May 1998
Cisewski announces for National Chair
Gene A. Cisewski, the chair of the Liberty Council political action committee and member of the Libertarian National Committee, has announced that he is a candidate for LP National Chair.
Cisewski, 40, said he is running because the LP needs to "have a better strategy, built around the grassroots, to move forward effectively."
If elected, Cisewski said he would implement a "comprehensive strategic plan" to reverse the "political market share" the Libertarian Party has lost.
"The LP has been around for 27 years," he said. "While we've seen some modest membership gains with various peaks and valleys, we lost political market share in the '90s. Consider that in 1988, LP presidential candidate Ron Paul came in at third place. In 1992, Andre Marrou won fourth place. Harry Browne's campaign only mustered a fifth place showing in 1996."
In addition, he said, "At various times we've elected people to state legislatures, culminating with four members of the New Hampshire State House in the early part of this decade. Today we have no elected office holders at the state level."
Cisewski will square off against David Bergland at the LP National Convention in Washington, DC, July 2-5, 1998.
This will be Cisewski's second bid for National Chair; he last ran in 1996, losing to incumbent Steve Dasbach.
Cisewski said his campaign isn't about "throwing out rascals."
As Chair, he said, "I will assemble a bigger team of talented people who can add to the things already done well so that our growth and victories can multiply. You see, this is not a campaign to throw rascals out of party office. I recognize the important contributions that many good folks make right now. Yet we have to go way beyond that and better develop our grassroots people power if we're to achieve your goals and mine."
More than 100 Libertarians across the USA have endorsed his campaign, said Cisewski, including Don Gorman (New Hampshire); Brian Higgins (Massachusetts); Bonnie Flickinger, Gail Lightfoot, and Richard Boddie (California); State Chair Janice Presser, Mike Buoncrstiano, Murray Sabrin, and Ed Wiessman (New Jersey); Blay Tarnoff (New York); Jim Givens and Jackie Bradbury (Missouri); Ron Emery (Wisconsin); State Chair Steve Richardson (Wyoming); LNC Regioanl Rep. Bob Franke; Ken Sturzenacker and Tim Moir (Pennsylvania); Steve Boone, Jesse Markowitz, and Amy Rule (Maryland).
Cisewski is a past State Chair of the Washington DC Libertarian Party, was the LP vice chair for the Wisconsin LP, and organized the Libertarian Victory 2000 campaign training program in Philadelphia last year. He is also the author of The Libertarian Party County Organizing Manual and How to Have Fun Losing Your Race for Congress.
Professionally, Cisewski is the CEO of The Monticello Group, a marketing firm.
For information aobut Cisewski's campaign, call (301) 990-7512. E-mail: JMarko@dclink.com.
