrimination in housing. From 1969 to 1979, Anderson served as chairman of the House Republican Conference. The conference chairmanship is the third-highest Republican post in the House. In the early 1970’s, Anderson criticized President Richard M. Nixon’s policies on the Vietnam War. He also became one of the first Republicans to call for Nixon’s resignation because of the Watergate scandal (see Watergate ).
Anderson was born in Rockford, Illinois, on Feb. 15, 1922. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1942. He earned a law degree there in 1946 and another law degree from Harvard Law School in 1949. Anderson entered politics in 1956, when he won election as state’s attorney in Winnebago County, Illinois. Anderson died on Dec. 3, 2017.
