For Immediate Release Monday, November 10, 2008
Hoping to build on a solid performance in 2008, the Libertarian Party looks ahead to 2010. “This is just the beginning of the new Libertarian Party,” says Bob Barr, the 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for president. “This year, we set a solid foundation for freedom, on which we will build a strong and united political organization that advances freedom and liberty in the United States.”
One of the core victories for the Libertarian Party in 2008 was the retention of ballot access status in eight states, meaning the Libertarian Party automatically qualifies for ballot placement in the 2012 election cycle. One of these states is North Carolina, which took the collection of more than 100,000 signatures to place the Libertarian Party on the ballot in 2008. Retention of ballot status usually requires that candidates must receive a certain percentage of the vote in a given state.
“The fact that we retained ballot status in so many states is one of the greatest victories for the Libertarian Party in 2008,” says Libertarian Party National Chairman William Redpath. “This will save our national and state parties at least $200,000 in the next election cycle–money that can go towards outreach and building the party in the next four years. We owe this victory to all our outstanding candidates across the nation who ran campaigns that put liberty ahead of politics.”
The Libertarian Party also had two candidates top one million votes — a record for the Party.
“Our election victories and the progress we made in 2008 will definitely allow us to build the party even stronger for 2010 and beyond,” says Redpath. “The next couple of years will be to reach out to disenchanted American voters, and tell them that there is a viable alternative to the political establishment.”
“There will be a great need for the shining light of liberty in the next four years,” says Redpath, “and we fully intend that light to come from the Libertarian Party.”
For more information on this issue, or to arrange a media interview, please call Andrew Davis at (202) 731-0002.
The Libertarian Party is America’s third largest political party, founded in 1971 as an alternative to the two main political parties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party by visiting www.LP.org . The Libertarian Party proudly stands for smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom.
