Liberal Party of Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairman | Steve Scheetz |
| Founder | Gus Tatlas, Jenn Moore, Steve Scheetz, Nicole Shultz |
| Founded | April 2022 |
| Ideology | Libertarianism Classical Liberalism Left-libertarianism |
| Website | |
| keystone | |
The Liberal Party of Pennsylvania is a third party in Pennsylvania founded as the Keystone Party of Pennsylvania in 2022, rebranding to the Liberal moniker in 2024, [1] with a focus on political solutions through the electoral process and Classical Liberalism.
The party was founded by members of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania who felt the Libertarian Party was "veering too hard to the right". [lower-alpha 1] [3] The party's first and current chairman is former Chairman of the York County branch of the Libertarian Party, Gus Tatlas. [4] The Keystone Party was founded in April 2022 with the stated goal of bridging the gap between the two main parties in the state and to better represent issues relevant to Pennsylvanians. [5] [6] Instead of building their party on divisive rhetoric, Keystone Party leaders purport to seek to build an inclusive dialogue of political issues Pennsylvanians can agree on like governmental reform, fair elections, social and criminal justice reform, individual rights and taxation. [4] There had previously been a call to form a "Keystone Party" in 1912 among various Democratic Pennsylvania Representatives for the 1912 United States elections due to the stranglehold that Political Bosses had over the state party, although, ultimately, the split never occurred. [7]
The party's candidates received ballot access on August 1 for the 2022 Pennsylvania elections by receiving more than 5,000 signatures of registered voters. [3]
Their candidate for the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was Dan Wassmer. [3] Wassmer is a lawyer originally from Nassau County, New York, but now lives in Pike County. A former Libertarian, he was the Libertarian candidate for Attorney General in 2020. He received 25,808 votes or 0.5% of the electorate placing him in last place among options on the ballot. [8]
Their candidates for the 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election were Joseph P. Soloski for Governor and Nicole Shultz for Lieutenant Governor. [3] [9] [10] Soloski is an accountant from Centre County and former Libertarian. He ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 81 in 2016 and in the 2020 Pennsylvania State Treasurer election both as a Libertarian. He initially sought the nomination from the Libertarian party, but withdrew and joined the Keystone party. [11] [12] Shultz is another former Libertarian. She originally ran as a candidate for the Libertarian nominee for Lt. Governor, withdrew, and announced her candidacy for the Libertarian nominee for governor. Upon losing that election she joined the Keystone party and successfully sought their bid for Lt. Governor. She is an auditor from Windsor Township, York County, Pennsylvania and had been the Pennsylvania Libertarian Party's treasurer from 2021 to 2022. [13] [14] [15] Soloski and Shultz's ticket got 20,036 votes or 0.4% of the electorate. Like Wassmer, this put them in last place for candidates on the ballot. [16]
The party also stood two candidates for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in district 93 and district 104 respectively. [17] In district 93 Keystone candidate Kristine Cousler-Womack received 887 votes, or 3% of the electorate falling behind both the incumbent Mike Jones and his Democrat challenger Chris Rodkey. [18] In district 104, Keystone candidate David Kocur received the best showing of the party in terms of percentage. He received 4,838 votes or 29.5% of the electorate, falling behind Democrat candidate Dave Madsen. [19] [20]
Party founder and leader Gus Tatlas voiced his support for the bi-partisan MarchOnHarrisburg movement, led by Rabbi Michael Pollack, on November 27, 2022. The movement seeks to implement legislation that would result in a "gift ban" to outlaw the ability for members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to receive "gifts" in exchange for voting a certain way on bills. [21]
On January 23, 2023, two members of the Keystone party sued Dauphin County for violating their first amendment rights. The two members of the party, Dave Kocur, the party's candidate in the 104th district, and Kevin Gaughen, a former Libertarian who was elected auditor of Silver Spring Township in 2021 and member of the party board, [22] were told that they must immediately cease collecting signatures and vacate from Fort Hunter Park by Dauphin County Parks and Recreation director Anthea Stebbin alongside two security officers in June, 2022. [23] The County stated in their defense that when they purchased the land which would become the park in 1980, one of the clauses of the deed was that no political activities would take place on the property. The pair argued that since it is public parkland, that the clause of the deed is unconstitutional and that the County government shouldn't be allowed restrict First Amendment rights based on clauses of deeds. The pair's legal team, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), cited a 1966 Supreme Court case, Evans v. Newton , which states that any local government's property-conveyance restrictions must comport with the Constitution. [24] The county was noted as being unusually confrontational on the issue by the American Civil Liberties Union. The County called FIRE's legal notice a "threat" and refused to negotiate with either the defendants, their legal team, or the ACLU, forcing the issue to reach litigation. [25] On April 26, 2023, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania found in favor of Gaughen and Kocur and ordered Dauphin County and Stebbin to end the unconstitutional ban on political speech in Fort Hunter Park, as well as pay Gaughen and Kocur $91,000. [26]
John Waldenberger, a perennial candidate best known for his 2018 bid for the 53rd District switched from the Libertarian party after the Mises takeover and has become the Keystone Party's treasurer. [27] [28] [29] Waldenberger, a longtime citizen participant in the Telford borough council, has been leading an effort to remove Robert Jacobus, a Republican borough councilmen due to his staunchly anti-LGBT policies and is running against him in the 2023 election as a member of the Keystone party. [30] [31] Waldenberger would go on to get last place with 497 votes, however, Jacobus lost his seat to a slate of Republican and Democratic challengers. [32]
On April 26, 2023, party chairman Kevin Gaughen announced on 𝕏 that the Keystone party would be taking steps to become a nationwide party by "creating bylaws, adopting a platform, selecting our national board of directors, forming new state affiliates, and possibly nominating candidates". [33] Gaughen stated that the new National Keystone Party would not be "Libertarian Party 2.0" and would differ from the Libertarian party in three main ways. [33] Firstly, the party would exclude "kooks" such as anarchists and extremists. [33] Secondly, the party will not focus on creating "bold" statements and hosting rallies, instead the goal of the party will be to run candidates. [33] And thirdly, the National Keystone party will be professional with "mature public messaging, competent leadership, and we intend to only nominate candidates who we believe will increase the goodwill of the organization." [33] The national keystone party never officially formed, as the party instead chose to affiliate with the Liberal Party USA in 2024 instead. [1]
On March 12, 2024, the Keystone Party announced on 𝕏 that they were rebranding as the Liberal Party of Pennsylvania and was joining the national Liberal Party USA, a coalition of Libertarian splinter parties that subscribe to Classical Liberalism and was formerly known as the "Association of State Liberty Parties". [1] The newly rebranded party announced that it would run candidates for Attorney General, Treasurer, Auditor General and United States Senate. [1]
| No. | Name | Tenure | Residence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gus Tatlas | April 2022 - ???? | York | Former Chairman of the Libertarian Party of York County |
| 2. | Kevin Gaughen | ???? - ???? | [33] | |
| 3. | Steve Scheetz | ???? - | [ citation needed ] |
 | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2024) |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 3,031,137 | 56.49% |  1.28% | ||
| Republican | 2,238,477 | 41.71% |  1.01% | ||
| Libertarian |
| 51,611 | 0.96% | 0.02% | |
| Green |
| 24,436 | 0.46% | 0.09% | |
| Keystone |
| 20,518 | 0.38% | New | |
| N/A | Write-Ins | 1,723 | 0.0% | Nil | |
| Total votes | 5,366,179 | 100% | 7.05% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Fetterman | 2,751,012 | 51.25% | 3.91% | |
| Republican | Mehmet Oz | 2,487,260 | 46.33% | 2.44% | |
| Libertarian | Erik Gerhardt | 72,887 | 1.36% | 2.53% | |
| Green | Richard L. Weiss | 30,434 | 0.57% | New | |
| Keystone | Dan Wassmer | 26,428 | 0.49% | New | |
| Total votes | 5,368,021 | 100% | N/A | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Jones | 18,751 | 63.4% | 36.6% | |
| Democratic | Chris Rodkey | 9,956 | 33.6% | 33.6% | |
| Keystone | Kristine Cousler-Womack | 887 | 3.0% | New | |
| Margin of victory | 8,795 | 28.9% | 71.1% | ||
| Turnout | 16,401 | 100% | 41.1% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dave Madsen | 11,563 | 70.5% | 26.4% | |
| Keystone | David Kocur | 4,838 | 29.5% | New | |
| Margin of victory | 6,725 | 41% | 38.2% | ||
| Turnout | 16,401 | 100% | 44.2% | ||
The Party's officially endorsed stances are: [35]
The Libertarian Party (LP) is a political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, laissez-faire capitalism, and limiting the size and scope of government. The party was conceived in August 1971 at meetings in the home of David F. Nolan in Westminster, Colorado, and was officially formed on December 11, 1971, in Colorado Springs. The organizers of the party drew inspiration from the works and ideas of the prominent Austrian school economist Murray Rothbard. The founding of the party was prompted in part due to concerns about the Nixon administration, the Vietnam War, conscription, and the introduction of fiat money.
Ballot access are rules and procedures regulating the right to candidacy, the conditions under which a candidate, political party, or ballot measure is entitled to appear on voters' ballots in elections in the United States. The jurisprudence of the right to candidacy and right to create a political party are less clear than voting rights in the United States. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has established in multiple cases that the federal constitution does not recognize a fundamental right to candidacy, and that state governments have a legitimate government interest in blocking "frivolous or fraudulent candidacies". As election processes are decentralized by Article I, Section 4, of the United States Constitution, ballot access laws are established and enforced by the states. As a result, ballot access processes may vary from one state to another. State access requirements for candidates generally pertain to personal qualities of a candidate, such as: minimum age, residency, and citizenship. Additionally, many states require prospective candidates to collect a specified number of qualified voters' signatures on petitions of support and mandate the payment of filing fees before granting access; ballot measures are similarly regulated. Each state also regulates how political parties qualify for automatic ballot access, and how those minor parties that do not can. Fundamental to democracy, topics related to ballot access are the subject of considerable debate in the United States.
The Libertarian Party of New York (LPNY), is the affiliate of the Libertarian Party in the U.S. state of New York. Due to changes in New York State election law in 2020, the Libertarian Party lost its ballot status. It is the recognized affiliate of the national Libertarian Party.
The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire (LPNH) is the New Hampshire affiliate of the national Libertarian Party (LP). Active since its foundation in 1972, it is the third-largest political party in the state having had multiple members elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives as well as being ballot-qualified multiple times.
The Libertarian Party of Texas is the state affiliate of the Libertarian Party in Texas.
The Libertarian Party of Illinois is the Illinois affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The current state chair is Bill Redpath. There are nine Libertarian officeholders in Illinois.
The Libertarian Party of Maryland is the Maryland affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The state chair is Kyle O'Donnell. The party, also known as "LPMaryland," or "LPMD" is Maryland's third-largest political party, with 17,364 registered voters across the state as of August 31, 2022. According to its website, the party "speaks to the proper relationship between the state and the individual; it does not speak to what individuals ought to do morally. The state exists to protect it's [sic] residents and their property from those that would harm." LPMaryland also forms coalitions with other civic organizations who share at least some common ground with libertarians, including groups that concern themselves primarily with civil liberties, world peace, fiscal restraint, and government reform. The official views of the party on state-level policy issues are set forth in the Libertarian Party of Maryland Platform.
The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPA) is the Pennsylvania affiliate of the Libertarian Party. Since March 2023, it has been chaired by Greg Deal.
Fort Hunter Historic District is a national historic district located at Fort Hunter, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The district includes six contributing buildings, four contributing sites, and one contributing structure. The area has seen continuous settlement since the early 1700s and once was the site of an early supply fort and garrison. Also in the district are the remains of a section of the Pennsylvania Canal. Notable buildings include the separately listed Archibald McAllister House, a spring house, Everhart Covered Bridge, large frame barn (1876), corn crib, farm house, blacksmith shop, stone stable barn, Hunter's House or Old Hotel, ice house, and archaeological sites for Fort Hunter, the garrison, Hunter's Mill, and the Pennsylvania Canal.
The 2018 New York gubernatorial election occurred on November 6, 2018. Incumbent Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo won re-election to a third term, defeating Republican Marc Molinaro and several minor party candidates. Cuomo received 59.6% of the vote to Molinaro's 36.2%.
Albert "Max" Abramson is an American politician who most recently served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing Rockingham District 37 from 2018 to 2022. He previously represented the same district from 2014 to 2016. He ran for the nomination of the Libertarian Party for the 2020 presidential election, but dropped out on March 3, 2020.
The 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Democratic lieutenant governor John Fetterman won his first term in office, defeating Republican surgeon Mehmet Oz. Fetterman succeeded incumbent Republican senator Pat Toomey, who did not seek re-election after two terms. This was the only U.S. Senate seat to flip parties in the 2022 midterms.
A special election for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district was held on March 13, 2018, following the resignation of Republican representative Tim Murphy. Murphy, who held the seat since January 3, 2003, declared his intent to resign on October 5, 2017, and vacated his seat on October 21 that year. Democrat Conor Lamb defeated Republican Rick Saccone 49.86% to 49.53%. Saccone conceded the race eight days after the election.
The 2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries and caucuses were a series of electoral contests to indicate non-binding preferences for the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in the 2020 United States presidential election. These differ from the Republican or Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses in that they do not appoint delegates to represent a candidate at the party's convention to select the party's presidential nominee.
The 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Pennsylvania and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro defeated State Senator Doug Mastriano by 14.8 percentage points to succeed term-limited incumbent governor Tom Wolf (D). Primaries were held on May 17, 2022. Shapiro won the Democratic nomination after running unopposed and Mastriano won the Republican nomination with 44% of the vote. Mastriano's nomination drew attention due to his far-right political views.
The Unity Party of America is a national political party in the United States founded on November 4, 2004 with the slogan "Not Right, Not Left, But Forward!" The party has 45 state affiliates, one of which, Colorado, has ballot access. Additionally, the Unity Party has reported that it has members in 46 states.
The 2022 New Mexico gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of New Mexico. The election coincided with various other federal and state elections. Primary elections were held on June 7.
The 2022 elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives were held on November 8, 2022, with all districts currently being decided. The term of office for those elected in 2022 began when the House of Representatives convened in January 2023. Pennsylvania State Representatives are elected for two-year terms, with all 203 seats up for election every two years.
The 2021 Pennsylvania elections were held on November 2, 2021, to fill judicial positions on the Supreme Court, Superior Court, and Commonwealth Court, to allow judicial retention votes, and to fill numerous county, local and municipal offices.
Dave Madsen is an American politician who is currently the representative for Pennsylvania's 104th District. He had previously served as a member of the Harrisburg City Council for five years starting in 2017.
