William Kennedy Shearer (January 21, 1931 – March 3, 2007) of California was the chairman of the Constitution Party from 1996 to 1999, and founded the American Independent Party in 1967 with his wife Eileen to support George C. Wallace's presidential campaign. In 1970 Shearer was the California AIP's first candidate for Governor, receiving 65,847 votes for 1% of the total vote. His daughter, Nancy Spirkoff, was the party's state chair from 2004 to 2006. Shearer died at 75 in San Diego.