Paul Boutelle

Paul Benjamin Boutelle (October 13, 1934 – May 3, 2016) was the Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S. Vice President in 1968. He and presidential candidate Fred Halstead were on the ballot in 19 states. Boutelle toured throughout the United States during that campaign and appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including William F. Buckley, Jr.'s Firing Line, and in interviews with Joey Bishop and Dick Cavett. He spoke at numerous community meetings, universities, forums, conferences, and other venues.

Boutelle also toured internationally during the campaign to Canada, England, Scotland, and Paris, France. His national tour of France was cancelled because of the nationwide worker and student strikes and protests during the spring of 1968. His sponsoring organization was one of 22 banned by the French government.

Boutelle also campaigned as a socialist candidate for Mayor of New York City, Mayor of Oakland, California, United States Congress three times, New York State Attorney General in 1966, and Borough President of Manhattan. Boutelle was also active in the Freedom Now Party (an all-Black party that existed from 1963 to 1965) and was its candidate for the New York State Senate in Harlem, New York City in 1964.

In 1979, he changed his name to Kwame Montsho Ajamu Somburu.

Bibliography

• (1969). "2 Socialist Parties File For Mayoralty." New York Times. September 5.
• Alexander, Robert (1991). International Trotskyism, 1929-1985: A Documented Analysis of the Movement. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
• Jones, Charles E., ed (1998). The Black Panther Party (Reconsidered). Baltimore: Black Classics Press.
• (1967). "Socialist Workers Party Names Antiwar Slate for '68 Election." New York Times. August 31.