_0.jpg "Dr. Cisse Spragins")
Dr. Cisse Spragins
Chair, LPMO
The Missouri Libertarian Party will have 30 candidates on the primary election ballot this August.
Once again, the Missouri LP is running a full slate of candidates for federal offices. The LPMO has run a full slate of federal candidates in each general election going back to 1996, except in 2008, where the party had candidates in seven of the nine available races.
Missouri used to have nine seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, but lost a seat after the 2010 Census and now has eight.
Only one race will be a contested primary, the 4th congressional district race between Herschel Young and Randy Langkraehr. This race also had a contested primary among Libertarian candidates in 2012.
The Missouri LP is a state-recognized party, and all recognized party candidates must participate in the primary election, which will be held on Aug. 5.
To retain party recognition, a statewide candidate in 2014 or 2016 must get at least 2 percent of the vote.
There is only one statewide race in Missouri this year, for state auditor.
No Democrat filed to run for the office, so on the ballot will be Libertarian candidate Sean O’Toole, the Republican incumbent, and a Constitution Party candidate.
From the chair, Dr. Cisse Spragins:
The Missouri LP has been fortunate to have had equal ballot status with the two older parties since 1992. That is in part due to relatively reasonable requirements, though no other newer party has come anywhere close, and in part due to our consistent presence in the state over the past 20+ years with relatively full slates of candidates for major races and a fair number for lower level races as well.
While a great many people have contributed to this effort over the years, the single person who really stands out is our (unpaid) executive director Greg Tlapek. Greg has been active in the Missouri LP for over 20 years and does a huge amount of legwork each election contacting people and asking them to run for office or run for committeeman, or failing that, to volunteer in some other way.
The amount of work he does and the length of time over which he has done it is truly humbling.
