February 1998
Texas LP surpasses 'major' parties with Congressional candidate filing
The Libertarian Party of Texas has filed candidates in 29 of that state's 30 Congressional districts for the 1998 election -- which is more candidates than either the Republicans or Democrats are running.
"The Libertarian Party will offer the only alternative to the status quo in many Congressional districts," said Texas LP State Chair Jay Manifold. "Eight million Texans will have a choice of Congressperson at the polls this November only because of the Libertarian candidates."
The only U.S. House seat in Texas the Libertarians did not challenge was the 14th Congressional District, against Congressman Ron Paul, the Libertarian Party's candidate for President in 1988, said Manifold.
The status quo
By contrast, the Republican Party did not file candidates in six districts, and the Democrats did not file candidates in five districts -- which shows, said Manifold, "how important maintaining the status quo is to the two major parties. They're not even trying to rock the boat."Manifold admitted that, at first, he wasn't sure he supported the strategy of recruiting candidates for federal-level races.
"I didn't feel that great about the emphasis on Congressional candidates," he said, "until I read today's Dallas Morning News [and found out that] in 12 districts, 40% of the total, either the Democrats or the Republicans did not file a candidate. As far as I know, we will thus be in two-way races in all those districts."
In Washington, D.C., Libertarian Party National Director Ron Crickenberger said the extensive Congressional slate in Texas was part of a national strategy to field candidates in a majority of Congressional districts -- running at least 218 candidates.
"Texas has gone a long way toward helping to achieve our nationwide goals for candidate recruitment for '98," he said.
In addition the LP of Texas also filed candidates to run for all the non-judicial statewide races -- including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Agriculture Commissioner, Attorney General, State Comptroller of Public Accounts, Land Commissioner, Railroad Commissioner, and four spots on the state Supreme Court.
