Dear Libertarian,
What a week!
Earlier this week, County Supervisor Jeff Hewitt delivered the Libertarian Party’s State of the Union. It was a message about the tremendous human progress that has been enabled by institutions that protect property rights, contracts, and reining in arbitrary power. He also spoke about the need for reform in areas like immigration, the justice system, the war on drugs, and more.
Coincidentally, that same day, the L.A. Times (America’s fourth-largest newspaper!) published a front-page article with a ridiculous title but overall very positive message about Jeff and the Libertarian Party.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the article: “Jodi Balma, a political science professor at Fullerton College, said Hewitt’s success shows that Libertarian candidates could ‘build a pipeline to higher office’ by first winning nonpartisan local races for school boards, city councils and other local positions. Some of those officeholders then could form the next generation of state legislators and congresspersons.”
Indeed, that is EXACTLY what we are working on.
Right now, we have a staffer dedicated to recruiting candidates to run for office in 2019 and another staffer dedicated to helping candidates with extra special circumstances win. BOTH of these staffers are themselves elected Libertarians, currently serving on city councils in their communities.
Odd-numbered years like 2019 don’t have as many races on the ballot as even-numbered years do. BUT, there are more local elections, where we have better chances!
As Prof. Balma said, we can build a “pipeline to higher office” by starting local, establishing experience and credibility, and then rising through the ranks.
That is what Jeff did! And it has culminated in what is arguably the LP’s biggest electoral win ever.
Our goals for 2019 are 200 candidates on ballots and 70 wins. This would be an increase of 100 percent above the number of candidates we had in 2017 and 46 percent more wins. These are worthy goals that the national party is pursuing daily!
Did you see the Politico/Morning Consult poll released this week that says that a third of all voters would be willing to vote for a third-party candidate in the 2020 presidential election?
Speaking of the 2020 presidential election … we’re going to be the only “third party” that has anywhere near 50-state ballot access. We are working hard to make sure our 2020 presidential nominee is on EVERY ballot in America. What a prize that is! And it is more important than ever in a political climate when Americans are increasingly hungry for more options!
Also, this week, Gallup released a poll that says “Americans’ trust in the federal government’s ability to handle both domestic and international problems has sunk to the lowest points in more than two decades.”
The climate is ripe for Libertarian progress.
But to make this happen, we have to rally and we have to rally NOW.
If you’d like to run for office, please fill out the form here and our staff will contact you promptly.
If you can pitch in financially, please give as generously as you are able. Making all of this happen requires financial support.
If you have let your membership lapse, or never joined, please join or renew here.
Our team is working daily on critical projects including building a custom database to help state parties be as effective as possible, recruiting candidates, coaching candidates, reaching out to the press, putting our presidential nominee on ballots across America, and so much more. But we need your help to make this happen.
Please pitch in today!
As always, thank you!
Nicholas Sarwark
Chair, Libertarian National Committee
