Rachele Fruit
{{Short description|American political activist (born 1949)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rachele Fruit
| image =
| caption = Fruit in the late 1980s
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|10|4}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| birth_name =
| education = University of Pennsylvania{{Cite news |title=The "other" candidates for Dade Mayor |date=1996-08-31 |pages=70 |work=The Miami Herald |via=Newspapers.com}}
| occupation = Political activist
| party = Socialist Workers
}}
Rachele Fruit (born October 4, 1949) is an American activist who was the Socialist Workers Party's nominee for president of the United States in the 2024 election.
Early life and career
Fruit was born on October 4, 1949, in Philadelphia.{{Cite web |title=Rachele Fruit |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=3531 |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=OurCampaigns}} Her family were secular Jews and she attended Hebrew School.{{Cite web |last=Diamond |first=Jillian |date=2024-05-17 |title=Sitting Down with Pro-Israel Third-Party Presidential Candidate Rachele Fruit |url=https://www.jewishtimes.com/sitting-down-with-pro-israel-third-party-presidential-candidate-rachele-fruit/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=Baltimore Jewish Times |language=en-US}} Fruit has worked a series of jobs throughout her life, including as a meatpacker, trade unionist,{{Cite web |title=Join fight against Jew-hatred! SWP: Working-class alternative to Biden-Trump |url=https://themilitant.com/2024/03/09/swp-presidential-campaign-launched-at-oakland-meeting/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=The Militant}} a ramp worker for Eastern Airlines, and a Walmart employee.{{Cite web |last=Crow |first=Gypsy |date=2018-11-03 |title=Socialist Workers Party candidate for governor visits Albany |url=https://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/socialist-workers-party-candidate-for-governor-visits-albany/article_3d3006f0-dd10-547a-86fa-29c32b5f020d.html |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=Albany Herald |language=en}} During the 1980s she resided in Baltimore before moving to Atlanta and then Miami.
Activism and political candidacy
Fruit began involving herself in politics during the 1970s, participating in protests against the Vietnam War.
= Elections contested =
== 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election ==
In 2018, the Atlanta Branch of the Socialist Workers Party nominated Fruit for governor of Georgia. She initially ran as a write-in candidate to oppose Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams but withdrew from the election. She campaigned on giving ex-prisoners the right to vote.{{Cite web |title=Workers need unions, break with bosses’ political parties |url=https://themilitant.com/2018/11/10/workers-need-unions-break-with-bosses-political-parties/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=The Militant}}
== 2024 presidential election ==
The Socialist Workers Party nominated Fruit alongside vice-presidential candidate Dennis Richter. The ticket appeared on the ballot in six states: Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.{{Cite web |last=Radelat |first=Ana |date=2024-05-23 |title=Dennis Richter running as Socialist Workers Party candidate for VP |url=http://www.minnpost.com/national/2024/05/minnesotan-battles-two-party-system-as-socialist-workers-party-candidate-for-vice-president/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=MinnPost |language=en-US}} Fruit and Richter expressed strong support for Israel in the Gaza war and branded themselves as working-class candidates.
Fruit received the following vote totals: Louisiana (361), Minnesota (745), New Jersey (1,316), Tennessee (985), Vermont (211), and Washington (607).
== Other elections ==
Fruit had her best showing ever in the 2013 Atlanta city council president election, receiving 8,598 votes and finishing second, with 19.71% of the vote, to Ceasar Mitchell Jr.
Personal life
Fruit resides in Miami, Florida.
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fruit, Rachele}}
Category:21st-century American Jews
Category:Activists from Philadelphia
Category:American anti–Vietnam War activists
Category:American secular Jews
Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States elections
Category:Candidates in the 2024 United States presidential election
Category:Female candidates for President of the United States
Category:Georgia (U.S. state) socialists
Category:Jewish American candidates for President of the United States
Category:Socialist Workers Party (United States) presidential nominees