Jim Gilchrist
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James "Jim" Gilchrist (born 1949) is the founder of the Minuteman Project, a group whose aim is to prevent illegal immigration across the USA's southern border.[1]
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[edit] Personal
Gilchrist holds a B.A. in newspaper journalism, a B.S. in business administration, and an M.B.A. in taxation. He is a former newspaper reporter and a retired California CPA (Certified Public Accountant).
Gilchrist is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and recipient of the Purple Heart award for wounds sustained while serving with an infantry unit in Vietnam, 1967 - 1969.
He currently resides in Aliso Viejo, California with his wife, Sandy.[2]
[edit] Election bid
In 2005, Gilchrist ran as an American Independent Party candidate for the United States House of Representatives representing California's 48th Congressional District to replace Republican Chris Cox, who resigned to become Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
In the low-turnout open primary for Cox's seat held on October 4, 2005, Gilchrist finished behind two Republicans but ahead of all other candidates, including Democrats. He received 14.8% of the vote (a total of 13,423 votes). He was the only one running under his party, and therefore automatically advanced into the run-off.
Gilchrist lost to Republican John Campbell in the December 6 general election, receiving 25.5% (26,507) of the vote. Campbell received 44.4% (46,184), Steve Young (Democrat) 27.8% (28,853), Bea Tiritilli (Green) 1.4% (1,430), Bruce Cohen (Libertarian) 0.9% (974).
Gilchrist has provided conservative opinions on various issues but emphasized that immigration and the border is the primary issue from which the others flow. Gilchrist is endorsed by the Constitution Party as he is an affiliate member.
He would consider a presidential run in 2008 with the Republican Party should the two major parties offer candidates with no proactive history in immigration law mination.[3]
[edit] National Alliance controversy
According to a report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, Gilchrist willingly allowed members of the National Alliance, one of the United States' largest neo-Nazi organizations, to help with his 2005 Senate run. Gilchrist has claimed that he refuses to work with white supremacists, but the SPLC report questioned his sincerity. The report interviewed a former volunteer in Gilchrist's campaign who said that "they were basically allowing skinheads and white nationalists to work the phone banks and do IT and distribute National Alliance fliers targeting non-whites," and that "[when I told them] that didn't want to work for a campaign that was tainted by white supremacy in any way, they told me not to cause a stir."[4] It remains to be seen whether or not these accusations will seriously hurt Gilchrist's political future.
[edit] Religious and political views
Gilchrist is a conservative Roman Catholic who has said he voted for Michael Peroutka in 2004 for president. He is strongly anti-abortion, libertarian on issues of education and health care, supports tax cuts and repeals and a more secure Medicare and Social Security system. Gilchrist is a registered Constitutionalist (Constitution Party), and is an adamant immigration law enforcement advocate.
[edit] Books
- "Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America's Borders", by Jim Gilchrist, Jerome R. Corsi, and Congressman Tom Tancredo (25 July, 2006) - World Ahead Publishing ISBN 0977898415
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official Gilchrist for Congress web site
- Orange County Organizer: Interview with Jim Gilchrist
- Orange County Organizer: Audio of Gilchrist interviews and speeches
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.splcenter.org/intel/news/item.jsp?aid=13
- ^ http://www.minutemanproject.com/index.php?navaction=DoTemplate&TemplateName=Content_List.html&keyname=idContentMainCat&keyvalue=1
- ^ http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49985
- ^ http://www.splcenter.org/center/splcreport/article.jsp?aid=150
