 | |
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | June 30–July 3, 2018 |
| City | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Venue | Hyatt Regency Hotel |
| Chair | Daniel Hayes |
| Keynote speaker | Amaryllis Fox |
The 2018 Libertarian National Convention was held from June 30 to July 3, 2018, in New Orleans, Louisiana. According to the Libertarian Party, the 2018 convention was the "biggest Libertarian National Convention ever," breaking previous records in attendance and fundraising. [1]
The theme was "I'm THAT Libertarian!", a phrase uttered by the late Marc Allan Feldman in a Libertarian presidential debate at the 2016 national convention. [2] [3]
Nicholas Sarwark's seat as Chair of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) was up for election. Sarwark faced challenge from Washington LP member Joshua Smith, [4] Libertarian Socialist Caucus member Matt Kuehnel, [5] former Gary Johnson and John McAfee campaign staffer Christopher Thrasher [6] and Libertarian Party of Carbon County Chair Matt Schutter. [7] Sarwark ended up winning an unprecedented consecutive third-term as LNC chair. [8]
| Poll source | Sample size | Date(s) | Dearn (withdrew) | Sarwark | Smith | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Libertarian Vindicator [14] | 134 | February 2018 | – | 47% | 28% | None of the Above 25% |
| The Libertarian Vindicator [15] | 73 | April 2018 | 22% | 29% | 41% | None of the Above 8% |
| Libertarian National Convention LNC Chairman Vote, 2018 [16] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | First Ballot | Percentage |
| Nicholas Sarwark | 517 | 65% |
| Joshua Smith | 175 | 22% |
| Christopher Thrasher | 46 | 6% |
| NOTA | 33 | 4% |
| Matt Kuehnel | 13 | 2% |
| John Keil | 4 | 1% |
| Matthew Schutter | 1 | nil |
| Write-In | 1 | nil |
| Totals | 790 | 100% |
The seat of Vice chair was also up for election, the incumbent being Arvin Vohra. Alex Merced, 2017 candidate for New York comptroller, [17] Libertarian Youth Caucus founder Trent Somes III, [18] 2018 Iowa gubernatorial candidate Jake Porter, [19] Indiana activist Joe Hauptmann, [20] Treasurer of the Libertarian Radical Caucus Steve Scheetz, former Indiana Libertarian Party chair Sam Goldstein [21] and Montana Libertarian Joe Paschal all sought election to the position.
In January 2018 Arvin Vohra drew criticism for condoning sexual relations between adults and minors so long as affirmative consent is given, using the example of a 25-year-old male and a 15-year-old female. [22] Multiple state Libertarian parties demanded Vohra be relieved from his position, as well as the Libertarian Youth Caucus through Trent Somes III, one of Vohra's opponents in the vice chairmanship election. [23]
| Date | Place | Host | Participants | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Participant. A Absent. N Confirmed non-invitee. O Out of race (exploring, suspended, or not yet entered) | Sam Goldstein | Joe Hauptmann | Alex Merced | Joe Paschal | Jake Porter | Steve Scheetz | Trent Somes | Arvin Vohra | James Weeks | |||||||||||
| February 10 [24] | Google Hangouts | 71 Republic | A | P | P | P | A | P | A | P | P | |||||||||
| February 22 [25] | Google Hangouts | The Feldman Foundation | A | P | P | P | A | P | A | P | P | |||||||||
| March 3 [26] | Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania 2018 Convention | Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania | A | P | P | A | A | P | A | P | A | |||||||||
| March 10 [27] | Libertarian Party of Connecticut 2018 Convention | Libertarian Party of Connecticut | A | A | P | A | A | P | A | P | A | |||||||||
| April 21 [28] | Libertarian Party of New York 2018 Convention | Libertarian Party of New York | A | P | P | A | A | A | A | A | A | |||||||||
| Poll source | Sample size | Date(s) | Goldstein | Hauptmann | Merced | Paschal | Porter | Scheetz | Somes | Vohra | Weeks | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Libertarian Vindicator [29] [30] | 248 | January 2018 | – | 6% | 46% | 4% | 8% | 6% | 20% | 10% | – | N/A |
| 99 | February 2018 | 8% | 5% | 59% | 4% | 3% | 5% | – | 5% | 4% | None of the Above 7% |
Notable speakers included: [31]
In late 2017, the Libertarian Party Mises Caucus reached out to the chairman of the 2018 LP Convention Committee, Daniel Hayes, entertaining the thought of former congressman and 1988 Libertarian Party presidential nominee Ron Paul and Freedom Watch host Judge Napolitano speaking at the convention, offering to pay off speaking fees. Hayes rejected the idea of Paul speaking at the convention, saying "he has no idea what the LP represents", criticizing Napolitano as well. [32] Ron Paul confronted the controversy, stating he has been a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party since 1987 when he paid using a gold coin, and asked, "do I get my gold coin back?" [33]
On February 3, 2018 Nicholas Sarwark confronted the controversy, saying in a tweet: "If Ron Paul decides he wants to attend the Libertarian Party national convention in New Orleans and speak, I'll make sure he gets time on the stage. It's the least we can do for a life member, former Presidential nominee, and Hall of Liberty award winner." [34]
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.
The Libertarian National Convention is held every two years by the Libertarian Party to choose members of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), and to conduct other party business. In presidential election years, the convention delegates enact a platform and nominate the Libertarian presidential and vice-presidential candidates who then face the nominees of other parties in the November general election.
The Libertarian National Committee (LNC) controls and manages the affairs, properties, and funds of the United States Libertarian Party. It is composed of the party officers, five at-large representatives elected every two years at the national convention, and a theoretical maximum of 10 regional representatives. The current chair is Angela McArdle, elected at the 2022 Libertarian National Convention.
The Libertarian Party of Texas is the state affiliate of the Libertarian Party in Texas.
The Libertarian Party of Indiana is the Indiana affiliate of the Libertarian Party.
The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPA) is the Pennsylvania affiliate of the Libertarian Party. Since March 2022, it has been chaired by Rob Cowburn.
The 2012 Libertarian National Convention, in which delegates of the Libertarian Party (LP) chose the party's nominees for president and vice president in the 2012 general election, was held May 2–6, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino. Former Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson won the presidential nomination on the first ballot. Retired California state court judge Jim Gray won the vice presidential nomination, also on the first ballot. The convention also chose to replace most of the Libertarian National Committee party officers and members-at-large.
The Libertarian Party in the United States is composed of various factions, sometimes described as left and right, although many libertarians reject use of these terms to describe the political philosophy.
The 2016 Libertarian National Convention was the gathering at which delegates of the Libertarian Party chose the party's nominees for president and vice president in the 2016 national election. The party selected Gary Johnson, a former Governor of New Mexico, as its presidential candidate, with Bill Weld, a former Governor of Massachusetts as his running mate. The convention was held from May 26–30, 2016, in Orlando, Florida.
Nicholas Joel Sarwark is an American attorney and businessman who served as the 19th chair of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), the governing body of the Libertarian Party. Prior to his election in 2014, he served on several LP national committees and as chair of the Libertarian Party of Maryland State Committee and vice chair of the Libertarian Party of Colorado State Committee. As of 2020, he is the only LP chair to have served three consecutive terms.
Austin Wade Petersen is an American writer, political activist, commentator, and broadcaster. He is the host of the Wake Up America show daily newscast. He was the runner-up for the Libertarian Party's nomination for President of the United States in 2016, finishing second place to Gary Johnson with 21.9% of the vote.
The 2016 Libertarian Party presidential primaries and caucuses allowed electors to indicate non-binding preferences for the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate. These differed from the Republican or Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses in that they did not appoint delegates to represent a candidate at the party's convention to select the party's nominee for the United States presidential election. The party's nominee for the 2016 presidential election was chosen directly by registered delegates at the 2016 Libertarian National Convention, which ran from May 26 to 30, 2016. The delegates nominated former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson for President and former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld for Vice President.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Maryland took place on November 6, 2018, in order to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Maryland. It was held concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Ben Cardin was re-elected to a third and ultimately final term by a landslide margin of almost 35 points.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Virginia took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Virginia, concurrently with other elections to the U.S. Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who had been his party's nominee for vice president two years earlier, was re-elected to a second term in office, winning this seat by the largest margin since 1988. This was the first election since 1994 that anyone had been re-elected to this seat.
Larry David Sharpe is an American business consultant, entrepreneur, political activist, and podcaster. He was a candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination for vice-president of the United States in 2016, losing to former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld. Sharpe was the Libertarian nominee for Governor of New York in the 2018 gubernatorial election. He again received that party's gubernatorial nomination for the 2022 New York gubernatorial election, but did not meet the qualifications to be listed on the general election ballot and consequently ran as a write-in candidate.
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 2020 Libertarian National Convention delegates selected the Libertarian Party nominees for president and vice president in the 2020 United States presidential election. Primaries were held, but were preferential in nature and did not determine delegate allocation. The convention was originally scheduled to be held from May 21 to May 25 at the JW Marriott Austin luxury hotel in downtown Austin, Texas. On April 26, all reservations at the JW Marriott Austin were canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the convention oversight committee to seek another venue for a possible July date.
The Libertarian Party Mises Caucus (LPMC) is a caucus within the United States Libertarian Party that promotes paleolibertarianism and a more radical version of libertarianism associated with the presidential campaigns of former U.S. congressman Ron Paul. It was founded in 2017 by Michael Heise, mainly in opposition to Nicholas Sarwark's position as party chairman and the pragmatic faction of the party associated with the presidential campaigns of former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson. It is named after economist Ludwig von Mises.
The 2021 Libertarian National Committee chair special election was held on July 11, 2021, by the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), the governing body of the United States Libertarian Party, to elect their next chairperson, after their previous chair, Joe Bishop-Henchman, resigned due to an internal party controversy.
Angela Elise McArdle is an American politician from Texas and California who was elected on May 28, 2022 as the 22nd and current chair of the Libertarian National Committee. She was also the Secretary of the Libertarian Party of California from April 2018 to April 2019, and was a board member of the Mises Caucus.
