VPs don't really do that much in some presidencies, so I was wondering if legally they were allowed to run for another office (maybe mayor of DC or something)? And just as importantly, what about in another country? Say president of a small Caribbean nation or something? Or are they legally barred from either of these options?
Can a US Vice President Run for Another Office?
- Thread starter Beedok
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Sabot Cat
Banned
Believe it or not, it's a controversial question as far as Congressional offices go, but I believe that as long as state law does not prohibit it (as Indiana law does, which you can see by Pence) I don't think there'd be any constitutional qualms for a Vice President to serve as a Governor or state legislator.
Serving in high office in another country is considered renouncing your US citizenship, iirc. Certainly possible, in theory, although such a person is unlikely to get the VP slot in the US.
Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada is now head of La Francophonie (French equivalent to the Commonwealth). It wouldn't be beyond belief for her to become president of Haiti later. But the US has that 'natural born citizen' clause that makes that sort of thing harder.
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"now" was a "not". Oops.
Clearly, of course, La Francophonie is hardly a 'state', but it is an interesting parallel.
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Ah, that would make my planned scheme very confusing. Still doable though.
Well, the US doesn't allow dual-citizenship except that which you were born with. You must renounce foreign citizenship to be natutalized, and you can't be naturalized if you aren't in the country. And since presumably no other country allows a foreign citizen to be elected to government, it seems like a difficult thing to accomplish.
In 1820, Vice President Daniel D. Tompkins ran for Governor of New York (the office he had previously held from 1807 to 1817). This election was held on 1 May 1820, and did not compete with the Presidential election held at the end of 1820. Tompkins narrowly lost to incumbent De Witt Clinton 49% to 51%.
Whether he could have served in both offices at the same time was never addressed. I don't know what the term dates were for Governor.
This doesn't seem to be a problem in the UK.
Didn't Churchill hold British and US nationality?
And Boris Johnson only renounced his US citizenship very recently.
The vice president role in government is president of the United States Senate and in that capacity only votes when it is necessary to break a tie, so a Vice President, would be unable to be sit in the Senate as a Senator, as this would mean they have two votes. Also balancing the ticket with their experience, e.g. Dick Cheney being President George W. Bush's closest confidants and Al Gore advising President Bill Clinton on matters of foreign policy and the environment.
Vice Presidents who tried to seek other office:
- Richard Nixon, ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1960, narrowly losing to John F. Kennedy, and lost a race for Governor of California to Pat Brown in 1962.
- Walter Mondale stood for Senate in Minnesota, 2002
- Quayle considered but decided against running for Governor of Indiana in 1996 and r Governor of Arizona in 2002.
Vice Presidents who tried to seek other office:
- Richard Nixon, ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1960, narrowly losing to John F. Kennedy, and lost a race for Governor of California to Pat Brown in 1962.
- Walter Mondale stood for Senate in Minnesota, 2002
- Quayle considered but decided against running for Governor of Indiana in 1996 and r Governor of Arizona in 2002.
Not entirely true. I can vote in the UK (and did so in the recent referendum) and stand for parliament; I am not a UK citizen.
Actually Johnson reneged on his promise and remains a US citizen.
Per Wiki they served from July 1 to June 30. From 1823 it apparently changed to Jan 1 to Dec 31.
??? When did they do that?
They specifically allowed it in the early '90s.
https://travel.state.gov/content/tr...ip-and-dual-nationality/dual-nationality.html
"A U.S. national may acquire foreign nationality by marriage, or a person naturalized as a U.S. national may not lose the nationality of the country of birth."
Looks like you're right and I've been misinformed (and misinforming) all these years. I was taught the exact opposite, that foreign citizenship MUST be renounced.
Stolengood
Banned
Are we saying at the same time as the Vice Presidency, or after they've stepped down from it?
At the same time. The other is obviously possible, though it's unlikely that a VP would resign partway through his term to become SoS.