The Prohibition Party was founded in 1869 and bills itself as "America's Oldest Third Party." Its platform is based on an ultra-conservative Christian social agenda mixed with anti-drug, anti-alcohol and anti-communist positions.

The party's strongest showing was in 1892, when John Bidwell received nearly 273,000 votes, or 2.3 percent of the vote, to garner fourth place. Earl F. Dodge, a long-time party member, ran as the Prohibition Party's presidential nominee in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, and again in 2004.

He died in 2007 before he could officially enter the 2008 presidential election.

The PP occasionally fields local candidates, but in 2002 the organization failed to field any candidates for public office for the first time since the 1860s.

An affiliate of the PP is the Partisan Prohibition Historical Society, which is comprised of Prohibition Party activists who want to turn the PP’s policy into law. In 2003, National Chairman Don Webb organized a takeover of the party in opposition to dodge. A fiery court battle ensued, but ended when Dodge died.

Temperance lecturer, minister and artist Gene Amundson was the party's undisputed nominee for 2008.