Category Archives: Libertarian

However you arrived at this page, we welcome you. The Libertarian Party of North Carolina seeks to return the focus of those we elect to the people who elected them. We believe the only way we can achieve this is to recruit, support and elect libertarian candidates.

We cannot do this without the support of what we call the voiceless voters. Those voiceless voters -- Libertarian and unaffiliated -- make up nearly one-third of registered voters in our great state. So you'd think bringing about change to our broken political system should be relatively easy. The truth is the deck is severely stacked against those seeking to put people, not politics first.

Please spend some time looking through our site. A great place to start is on our news page. It is chock full of relevant and recent content, all just a click away.

Most importantly we want you to connect with us. Throughout the site there are places for you to reach out and get involved to whatever extent you desire and to whatever extent you are comfortable with. Just get involved.

Together we will be voiceless no more.

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Welcome to the Libertarian Party of North Carolina

Libertarians are practical -- we know that we can't make the world perfect. But, it can be better. Libertarians will keep working to create a better, freer society for everyone. The Libertarian Party is the only political party that respects your rights as a unique and competent individual. We want a system that allows all people to choose what they want from life...that let's us live, work, play, and dream our own way.

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Welcome- Libertarian Party of Connecticut

The Libertarian Party ticket, facing what polls show are two of the most unpopular presidential candidates in modern American history, is seeing a bump in support as the general election race moves into full swing and a surge in interest that could carry nominee Gary Johnson onto the prized debate stage this fall.

Despite Donald Trump and Hillary Clintons popularity issues and trust gap with voters, few expect the Libertarian ticket to pose a Ross Perot-style threat this year.

But the party is far more than a political curiosity in 2016. Rumors are swirling in the wake of the major-party conventions that high-profile Republicans are now considering backing the ticket; a recent video from Johnson and running mate William Weld generated considerable buzz; and the polls show Johnson getting close to 15 percent the threshold he needs to reach to land him on the debate stage with Trump and Clinton this fall.

The RealClearPolitics average has Johnson at 8.4 percent in a four-way race with Trump, Clinton and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, up from 4.5 percent in June. The latest Fox News poll released Wednesday, after the conventions, put Johnson at 12 percent.

An NBC poll taken toward the end of the Democratic convention put Johnson at 9 percent, roughly where he was in prior polling.

Party officials said the unpopularity of the Republican and Democratic candidates gives the party an unprecedented opportunity.

It goes from week to week and day to day watching for what new thing [Clinton and Trump are] going to do to become more unpopular with the American people, and frighten people, Nicholas Sarwark, chairman of the Libertarian National Committee, told FoxNews.com. Those candidates are the gift that keeps on giving. Were running as the qualified adult in the room.

Sarwark pointed to Johnsons record as a two-term New Mexico governor, re-elected as a Republican in a Democratic state, in touting his credentials and appeal.

Unclear is whether the support in the polls will translate into support at the ballot box. In 2012, Johnson won just 0.99 percent of all votes cast -- making him the most successful White House candidate in Libertarian history, but not making much of a dent in the race as a whole.

But this year, there are plenty of signs more voters are seeking an alternative candidate. At the Democratic convention last week, many Bernie Sanders supporters were getting on board with the Green Partys Stein. But so far, Johnson is polling the best among third-party candidates.

He and his running mate, former Massachusetts Gov. Weld, generated some buzz before the conventions with a slick video ad listing their accomplishments.

Weve been there ... And done that! the candidates say.

Johnson said in an interview Monday with the Los Angeles Times that he believes in addition to appealing to disenfranchised Republicans on issues like free trade, low taxes and smaller government, the Libertarian stance on social issues and foreign policy could bring Sanders voters on board.

Sarwark said the party is banking that while Trump and Clinton are about as well-known as they are going to be, Johnson still can introduce himself to voters not familiar with his story especially if he is able to get on the debate stage.

This is far from a foregone conclusion.

So far, while Johnsons support is higher than in past years, an 8.4 percent average is still a distance from the 15 percent hed need to make the debates.

And he would need to get there by Aug. 15 to qualify, hitting 15 percent in not just one poll but an average of five recent polls chosen by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Politically, where we stand, is we have to get into those presidential debates to really stand a chance, Weld told The Wall Street Journal last week. If we catch a break or two, we may get there.

Even then, the record for third-party or independent candidates is not strong.

In recent political history, the one who came closest to the presidency was businessman Perot in 1992 who was an independent, not technically a third-party candidate. At one point, Perot was leading in some polls against then-President George H. W. Bush and Democratic challenger Bill Clinton. However, after dropping out of the race before re-entering, he lost support. He eventually garnered 19 percent of the vote, with some Republicans arguing he split the GOP vote and handed the election to Clinton.

Republicans, meanwhile, were arguably given a boost by Green Party candidate Ralph Nader in 2000, when Nader picked up 2.7 percent of the vote against Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush.

Johnsons potential impact is hard to gauge. The latest Fox News poll found Johnson siphoning support about equally from the Democratic and GOP candidates.

But he could get a boost in the coming weeks as some Republicans reportedly consider backing him.

Most notably, 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush reportedly are mulling endorsements for Johnson. Marvin Bush, youngest brother of Jeb and George W., also endorsed Johnson last week.

From what Ive heard from the Bush and Romney camps, theyre still considering it, Sarwark claimed.

Asked if the party is looking just to make a strong showing, or go all the way, Sarward was bullish: Theres a path to the presidency. The ground is there.

Adam Shaw is a Politics Reporter and occasional Opinion writer for FoxNews.com. He can be reached here or on Twitter: @AdamShawNY.

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Libertarian ticket eyes post-convention opening and ...

With national polling numbers hovering around 12%, the Libertarian ticket of Gary Johnson and William Weld has the potential to be a real spoiler in the presidential election. But whose candidacy are they most likely to spoil?

Most people think of libertarianism as a kind of right-wing ideology, with its intellectual origins in the free-market economics of Milton Friedman and the unabashed egoism and anti-communism of Ayn Rand. And it's certainly true that for most of its existence, the Libertarian Party has drawn more heavily from the political right than from the political left.

But a deeper understanding of Johnson's Libertarian ideas, and the history of how those ideas have evolved over time, make Johnson's appeal to Clinton voters clearer.

First, libertarianism is more than just an economic ideology. It's a social one. And many Libertarian social positions -- an openness to immigration, an embrace of equal rights for gay, lesbian, and transgender persons, a hostility toward the war on drugs and American militarism abroad, and support for women's reproductive rights -- are arguably more progressive than the average Democrat. Libertarians were supporting marriage equality and marijuana legalization, for instance, long before any mainstream politician -- Clinton included -- would touch those issues.

If this story is unfamiliar, that's because for most of the 20th century, Libertarians were enmeshed in a kind of tacit alliance with political conservatives, united by their common opposition to the perceived threat of international communism. That threat pushed the social liberalism that Libertarians developed in their 19th century struggles against racism, imperialism and slavery to the background, and led them to resist, on economic issues, taking a single step down any road that remotely resembled the way toward socialism.

With the fall of international communism and the discrediting of socialist economics, however, Libertarians are slowly starting to return to their progressive roots. And the Johnson campaign is probably the most progressive-friendly Libertarian ticket in recent decades. No doubt many moderate conservatives who cannot bring themselves to support Trump will turn to Johnson as a show of protest, if nothing more. But it would not be surprising if Johnson's strongest support came from the legions of progressives who were moved by Bernie Sanders' radical critique of American military and economic policy. In many ways, that progressive sentiment will find a much more natural home in Johnson's libertarianism than in the Democratic candidacy of Hillary Clinton.

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Libertarian ticket could spoil Clinton party (Opinion ...

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson needs to get to 15 percent in polls to make it onto the debate stage this fall. John Raoux/AP hide caption

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson needs to get to 15 percent in polls to make it onto the debate stage this fall.

Libertarian Party candidates Gary Johnson and Bill Weld pitched themselves as the antidote to Washington partisanship in a CNN town hall, hoping to appeal to voters frustrated with both the Republican and the Democratic presidential nominees.

Both are former Republican governors Johnson from New Mexico and Weld from Massachusetts and told CNN's Anderson Cooper they align with most voters on both fiscal and social issues.

"We want the government out of your pocketbook and out of your bedroom, and the polling shows that a majority of Americans think that," said Weld, the party's vice presidential nominee.

Johnson, who ran for the GOP nomination in 2012 before becoming the Libertarian nominee four years ago, said if they are elected, the two longtime lawmakers will almost act as co-presidents sharing a staff and "planning to do this as a partnership."

"Two heads for the price of one, and that it would be a plus for the country, believing that," the former New Mexico governor said.

"I think it would be refreshing to have a party that was not terribly partisan holding the White House, and we would hire the best people from the Democratic Party, the smartest people from the Republican Party and the best people from the Libertarian Party," Weld added.

The two bemoaned the rules that, as of now, would keep them off the presidential debate stage come this fall. A third-party candidate must hit at least 15 percent in polling, and the Libertarian ticket is at 9 percent in the latest CNN/ORC poll. The Green Party's Jill Stein is at 5 percent in that same survey.

A third-party candidate hasn't made it onto the stage since independent Ross Perot in 1992, but with both Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton still struggling to unite their parties' bases while being dragged down by high disapproval ratings, there is a rare opening. And Johnson and Weld are aiming to fill that void.

"The idea that we should not be at those debates expressing what is a majority point of view in the country can only be laid at the door of the two-party monopoly, the duopoly, that has a stranglehold on power in Washington," Weld said. "That's the Rs and the Ds, who sometimes seem to exist mainly for the express purpose of killing each other."

Johnson stood by his characterization that Clinton was "beholden" to special interests and slammed her high fees for speaking to Wall Street groups. He argued there is a conflict of interest between the former secretary of state and her family's Clinton Foundation that "smacks of pay-to-play."

But Weld had harsher words for Trump and the way the GOP candidate has reacted to criticism from the family of a Muslim-American soldier killed in Iraq.

"He's a showman. He's a pied piper. He's the music man," Weld said about the billionaire real estate magnate. "More recently, it's gotten more serious, and the noun that comes to my mind is a screw loose."

Johnson dismissed the idea that they would play spoiler this fall, though.

"A wasted vote is voting for somebody that you don't believe in, and if we're going to continue to vote for the lesser of two evils, that's still evil," he told a questioner.

Johnson did depart from typical libertarian orthodoxy in one instance. Previously, he has said that "religious freedom, as a category" was "a black hole," and he said he wouldn't back any state religious freedom laws, such as ones that would protect people like wedding photographers or bakers from having to provide services for a gay wedding.

"I fear that under the guise of religious liberty, the LGBT community is being discriminated against," Johnson said. "There can be a balance between the two, but I don't want to support discrimination in any form whatsoever."

Shetamia Taylor, a woman who was wounded in the Dallas police attack last month, asked Johnson about the Black Lives Matter movement. And the Libertarian nominee gave a rare acknowledgement that, as a white man, he had been slow to realize there was a problem between minorities and law enforcement.

"My head's been in the sand on this. I think we've all had our heads in the sand, and let's wake up," Johnson said. "This discrimination does exist."

On the subject of foreign policy, Johnson said the two weren't pushing for an isolationist approach, simply one that was more hesitant to enter into foreign skirmishes.

"We both reject the notion that libertarians are isolationists," Johnson said. "We're not isolationists. We're non-interventionists. We don't want to get involved in regime change that has the potential to make the world less safe."

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Libertarian Candidates Gary Johnson, Bill Weld Pitch ...

Thomas Vogel, Special for USA TODAY 11:58 p.m. EDT July 28, 2016

Gary Johnson came to Philadelphia on Thursday in the hopes of picking up more support.(Photo: Raquel Zaldivar/Special for USA TODAY)

PHILADELPHIALibertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson, hoping to capitalize on those who are disenfranchised with the major party nominees, showed up here Thursday to make his case in the shadows of the Democratic National Convention on its final day.

He gathered with nearly 100 supporters at a restaurant close to theWells Fargo Center, where the convention was being held, to continue his pitch as a third-party alternative for dissatisfied voters on both the right and left.

Johnson, who appeared hours before Hillary Clinton took the stage, is hoping to reach the 15 percent threshold needed to participate in national general electiondebates. Several national polls in recent weeks have Johnson as high as 11 percent.

Johnson,the former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico, mostly stuck to typical libertarian calls for lower taxes, a non-interventionist foreign policy and fewer business regulations when he spoke Thursday. At times, Johnson seemed to struggle with questions on union jobs,minimum wage and voter fraud from left-leaning folks in attendance, revealing the difficulty in bridging the ideological divide.

Gary Johnson appeared at a local bar on Thursday, hoping to generate some new support near the DNC.(Photo: Raquel Zaldivar/Special for USA TODAY)

I think a wasted vote is a vote for Trump or Clinton, Johnsonsaid. The future is small government, the future is no one dying in foreign interventions.

Johnson, whose appearance was delayed by several hours, openedby thanking attendees for sticking around and then took questions from an enthusiastic audienceon healthcare, net neutrality and terrorism.

Johnson, who also ran in 2012, stressed that he would honor all internationaltreaties, support the Trans-Pacific Partnership and sign any legislation that simplified the tax code. While admitting his platform, which fuses issues championed by the right and left, might alienate voters on both sides, Johnson remained confident.

USA TODAY

Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson on guns, debates and pot

Its not something I lose sleep over, Johnson said.

Brett Stevens, a lawyer and mother of three, came outto hear what Johnson had to say. The Philadelphia native grew up supporting Republican candidates but switched in the last election cycle after hearing Johnsons appeals for a balanced budget and greater personal freedoms.

I balance the budget every month, the 34-year-old said. I thinkthe government should do the same.

Johnsons call for a balanced budget also attracted Joe Portz.

The 22-year-old electrician acknowledged Johnson's candidacy faces significant obstacles, but he remained committed.

USA TODAY

Seen at #DNCinPHL: Lone Gary Johnson supporter, rain-soaked protesters

I think Clinton will win, Portz said. [But] that doesnt meanI have to vote for the lesser of two evils.

Young men dominated the crowd, many holding campaign signsand homemade posters. They were joined by assorted others, includingafew curious Bernie Sanders supporters who trickled in.

Alisah Holland, a self-described progressive, traveled from Portland,Oregon, to protest Clintons nomination. She said she felt it important to come Thursday evening to hear what Johnson had to say.

The 33-year-old, who teaches specialeducation, has not decided who shell vote for this November.

I dont agree with him on every issue, Holland said. "But I want himon the debate stage.

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2arUvYt

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Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson: A vote for Clinton or ...

Johnson, a former governor of New Mexico, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he and Romney had spoken in recent weeks.

"I think he's considering the possibility of doing this," Johnson said, "of actually endorsing the two of us."

Romney has previously said that he would look at the ticket but has not publicly committed to supporting them.

CNN has reached out to Romney for comment.

William Weld, a Romney associate and Johnson's running mate, agreed with Johnson, especially if they meet the threshold in polling to make the general election debates.

"He's thinking about it, Wolf, and I don't want to press the point unless we get to 15%, because then I think the case for it is overwhelming."

"If Bill Weld were at the top of the ticket, it would be very easy for me to vote for Bill Weld for president," Romney said. "So I'll get to know Gary Johnson better and see if he's someone who I could end up voting for. That's something which I'll evaluate over the coming weeks and months."

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Libertarian ticket Gary Johnson: Mitt Romney is weighing ...

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson defended Melania Trump during a stop in Chicago Tuesday, saying he could understand how the wife of soon-to-be Republican nominee Donald Trump could have mistakenly plagiarized parts of the speech she delivered to the GOP convention Monday night.

A few sentences of the address Melania Trump delivered in Cleveland were nearly identical to passages of first lady Michelle Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2008, a revelation that dominated coverage of the presidential race Tuesday.

And while Johnson has sought to appeal to middle-of-the-road voters fed up with Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, he did not seek to capitalize on the latest Trump flub following an appearance before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board.

"Here's what I make of it, and it's a defense of Melania: She's brought into this, make a few comments, Melania, make it from the heart and I don't know what the circumstances are," said Johnson, a former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico. "But maybe she got online and 'what did Michelle do' ... or some staff did for her. Anyway, no stones cast on my part."

Asked if the mistake reflected poorly on the campaign and Trump's leadership, Johnson punted. "There will be others to do that. I'll refrain. I just can see how it could happen," he said, before starting to laugh. "Whoever did it, should have done a better job of paraphrasing as opposed to (using) just the exact lines."

Johnson was joined by his running mate, former Massachusetts Republican Gov. Bill Weld, as the two tried to make the case for their third-party campaign. They positioned their ticket as the campaign of the center conservative on fiscal matters but liberal on social issues.

"I'm maintaining in this cycle that most people are Libertarian, it's just that they don't know it," said Johnson, who noted he first identified himself philosophically as a Libertarian in 1971, though he later ran for office as a Republican. It was that year when he read a short book on what it meant to be a Libertarian and decided he was one.

The name of the book or author? "I can't even remember."

But Johnson said he did remember voting Libertarian for the first time in 1984, when he said he cast a ballot for David Bergland over Republican President Ronald Reagan, because "Reagan had blown the lid off the deficits."

During the hourlong session with the Tribune Editorial Board, Johnson often took a back seat to Weld, who spoke more and jumped to answer many of the questions as the presidential nominee looked on.

If elected, the two said they'd cut federal spending by 20 percent in their first budget and would eliminate the Department of Education, Department of Commerce and Department of Housing and Urban Development. They said they'd place states in charge of Medicare and Medicaid and allow them the autonomy to determine their own eligibility rules. And they said they'd cut back on unnecessary military spending and try to close unneeded bases.

Johnson said Clinton and Trump had their "heads in the sand" on Social Security and vowed to reform the system by increasing the retirement age and making income a factor in whether individuals qualify for assistance.

And Johnson said he was the highest-ranking elected official in the country calling for the legalization of marijuana back in 1999, a position he's still pushing today.

As for his opponents, Johnson said the Trump agenda is fascism, calling his vows to round up and deport illegal immigrants "horrible" and "incendiary."

Added Weld: "There has to be a change in tone. Mr. Trump is very much a part of the problem and not part of the solution. I make a point of saying in a Johnson-Weld White House, you're not going to get any bullying and you're not going to get any bluffing, you're not going to get any sanctimonious lectures."

Johnson said Clinton's agenda is one of being beholden, predicting higher taxes and a mantra of "just give us the money, we'll take on more of the problems."

Much of Johnson and Weld's work right now is to convince voters their ticket has legitimacy. There are a lot of what-ifs.

The federal debate commission requires candidates to receive at least 15 percent support in polls to be included in this fall's televised debate, a policy Johnson's campaign has challenged in court. Still, the two projected they'd reach the 15 percent threshold anyway, noting a recent CNN poll that had them receiving 13 percent of the vote. The Real Clear Politics average has Johnson receiving 8.5 percent.

Weld said "it's possible" former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will endorse their campaign. He also noted the campaign's fundraising could rise as high as $50 million to $100 million if they get that valuable debate airtime.

"If we get in the presidential debates," Weld said, "we're going to be dangerous to the other two parties."

bruthhart@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @BillRuthhart

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Libertarian Johnson defends Melania Trump on speech

On Monday June 27th, the Libertarian Party of Illinois turned in 53,000 signatures on 4,500 pages. More than twice the required amount for third parties and more than 10 times what is required of a Republican or Democrat in Illinois. As of Tuesday, July 5th, the window for issuing a challenge has officially closed meaning we are on the ballot this November!

Some interesting statistics:

These are more than interesting facts, they represent the lengths (no pun intended) that we as a party must go to in order to secure our place on the ballot. A place we must fight tooth and nail for every single time because the entrenched powers that be make the rules that keep them in power. This year, people are waking up to the options that are out there. The only reason we are on the ballot is the hard work and dedication of volunteers who sacrificed time, money, sleep, and nights better spent with family to make the future a better place for them. The volunteers who came from out of state on their own who collected. The donors who reached into their wallets to fund the work of petitioners. The crew who drove down on the last weekend to bind and validate the last push of petitions. The endless phone calls fielded by our long-suffering ballot access director and state chair. We couldn't have gotten there without you!

The 2016 campaign season is now in full swing! Visit our campaign page to meet the Libertarians who are seeking election.

Libertarians are traversing the state, looking to meet you. As supporters of the smallest minority: The Individual, we have been looking to touch base with as many of Illinois citizens as possible, from the Shawnee to Chicago.

The message we are sharing says: Enough of the establishments robbing Peter to pay Paul. We need to get the government out of the business of playing one group of people against another. It is time for policies of peace that protect every individuals rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The Libertarian Party is the third-largest and fastestgrowing political party in America. There are libertarian chapters in all 50 states and currently over 140 elected Libertarian officials six of them right here in Illinois.

Americans want, and deserve, a political system which respects them as unique individuals, as people who can make their own plans, who take responsibility for themselves, who are compassionate, and who can generally solve their own problems.

Libertarians are practical we know we cant make the world perfect but it can be a lot better.

The Libertarian Party is the only political party that is working to dramatically reduce unrestrained government spending, taxes, debt, regulations, bureaucracies, and wars, both foreign and domestic.

Illinois has the largest pension liability, the worst credit rating, and the most units of government in all the 50 states.

The states foreclosure and unemployment rates are consistently among the worst in the nation.

Meanwhile, establishment politicians make time to control your life, banning incandescent light bulbs and worrying about e-cigarettes and big gulps.

Its time for a change in Illinois politics.

We believe Illinois is ready for a fresh approach. If you do:

Contact us and let us know what interests you about liberty

A fire cannot burn without fuel.

Likewise, nothing happens in the world of politics without money.

Click below to donate an amount of your choosing. Every donation is very much appreciated.

If you wish to make a monthly pledge, visit our donate page for more options.

The next election season is coming up in 2016. We are currently accepting and reviewing candidate applications.

The most recent round of elections were held for municipal offices in April 2015. To see current Illinois Libertarians, visit our candidate page.

If you think that people have the right to control their own lives as long as they do not initiate the use of force or fraud against others, you are a Libertarian.

Join the Party.

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Libertarian Party of Illinois

COLUMBUSThe Libertarian Party of Ohios newly elected central committee elected new officers and a new state executive committee at its biennial reorganizational meeting on April 23.

Bob Frey was elected as chair of the state central committee, the partys governing body that chooses an executive committee to run the partys day-to-day operations. Bob Bridges was elected to begin a full term as executive committee chair, after having served for several months in that position as a replacement for a previous chair who resigned.

"I am excited to be elected Chair of the Central Committee, said Frey. We have a strong group of volunteers, who are dedicated no matter the obstacles the state puts in our way. I look forward to helping be a part of this team, who WILL get the presidential nominee on the ballot, and continue to fight for freedom and liberty."

This terms central committee elections were conducted at special election meetings of LPO members in participating congressional districts, rather than by Libertarian voters in Ohios primary election, because the Libertarian Party is currently prohibited from participating in Ohio elections by Senate Bill 193, which was signed by failed presidential candidate Gov. John Kasich in 2013 after being passed with only Republican votes in the Ohio House and Senate.

Other newly elected central committee members are Vice Chair Don Kissick, Secretary David Macko, and Treasurer Ann Leech.

The executive committee includes Vice Chair Scott Pettigrew, Secretary Bob Coogan, Treasurer Linda Comstock, and members at large Christopher Gill, Ann Leech, and Harold Thomas. According to LPO bylaws, executive committee members at large must also be members of the central committee.

After the meeting, Bridges made the following appointments and re-appointments to his management team:

Tricia SpranklePolitical Director

Gregory PizarroFinance Director

Joe BowersoxDeputy Political Director

Kevin KnedlerDeputy Secretary

Aaron Keith HarrisParty Spokesman, K-12 Liaison

LPO Central Committee (two seats available for each US Congressionial district)

District 1 - Seat A Bob Frey

District 1 - Seat B Scott Pettigrew

District 2 - Seat A Rick Kanis

District 2 - Seat B Ann Leech

District 3 - Seat A Harold Thomas

District 3 - Seat B Bob Bridges

District 4 - Seat A

District 4 - Seat B

District 5 - Seat A Don Kissick

District 5 - Seat B Sarah Kissick

District 6 - Seat A Lowell Lufkin

District 6 - Seat B Aarica Burwell

District 7 - Seat A

District 7 - Seat B

District 8 - Seat A Bob Coogan

District 8 - Seat B

District 9 - Seat A

District 9 - Seat B

District 10 - Seat A Aaron Harris

District 10 - Seat B Dan Zink

District 11 - Seat A

District 11 - Seat B

District 12 - Seat A Linda Comstock

District 12 - Seat B Kevin Knedler

District 13 - Seat A

District 13 - Seat B

District 14 - Seat A Justin Gleason

District 14 - Seat B David Macko

District 15 - Seat A Christopher Gill

District 15 - Seat B Franklin DeMint

District 16 - Seat A

District 16 - Seat B

For more information:

Aaron Keith Harris

LPO Party Spokesman

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

937-825-0204

Follow this link for more information about the 2016 Independent Presidential Ticket

Recognizing that the time before the upcoming November General Election is becoming short, the Libertarian Party of Ohio is charting a new direction in the fight to give real choice to Ohio voters. With the deadline for the November election now being just four months away, the LPO will focus on gaining ballot access for the Libertarian Partys presidential ticket without a party label.

Since the passage of SB193, the infamous John Kasich Reelection Protection Act, and the success of efforts by Republican Party operatives to remove Libertarian Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Earl from the 2014 ballot, the LPOs focus has been two-pronged: pursuing various court remedies and beginning a long and expensive petitioning effort to restore the party as a whole to ballot access. That petitioning effort requires approximately 35,000 valid signatures, with SB193 also requiring certain geographic distribution requirements. In contrast, placing the national ticket on the ballot without party label requires only 5000 valid signatures.

While the partys national ticket will not be chosen until the Libertarian National Convention over Memorial Day weekend in Orlando, Florida, petitioning is beginning now with placeholder candidates. John Fockler, whose term as Chair of the LPOs Central Committee ended recently, explained, We couldnt wait until the ticket is chosen. Ohio law allows us to begin petitioning with a temporary ticket now, and substitute the names of the actual ticket afterwards. The placeholder candidates are Earl, for President, and Kentucky LP activist Ken Moellman as Vice-President. Having Charlies name on the ticket as our temporary candidate is a big help, Fockler said. Charlie is extremely well-known in pro-liberty circles throughout the state and gives this effort extra credibility with people outside the Libertarian Party.

This does not represent a surrender in the efforts to achieve full ballot access for the Libertarian Party of Ohio, said Bob Bridges, recently reelected as Chair of the LPOs Executive Committee. We are as determined as ever that the voters of Ohio will again have the full range of choices they deserve, and not be limited to only those that the two big government parties think they should have.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Dear fellow Libertarians,

As the presidential election season has begun to heat up, we have seen a greatly increased amount of traffic on LPO.org and on social media. Many new people are telling us they're fed up with Republicans and Democrats and they're asking how to become new members of the Libertarian Party of Ohio.

Here are my answers to the three most commonly asked questions:

1) Who is the 2016 Libertarian presidential candidate?

The Libertarian Party will nominate its candidates for president and vice president at our 2016 Libertarian Party National Presidential Nominating Conventionin Orlando over Memorial Day weekend.

Along with our 2012 nominee, Gov. Gary Johnson, and Ohios own LPO Central Committee Vice Chair Marc Allan Feldman, there are several other candidates. Visit this link for a current list of those who have announced their candidacy.

LPO Communications Director Aaron Keith Harris interviews Tom Zawistowski of the Portage County Tea Party.

Topics include the corruption of the Kasich administration, the 2016 Republican presidential candidates, and possible alliances among the Tea Party, constitutional conservatives, and Libertarians.

Listen here.

Read more here:

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