Randall Allen Terry (born April 25, 1959) is an American politician, activist, and frequent candidate. He is known for founding Operation Rescue, an organization opposed to abortion. Terry is the Constitution Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2024 presidential election. From 1987 to 1991, he led the group, which gained attention for blocking entrances to abortion clinics. Terry has been arrested over 40 times,[1] including for trespassing at the University of Notre Dame to protest President Barack Obama's visit.[2]
In 1986, Terry got arrested for chaining himself to a sink at an abortion clinic. He often made news as the head of Operation Rescue. In 1994, he was involved in a Supreme Court case where he settled with the National Organization for Women (NOW) but then declared bankruptcy instead of paying. Senator Chuck Schumer tried to stop this tactic with a law, but it didn't pass. In 1998, The National Organization for Women got some of Terry's airline miles to help cover legal costs.[3]
In 1990, Terry joined protests at a hospital over Nancy Cruzan's feeding tube. He also protested in the Terri Schiavo case. In 1994, he went to the Supreme Court over a Buffer Zone but lost. Terry ran for Congress in 1998 but lost in the Republican primary. He supported Steven Forbes for president in 2000.[4] In 2005, he tried to challenge a Florida state senator but lost in the primary in 2006, despite using a Bill Clinton impersonator in his campaign calls.
On March 20, 2009, the White House said President Barack Obama would speak at the May 17 Commencement of the University of Notre Dame. Randall Terry disagreed with Notre Dame allowing Obama to speak because of his support for abortion rights. Terry planned to protest the commencement, calling it "a circus." On May 1, 2009, he was arrested for trespassing on the Notre Dame campus and released on a $250 bond.[5] Terry criticized Notre Dame for inviting Obama, saying it went against Catholic teachings, comparing it to Judas betraying Jesus Christ.[6]
After KansasobstetricianGeorge Tiller was murdered on May 31, 2009, Randall Terry quickly condemned him. The next day, he released a video criticizing President Barack Obama and pro-choice politicians, calling them "child killers." Terry referred to Tiller as a "mass murderer" and expressed regret that Tiller didn't have a trial before his death.[7] His comments received backlash, with the Albany Times-Union accusing Terry of damaging the reputation of the mostly peaceful anti-abortion movement.[8]
In 2013, Randall Terry appeared on MTV's True Life and called for making all forms of birth control illegal. He advocated against the pill, IUD, morning-after pill, and patch, labeling them as "human pesticides." Terry suggested that women who use these methods should face jail time for terminating pregnancies.[9]
Terry hosts a TV show called "Randall Terry: The Voice of Resistance," broadcasted on The Walk TV[10] and available on his website "Voice of Resistance."
In December 2011, during a debate, candidate Vermin Supreme targeted Randall Terry by sprinkling glitter over his head, jokingly claiming it would turn Terry homosexual for a while.[12]
According to unofficial results, in the 2012 Democratic Oklahoma presidential primary, Terry received 18% of the vote and won 12 counties, including the entire panhandle. He was awarded two delegates.[13] This primary was the only one where Terry won counties or delegates. He also appeared on the ballots in Alaska, Missouri, and New Hampshire, receiving a total of 22,858 votes or 0.3% in the Democratic primary.
2012 congressional candidacy
Terry, who lives in West Virginia, ran as an independent for Congress in Florida's 20th District. But Alcee Hastings, the Democrat incumbent, won with 88% of the vote on November 6, 2012.[14]
