Martin Moulton, 2018 Libertarian candidate for local office in Washington, D.C.
The Washington Blade, whose slogan is “America’s LGBT news source,” interviewed Libertarian candidate Martin Moulton about his having filed to run for either of two local offices in Washington, D.C. From the March 14 article, “Gay Libertarian to run for D.C. mayor, Council chair,” by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.:
Gay Libertarian Party activist Martin Moulton has filed papers with the D.C. Board of Elections to run for both the office of mayor and the office of chairman of the D.C. City Council in the city’s June 19 primary.
Under the city’s election law, potential candidates can file for more than one office, but the election board only accepts for placement on the ballot a candidate who submits the required number of petition signatures for just one office. The filing deadline for the June primary is March 21.*
“Given the turbulent state of the Wilson Building [home to the council chambers], I have been exploring with Libertarian Party and D.C. party leaders, registered Libertarians and many Democrat voters about which race I should toss my hat into, but I will keep my options open for the next week or so,” Moulton told the Washington Blade.
In 2016, Moulton ran as the Libertarian Party nominee for the D.C. congressional delegate seat held by Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton. Although he lost to Norton by a margin of 85 percent to 6 percent, he received 17,272 votes, significantly more than the 11,553 votes that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump received in the D.C. presidential race.
Moulton also ran way ahead of Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, who received 4,501 votes in D.C. in the 2016 presidential race.
To retain ballot access, a candidate for mayor, delegate, city council chair, or one of the city council races must get at least 7,500 votes in the November general election.
Visit Moulton’s campaign page: Twitter.com/LiberateDC2016
* On March 21, Moulton opted for the mayoral race.
