If Buddy Roemer gets the Americans Elect nomination, and if Gary Johnson gets the Libertarian nomination, and if Virgil Goode gets the Constitution Party nomination, 2012 will be the first presidential election in U.S. history in which five parties each had a presidential nominee, each of whom was also a declared candidate, and each of whom had served either in Congress or as a Governor.

Of course, this presumes that the 2012 Republican nominee will be a person who has served either as a Governor or in Congress.

Another historical note, assuming the candidates named above become nominees, will be that the Libertarian Party will be the second non-major party in U.S. history to have run as many as three presidential nominees, each of whom had once been a Governor or a member of Congress. The three, for the Libertarian Party besides Gary Johnson, are Ron Paul and Bob Barr. The only other minor party that has had at least three former members of Congress, or former Governors, as nominees, is the American Independent Party, which had George Wallace, John Schmitz, Lester Maddox, and John Rarick.

On February 23, Buddy Roemer will formally drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and will emphasize that he is still seeking the Americans Elect nomination. He will also seek the Reform Party nomination. See this story.

The only state in which the Reform Party is ballot-qualified, but in which Americans Elect is not yet ballot-qualified, is Louisiana. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.

This story appeared recently in a chain of weekly Michigan newspapers, about the Natural Law Party. In Michigan, it is still on the ballot, and in 2008 it gave its presidential nomination to Ralph Nader. The story focuses on the Michigan state chair of the party, Doug Dern.