Perot, Ross (1930–)

H. Ross Perot is a prominent business and civic leader, best known for running as a third party U.S. presidential candidate in 1992 and 1996 and for founding the Reform Party of the United States of America (RPUSA) in 1995.

Following his education at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and a brief stint in the U.S. Navy, Perot went to work at International Business Machines (IBM) as a salesman. After a successful career in sales, Perot left IBM in 1962 to form his own data processing company, Electronic Data Systems (EDS). In 1984, Perot sold EDS to General Motors (GM) for billions in cash and stock options.

In 1979, while Perot was still in control of EDS, two of the company's employees were arrested and imprisoned in Iran. Perot financed a rescue mission, led by retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel Arthur “Bull” Simons, that proved successful.

In the same year, Perot headed the Texas War on Drugs Commission, at Texas Governor Bill Clements' request. In 1982, Perot served on a commission charged with improving public education in Texas. In February 1992, Perot announced on the Larry King Live television program that he would be challenging then-President Bush in the presidential election that fall. His platform held stances in favor of balancing the federal budget, strengthening gun control legislation, and expanding the War on Drugs.

Perot's campaign surged in the postconvention period, with polls showing him leading Bush and Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton in June. However, in July, Perot announced he was dropping out of the race after negative media attention and the selection by the [Page 544]Democratic Party of the Bill Clinton/Al Gore ticket. Perot reversed his decision to run in October, but his level of support never returned to the high numbers of the summer. However, he was allowed by the Presidential Debate Commission to participate in the 1992 presidential debates with Bush and Clinton, which undoubtedly increased his national visibility.

Following his defeat in 1992—in which he earned 19.8% of the popular vote, the best showing for an independent presidential candidate since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912—Perot maintained an active presence in national politics, crusading against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and supporting the 1994 Republican Revolution and the Republican Party's “Contract with America.” In 1995, Perot formed the Reform Party of the United States of America (RPUSA). The Reform Party's original platform included strong positions on fiscal issues such as the national debt and the federal deficit, and promised significant political reform, including term limits, campaign finance reform, and lobbying restrictions.

The next year, Perot again ran for president, this time as the Reform Party's nominee. In 1996, however, he only received 8% of the national vote, due in part to difficulties getting on the ballot in several states and his exclusion from the nationally televised candidate debates.

Since 1996, Perot's visibility on the national stage has diminished. His leading role in the Reform Party was eclipsed by Jesse Ventura, the former professional wrestler and governor of Minnesota. Perot has since severed his ties to the Reform Party and turned his interests back to business.

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