Dear Fellow Libertarian,
The Libertarian Party has a proud heritage of being bold in ideas and bold in action. We do so with the confident recognition that liberty is the boldest ideal of them all.
We take a stance on a policy or practice of government not because our ideas will initially be popular but because they will always reflect our libertarian ideals.
When translated so others can hear them, our ideals become the ideas that others listen to and, recognizing their principled basis, begin to say themselves.
Whenever that happens, we all thereafter move forward in the cause of liberty as the essence of our common concerns, regardless of party.
Libertarians stood up early and boldly for Constitutionally-recognized same-sex rights.
Libertarians spoke out early and boldly about legalizing marijuana for all purposes.
Libertarians stepped forward early and boldly to seek meaningful electoral reforms.
When libertarians stood up, spoke out, and stepped forward on these causes and so many others, we all recognize in them what we all want for ourselves — a meaningful, well-lived life. We all aspire to ever-improving learning about, understanding of, and acting for the ideal of liberty.
Liberty provides, as we all know, the greatest personal fulfillment for each and every individual in our nation and the greatest collective benefit for each and all from a light-touch government.
I am proud of our shared libertarian heritage and the entire liberty movement.
And I am proud to be a Lifetime member of the Libertarian Party.
One of my proudest accomplishments in office was when, in the early 1990s, I stood up for and spoke out about same-sex rights in Massachusetts. When a judge I appointed wrote the first state Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage, people were allowed — as is their birthright — to pursue happiness in their intimate relationships, as they could not before. We lifted the heavy hand of the state.
I also spoke out back in the early 1990s about legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. While I have not used marijuana personally, I firmly believe that we are all better off if the federal government de-schedules cannabis as a Class 1 narcotic and leaves the matter to the states. Research in Israel has strongly suggested that cannabis can be useful in combating cancer, hepatitis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy: honestly, what are we waiting for?
Now, like many of you, I am focused on a host of voting and electoral reforms.
Recently, I filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Electoral College’s winner-take-all system, which would have meant that Gov. Gary Johnson and I would have received 17 Electoral College votes in 2016.
Other efforts — for ranked-choice voting, term limits, debate commission abolition — all are being advanced by our fellow Libertarians, for the benefit of all Americans.
The Libertarian Party plays an absolutely essential role in all of this work and far more — it puts candidates on the ballot for office. This makes all the difference — this is what turns bold ideas into bold actions!
We are aiming for 2,000 candidates on ballots in 2018 — three times the number on ballots in 2014! It is a stretch goal, and it is a bold goal. It is just the sort of goal we Libertarians pursue and reach, time after time.
The Libertarian Party is working hard to help these Libertarian candidates get on ballots. This involves jumping over all sorts of legal hurdles which were put in place by the establishment parties to make it hard for other parties to compete with them. We have Libertarians working throughout the election cycle so that we can jump over these hurdles (some of which are absurdly hefty!), and get Libertarian candidates on ballots. I can tell you from long experience and with deep gratitude — ballot access is heroic work!!
As a result of the hard work of so many, Gov. Gary Johnson’s and my 2016 campaign guaranteed the Libertarian Party ballot access in 37 states and the District of Columbia — the best result the Libertarian Party has ever had. I’m very grateful for everyone’s work, and am very proud of that accomplishment.
Of the remaining 13 states, the LP has achieved ballot access in Maine and Arkansas, taking the total to 39 plus DC. Reluctantly recognizing that ballot access is not going to be feasible in Alabama or Tennessee this year, the Party is working hard on gaining ballot access in the remaining nine states, each of which has erected some extra high hurdles that we are working hard to clear.
Your support is necessary for any of this to happen. By donating to the Libertarian Party, you help get Libertarian candidates on ballots across the country. These candidates are willing to stand up, step forward, and speak out — boldly — to advance our ideals and causes.
To enable these Libertarian candidates to get on the ballot, to win office, to take bold actions, we must share their bold goals — I ask you to be bold in your support for our national Libertarian Party!!
Be bold! — please contribute as generously as you can — now is the time so the heroic work of gaining ballot access can be done this summer for this fall’s elections.
Yours respectfully and in liberty,
Gov. Bill Weld
