Libertarian Party

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Libertarian Party
Basic facts
Location:	Alexandria, Va.
Type:	Political party
Top official:	Steven Nekhaila, Chairman
Founder(s):	David Nolan
Year founded:	1971
Website:	Official website

The Libertarian Party is the third-largest political party in the United States after the Democratic and Republican parties. According to the Libertarian Party's website, "Libertarians strongly oppose any government interference into their personal, family, and business decisions."

Party chair

Steven Nekhaila

As of February 2025, Steven Nekhaila was identified as the party chair for the Libertarian Party.

Party leadership

The Libertarian Party listed the following individuals as party leaders as of February 2025:

• Steven Nekhaila, Chair
• Andrew Watkins, Vice-chair
• Todd Hagopian, Treasurer
• Caryn Ann Harlos, Secretary

For more information on the party's full leadership and staff, please click here.

Historical leadership

National committee members 2022

• Joe Bishop-Henchman, Chairman
• Joshua Smith, Vice-chair
• Todd Hagopian, Treasurer
• Caryn Ann Harlos, Secretary
• Dustin Blankenship, At-large
• Richard Bowen, At-large
• Bryan Elliot, At-large
• Steven Nekhaila, At-large
• Michael Rufo, At-large

National committee members 2021

• Joe Bishop-Henchman, Chairman
• Ken Moellman, Vice-chair
• Tim Hagan, Treasurer
• Caryn Ann Harlos, Secretary
• Laura Ebke, At-large
• Valerie Sarwark, At-large
• Joshua Smith, At-large
• Richard Longstreth, At-large
• Erik Raudsep, At-large

National committee members 2020

• Joe Bishop-Henchman, Chairman
• Ken Moellman, Vice chair
• Tim Hagan, Treasurer
• Caryn Ann Harlos, Secretary
• Laura Ebke, At-large
• Valerie Sarwark, At-large
• Joshua Smith, At-large
• Richard Longstreth, At-large
• Erik Raudsep, At-large

National committee members 2019

• Nicholas Sarwark, Chairman
• Alex Merced, Vice chair
• Tim Hagan, Treasurer
• Caryn Ann Harlos, Secretary
• Joe Bishop-Henchman, At-large
• Sam Goldstein, At-large
• Alicia Mattson, At-large
• William Redpath, At-large
• Joshua Smith, At-large

National committee members 2017

• Nicholas Sarwark, Chairman
• Arvin Vohra, Vice chair
• Tim Hagan, Treasurer
• Alicia Mattson, Secretary
• William Redpath, At-large
• Sam Goldstein, At-large
• Starchild, At-large
• Joshua Katz, At-large
• Daniel Hayes, At-large

Party platform

The Libertarian Party's current platform is composed of the following issues:

I. Personal liberty
"Individuals are inherently free to make choices for themselves and must accept responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. Our support of an individual’s right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or disapprove of those choices. No individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other individual, group, or government."

• Self-Ownership
• Expression and Communication
• Privacy
• Personal Relationships
• Parental Rights
• Crime and Justice
• Death Penalty
• Self-Defense

II. Economic liberty
"Libertarians want all members of society to have abundant opportunities to achieve economic success. A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient manner. Each person has the right to offer goods and services to others on the free market. The only proper role of government in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by government to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a free society."

• Aggression, Property, and Contract
• Environment
• Energy and Resources
• Government Finance and Spending
• Government Debt
• Government Employees
• Money and Financial Markets
• Marketplace Freedom
• Licensing
• Sex Work
• Labor Markets
• Education
• Health Care
• Retirement and Income Security

III. Securing liberty
"In the United States, constitutional limits on government were intended to prevent the infringement of individual rights by those in power. The only proper purpose of government, should it exist, is the protection of individual rights. The principle of non-initiation of force should guide relationships between governments."

• National Defense
• Internal Security and Individual Rights
• International Affairs
• Free Trade and Migration
• Rights and Discrimination
• Representative Government
• Self-Determination

Party rules and bylaws

See also: Bylaws

The state party is governed by a set of rules and bylaws. Typically, these give structure to the different levels of organization—local, county, and state committees—and establish protocol for electing committee members. The bylaws also typically give details on the party's process for nominating and sending delegates to the national party convention during presidential elections.

• The Chair is the chief executive officer of the Party with full authority to direct its business and affairs, including hiring and discharging of National Committee volunteers and paid personnel, subject to express National Committee policies and directives issued in the exercise of the National Committee's plenary control and management of Party affairs, properties and funds.
• The National Committee shall have control and management of all the affairs, properties and funds of the Party consistent with these bylaws.

Elections

2023 elections

The Libertarian Party supported 99 candidates for federal, state, and local-level offices across the country in the 2023 election cycle.

2022 elections

The Libertarian Party supported 774 candidates for federal, state, and local-level offices across the country in the 2022 election cycle.

2021 elections

The Libertarian Party supported 351 candidates for federal, state, and local-level offices across the country in the 2021 election cycle.

2020 elections

The Libertarian Party supported 608 candidates for federal, state, and local-level offices across the country in the 2020 election cycle.

2019 elections

The Libertarian Party supported 312 candidates for federal, state, and local-level offices across the country in the 2019 election cycle.

2018 elections

See also: Libertarian Party candidates, 2018

The Libertarian Party supported 967 candidates for federal, state, and local-level offices across the country in the 2018 election cycle. The following is an abbreviated list of 2018 Libertarian Party candidates:

• Dale Kerns, U.S. Senate Pennsylvania
• Japheth Campbell, U.S. Senate Missouri
• Mark Tippetts, Governor of Texas
• Timothy Ferreira, Lieutenant Governor of California

2017 elections

See also: Libertarian Party candidates, 2017

The following is an abbreviated list of 2017 Libertarian Party candidates:

• Ron Bishop, U.S. Senate Alabama
• Bill Bledsoe, U.S. House South Carolina District 5
• Will Hammer, Virginia House of Delegates District 20
• Robert Shapiro, New Jersey State Senate District 6

2016 elections

See also: Libertarian Party candidates, 2016

The following is an abbreviated list of 2016 Libertarian Party candidates:

• Gary Johnson, President
• Jonathan Dine, U.S. Senate Missouri
• Herschel Young, U.S. Senate Missouri
• Cean Stevens, U.S. Senate Alaska

2015 elections

See also: Libertarian Party candidates, 2015

The Libertarian Party supported 103 state and local-level candidates in elections across the country in 2015. Of these candidates, 24 Libertarians were elected or re-elected to public office. The following is an abbreviated list of 2015 Libertarian Party candidates:

• Ron Williams, Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
• Carl Loser, Virginia State Senate District 10
• Joshua Hardy, Mississippi House of Representatives District 109
• Damien Caillault, New Jersey General Assembly District 27

2014 elections

See also: Libertarian Party candidates, 2014

The Libertarian Party supported 756 congressional, state, and local-level candidates across the country during the 2014 election cycle. The following is an abbreviated list of 2014 Libertarian Party candidates:

• Jon Roland, U.S. Senate Texas
• Jim Vein, U.S. House Utah District 4
• Charlie Earl, Governor of Ohio
• Dexter Lefavour, Vermont State Senate Washington District

2013 elections

See also: Libertarian Party candidates, 2013

The following is an abbreviated list of 2013 Libertarian Party candidates:

• Bill Slantz, U.S. House Missouri District 8
• Keith Blandford, U.S. House South Carolina District 1
• Robert Sarvis, Governor of Virginia
• Robert Shapiro, New Jersey State Senate District 6

2012 elections

See also: Libertarian Party candidates, 2012

The following is an abbreviated list of 2012 Libertarian Party candidates:

• Andy Horning, U.S. Senate Indiana
• Hardy Macia, U.S. House New Hampshire District 2
• Ron Vandevender, Governor of Montana
• Brandon Hughes, Colorado State Senate District 10

Conventions

2024 Libertarian National Convention

The Libertarian Party selected Chase Oliver as its presidential nominee on May 26, 2024, at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, D.C.. Mike ter Maat was selected as the party's vice presidential nominee.

The convention was held from May 24-26, 2024.

Before the national convention, delegates were selected by state Libertarian affiliates. These delegates chose a party nominee at the convention by majority vote.

2020 Libertarian National Convention

See also: Libertarian Party presidential nomination, 2020

On May 2, 2020, the Libertarian Party voted to cancel its in-person presidential nominating convention, which had been scheduled to take place May 21-25, 2020, in Austin, Texas. The party opted instead to hold an online meeting starting on May 22 to select its presidential ticket. The party also planned to conduct a separate in-person convention for other party business July 8-12, 2020, in Orlando, Florida.

Presidential nomination

The Libertarian Party selected Jo Jorgensen as its presidential nominee on May 23, the second day of the national convention.

Party delegates nominated six candidates to be on the initial ballot. Candidates were eliminated on each subsequent ballot until one candidate received a majority of the vote. Jorgensen received 51.1% of the vote on the fourth ballot, defeating candidates Jacob Hornberger and Vermin Supreme.

Libertarian presidential nomination final vote
Candidate	Votes	Percent
Jacob Hornberger	285	27.8%
Jo Jorgensen	524	51.1%
Vermin Supreme	206	20.1%
Other	11	1.1%
Total	1,026	100%

Vice presidential nomination

Spike Cohen was selected as the party's vice presidential nominee on May 24 in the third round of voting.

Libertarian vice presidential nomination final vote
Candidate	Votes	Percent
Spike Cohen	533	52.2%
John Monds	472	46.2%
Other	17	1.7%
Total	1,022	100%

2016 Libertarian National Convention

See also: Libertarian National Convention, 2016

See also: Day one of the Libertarian National Convention

See also: Day two of the Libertarian National Convention

See also: Day three of the Libertarian National Convention

The Libertarian Party's 2016 National Convention took place in Orlando, Florida, from May 27 to May 30, 2016. The party chose former Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson and former Governor of Massachusetts William Weld as its presidential and vice presidential nominees, respectively.

2016 Presidential Election Date: November 8, 2016

Candidates Winner: Donald Trump (R) Hillary Clinton (D) • Jill Stein (G) • Gary Johnson (L) • Vice presidential candidates

Election coverage Important dates • Nominating process • Ballotpedia's 2016 Battleground Poll • Polls • Debates • Presidential election by state • Ratings and scorecards

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Although it took nearly eight hours from the time the first ballots for president were distributed to state delegation chairs, the Libertarian Party ended up with the odds-on favorites Gary Johnson and William Weld winning the ticket as expected. A total of 997 credentialed delegates and alternates were on hand to cast their vote. The meeting was chaired by Nicholas Sarwark, who won re-election as National Chair later in the afternoon.

See also

• Libertarian National Convention, 2016
• Day one of the Libertarian National Convention: Vice presidential candidates speak
• Day two of the Libertarian National Convention: Presidential candidates take the stage
• Day three of the Libertarian National Convention: Johnson/Weld chosen as nominees
• Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016
• Gary Johnson
• Cato Institute
• Coalition on Free and Open Elections
• Marijuana Policy Project

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Libertarian Party
• Libertarian Party on Facebook
• Libertarian Party on Twitter