Dear friend,
2009 may be a “down year” for Republicans and Democrats looking ahead to congressional and gubernatorial races in 2010, but Libertarians are on the move.
Your Libertarian Party is hard at work fighting for open elections in West Virginia and Oklahoma, recruiting candidates for state races in New Jersey and Virginia and looking to fill an open congressional seat in New York.
And that’s just this week!
And you, no matter where you are, can help make that possible. Even if you don’t live in West Virginia, Oklahoma, New Jersey, New York or Virginia, your support of the Libertarian Party is needed today.
We expect to lobby for legislation in West Virginia restoring reasonable ballot access laws when their state legislature reconvenes next week. Unreasonable rules put into place in 1999 doubled the number of signatures needed to get a candidate on the ballot, if that candidate is not the nominee of the Republican or Democrat parties. An earlier deadline also put candidates of competing parties at a disadvantage.
We plan to push hard for legislatures to restore the old rules that served West Virginia well for over 60 years. We will also push hard in the Oklahoma legislature for rules allowing for open and competitive elections.
Oklahoma and West Virginia are considered to be the two most anti-competitive states in the country when it comes to ballot access. The LP will be fighting hard this year to give voters real choices in November.
Virginia and New Jersey are also electing state legislators this year. They are both states rocked hard by outlandish spending and tax hikes, and with millions of voters looking for a reasonable alternative.
If you live in Virginia or New Jersey, give me a call at 202-333-0008, x. 225, to see what we can do about getting you on the ballot. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars or be a polished public speaker to help the LP grow. Give me a call, we’ll talk and we’ll get you in touch with your local party.
And while 534 other U.S. House and Senate seats won’t be up for election until 2010, we have an opportunity to run a Libertarian in a high-profile special election to fill the congressional seat once held by now-New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
New York state LP Chairman Eric Sundwall, shortly a candidate for the seat in 2006, is running again in the soon-to-be-scheduled special election.
He needs help, and he needs it fast. Once Governor David Paterson announces the special election date, Eric has only 12 days to gather 3,500 signatures.
That’s a high hurdle, but it can be done if you contact him right now with your offer to volunteer or donate. You can reach Eric at www.sundwall4congress.org to give your time or most generous gift.
And you don’t have to live in those states to help. Your donation to the Libertarian Party will help us fight hard to bring open elections to West Virginia and Oklahoma, support candidates in Virginia and New Jersey and continue the great progress the LP made in 2008.
You can donate simply by clicking here. Any donation in any amount will be greatly appreciated and put to wise use.
There are plenty of opportunities out there in 2009, and we’re only a little more than a month into it. Please take advantage of them by donating or volunteering right now.
With optimism,
Donny Ferguson
Director of Communications
Libertarian Party
Donny.Ferguson@lp.org
PS – If you are receiving this email, and have not yet become a member of the Party and wish to do so, please click here to sign up to become a member of the only political party dedicated completely to cutting taxes and maximizing liberty. If you need to renew, please do so by clicking here.
PPS – If you have not yet contributed, please consider a donation right now of $25, $50, $100 or $1000 to the Libertarian Party. Your contribution will be used to grow the Party and expand the message of liberty. From ads to outreach, every dollar goes towards leading the liberty movement in its fight to restore the Constitution and maximize freedom.
