Statesman

Presidential Campaign

On October 1, 1987, Pat Robertson declared his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination from the steps of the Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone where he once lived. At the height of a growing ministry in religious broadcasting, he decided to enter American politics at the highest level.

Throughout his life, Pat never strayed far from the political scene. "It could be said that, for me, involvement in the affairs of government, foreign policy, fiscal policy, and politics itself is as natural as breathing," Pat Robertson once said.

In the 1987 Republican presidential primary race, Pat Robertson surprised the political establishment by coming in second place in the Iowa caucuses behind Senator Bob Dole and ahead of then Vice President George H.W. Bush. His best finish was in the state of Washington, winning the majority of caucus delegates. He also had a strong showing in the state of Michigan, where the controversial outcome was disputed.

After losing to the front runner, Vice President George Bush, on Super Tuesday, Pat Robertson decided to end his campaign.

Pat Robertson was invited by the Bush campaign to speak at the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans where he encouraged his remaining supporters to cast their votes for George H.W. Bush, who ended up winning the nomination and the election.

The Christian Coalition

In 1989, Pat founded The Christian Coalition, and served as the organization's president until February 2001. Pat appointed Ralph Reed as Director to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Coalition in 1989.

From 1989 through 1997, the Christian Coalition wielded tremendous influence. In 1992, the Christian Coalition began producing non-partisan voter guides which it distributed to Christian churches. That same year, the Coalition played a significant role in electing conservatives to Congress, returning the Congress to Republican control after several decades of Democratic rule.

"For the first time in recent history, patriotic, pro-family Christians learned the simple techniques of effective party-organizing and successful campaigning. Their presence as an active force in American politics may result ultimately in at least one of America's major political parties taking on a profoundly Christian outlook in its platforms and party structure" Robertson said.

Under the leadership of Pat and Reed, the Coalition quickly became one of the most prominent voices in the conservative Christian movement in America.

The American Center for Law and Justice

In 1981, Pat founded the National Legal Foundation to do battle in the courts against the assaults on religious liberty. This organization would eventually grow into the American Center for Law and Justice.

With Jay Sekulow as chief counsel, The ACLJ has become one of America's leading appellate law firms with numerous victories before the Supreme Court, district courts, and circuit courts as well.