Dear Libertarian,
There is no time like the present.
I wasn’t planning to become a candidate at this stage in my life. I have young kids. I have a job. I have volunteer responsibilities with other organizations. I have a lot on my plate.
But I realized that if the Libertarian Party didn’t put forward a candidate in this particular race, that the incumbent would most likely go unopposed.
The Justice of the Peace I am running against set the million-dollar bonds on 177 bikers in the recent biker shooting at the Twin Peaks in Waco. Excessive bail is unconstitutional and an affront to the rights of bikers and non-bikers alike.
I couldn’t stand the thought of no one running against him. So, I decided to be the change I want to see in the world and run for office.
All across America, this is the case with so many races. Often, the incumbent wins with no opposition. That isn’t democracy in action. That is stagnation and it is a lot of the reason our political system is what it is.
Today, my friends David and Anwar and I went to the courthouse and each of us filed our paperwork to run for office.
We Libertarians know that competition is a good thing, whether it is in the market or politics.
Will you join me today in helping give the status quo a bit more competition?
Right now a record number of Americans are unhappy with the two parties that have been dominant for so long. They are yearning for more options, and better options. Let’s give it to them.
The national party has a goal of 2,000 Libertarian candidates on ballots nationwide in 2018. This is a stretch goal for us. It is 3 times the number of candidates we had on ballots in 2014. But it is a goal worth stretching for.
Why?
If we can start fielding this volume of candidates, it will greatly increase our visibility nationwide. It will make it harder for the media and old parties to ignore us and it will make voters more aware that they DO have another option at the ballot box. Additionally, fielding more candidates means we build more internal expertise on campaigns and campaigning. This experience will help build the party for many years to come.
The deadline here in Texas is the earliest in the country: next Monday, December 11 at 6 PM. To run in Texas in 2018, by law you have to file your paperwork by that deadline. Details vary according to race but if you fill out this form, someone from the state or national party will contact you as soon as possible. You can also find documents and info here.
If you live outside of Texas but want to run for office please fill out this form and your state party will be notified of your interest in running.
Thanks for all you do for liberty. I hope you’ll join me and become a Libertarian candidate in 2018!
Lauren Daugherty
Head of Development
