Clark, Ed (1930-)

Edward Emerson Clark is an attorney and the 1980 Libertarian Party presidential nominee. Ed Clark, a coroorate [Page 71]attorney in New York and Los Angeles, opposed the Vietnam War while remaining a Republican, but when President Richard Nixon imposed wage and price controls in 1972, he joined the Libertarian Party and quickly became a member of its national committee and California State Chair. In 1978, he stood as the Libertarian candidate for governor of California, winning 377,960 votes, or about 5.5% of the total cast. That success led to his selection as the party's 1980 presidential nominee. Along with running mate David Koch, a businessman who made large contributions to the campaign, he appeared on all 50 state ballots and that of the District of ...