Angela Nicole Walker (born January 19, 1974) is an American activist, professional driver, and labor organizer. Walker was the vice-presidential nominee of the

Green Party of the United States The Green Party of the United States (GPUS) is a federation of Green state political parties in the United States. The party promotes green politics, specifically environmentalism; nonviolence; social justice; participatory democracy, grassroot ...

and

Socialist Party USA The Socialist Party USA, officially the Socialist Party of the United States of America,"The article of this organization shall be the Socialist Party of the United States of America, hereinafter called 'the Party'". Art. I of th"Constitution o ...

for the 2020 election alongside presidential nominee

Howie Hawkins } Howard Gresham Hawkins III (born December 8, 1952) is an American trade unionist, environmental activist, and perennial candidate from New York. A co-founder of the Green Party of the United States, Hawkins was the party's presidential nomin ...

. She was previously the vice-presidential nominee of the Socialist Party USA for the 2016 election alongside presidential nominee Mimi Soltysik. Walker ran for political office for the first time in 2014 as an independent socialist for

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous cou ...

. Walker describes herself as a socialist in the tradition of

Fred Hampton Fredrick Allen Hampton Sr. (August 30, 1948 – December 4, 1969) was an American activist. He came to prominence in Chicago as deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party and chair of the Illinois chapter. As a progressive African Ame ...

and Assata Shakur.

Early life

Angela Walker was born and raised in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

, Wisconsin, where she lived primarily in the inner city Northside neighborhood. Walker graduated from Bay View High School. While in high school, Walker helped organize students in support of a Black History course at Bay View, which was successful. She studied history at the

University of North Florida The University of North Florida (UNF) is a public research university in Jacksonville, Florida. It is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Sc ...

but dropped out in her final year because she "could make more money as a bus driver than as a teacher."

Career

Walker worked for two years as a driver for

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and ...

. Describing her life as an "odyssey," Walker then moved to North Carolina, where she married and moved back to Florida. She moved back to Milwaukee in 2009 and was hired as a driver for the Milwaukee County Transit System. In 2011, she became legislative director for her local in the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), which represented transit system drivers; her position coincided with the rise of the anti-labor union Tea Party and the election of Scott Walker as Wisconsin's 45th Governor. Angela Walker was active in the

Occupy movement The Occupy movement was an international populist socio-political movement that expressed opposition to social and economic inequality and to the perceived lack of "real democracy" around the world. It aimed primarily to advance social and econo ...

, which the ATU supported. She stepped down from the legislative director position in October 2013. Walker worked as a bus driver for over 14 years. Walker is currently employed as a dump truck driver.

Sheriff campaign

In 2014, Walker ran against incumbent Democrat and

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...

pundit David A. Clarke Jr. During her campaign for sheriff in Milwaukee, Walker called for an end to mass incarceration, evictions, and anti-immigrant policing. She received approximately 20 percent of the vote.

Vice-presidential campaigns

2016 campaign

In March 2016, Walker stated that she had been recruited to be the Socialist Party USA vice-presidential nominee by her future running-mate, Mimi Soltysik, following her campaign for sheriff. Walker and Soltysik were nominated at the Socialist Party National Convention in Walker's hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in October 2015. Soltysik-Walker appeared on the ballot in Colorado, Guam and Michigan as well as official write-in candidates in many other states during the general election.

2020 campaign

On May 5, 2020,

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...

presidential candidate and

presidential nominee

announced Walker had accepted his offer to be his running mate. On July 11, Walker was formally nominated as the Green Party's vice-presidential nominee. She was the second African-American vice-presidential nominee of the Green Party and the first from the state of South Carolina.

Personal life

Walker is a vegetarian and bisexual.

Electoral history

2014 election

2016 election

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Angela Nicole 1974 births 2016 United States vice-presidential candidates 2020 United States vice-presidential candidates 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Amalgamated Transit Union people African-American people in Wisconsin politics African-American women in politics African-American candidates for Vice President of the United States Bisexual women politicians Candidates in the 2014 United States elections Female candidates for Vice President of the United States Green Party of the United States vice presidential nominees Howie Hawkins Trade unionists from South Carolina Trade unionists from Wisconsin LGBT people from South Carolina LGBT people from Wisconsin Living people Politicians from Milwaukee Socialist Party USA politicians from Wisconsin Socialist Party USA vice presidential nominees South Carolina Greens University of North Florida alumni Wisconsin socialists Women in Wisconsin politics