Theodora Nathalia Nathan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Theodora Nathalia "Tonie" Nathan (born 9 February 1923) is the first woman to have received an electoral vote in a United States presidential election. She was the 1972 Libertarian candidate (on the ticket with John Hospers) for vice president when Roger MacBride, a Republican elector from Virginia, cast the historic vote.

Born in New York City, Nathan operated her own insurance agency, a music publishing firm and a decorating service in the Los Angeles area of California before moving to Eugene, Oregon, where she earned a BA in journalism from the University of Oregon in 1971.

Following her presidential run, which netted the Libertarian party its first electoral vote ever, she made a series of unsuccessful runs as a Libertarian candidate during the 1970s-80s-90s, including for U.S. House and Senate. In 1980, while seeking a seat on the Senate, she participated in three statewide television debates with then U.S. Senator Bob Packwood and then-state attorney general Ted Kulongoski.

She is married to Charles "Chuck" Nathan, an ASCAP composer who wrote top ten hit songs in the fifties, and together they have three sons. She is presently marketing her husband's musicals and writing an autobiography.

Preceded by
(none)
Libertarian Party Vice Presidential candidate
1972 (lost)
Succeeded by
David Bergland
In other languages