Several high-profile candidates vied for the nomination, including future President Donald Trump, Pat Buchanan, and physicist John Hagelin.
Supporters of physicist John Hagelin refused to accept Pat Buchanan as the party's chairman, and staged a walk-out, which was broadcast live on television.
During the 1992 Republican Presidential Primaries, commentator Pat Buchanan fared extremely well and received 22.96% of the total vote.
During his 1996 bid, Buchanan spent a brief time as the Republican front-runner; his campaign carried four states, including New Hampshire, Alaska, Missouri, and Louisiana.
Buchanan's campaign immediately aligned itself with diverse factions within the party, including Russ Verney and Marxist Lenora Fulani.
Trump told Chris Matthews on Hardball: "It's not so much the Reform Party, it's really the fact that I'd want to make that if I ran and spent a lot of money I could actually win, I could beat that Democrat-Republican apparatus.
During his 2000 campaign, Hagelin appeared on ABC's Nightline (2000)[16] and Politically Incorrect (2000),[17][18] NBC's Meet the Press (2000),[19] CNN's Larry King Live,[20] PBS's News Hour with Jim Lehrer,[21] Inside Politics, CNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, and C-SPAN's Washington Journal.
[23] Supporters of Hagelin later charged the results of the party's open primary, which favored Buchanan by a wide margin, were "tainted."
[citation needed] On August 2, Buchanan's website posted a copy of a proposed resolution to merge the two parties.
[28] With two individuals both claiming to be the Reform Party candidate, a court would have to determine who would be permitted to appear on the ballot and receive the $12.5 million in matching funds.
As his running mate, Buchanan chose African-American activist and retired teacher from Los Angeles, Ezola B.
"[29] On August 19, the New York Right to Life Party, in convention, chose Buchanan as their nominee, with 90% of the districts voting for him.
On Election Day, Pat Buchanan only received 448,895 votes, thus losing the Reform Party's ballot access in most states.
During the 2004 election cycle, the Reform Party nominated Ralph Nader in hopes of relinquishing themselves of the "pro-life" label Buchanan had bestowed upon them.