Author Archive | Bob Johnston

A lawsuit from Libertarians in Iowa challenges a recent law that moves up the paperwork deadline for the 2020 election by five months. From Radio Iowa on Aug. 5: The Libertarian Party of Iowa and one of its 2018 candidates have filed a lawsuit challenging a recent change in Iowa election law. Jake Porter of […]

Robert Bender, a Libertarian Party of Ohio candidate for the Reynoldsburg City Council, has been returned to the November ballot by court order after previously having a critical number of his petition signatures invalidated by election officials. From the Columbus Dispatch on July 23: The Franklin County Board of Elections returned a Libertarian candidate for […]

Former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, who recently switched his voter registration to the Libertarian Party, wrote this opinion piece for the Boston Globe on July 19: As an American, I have been saddened and embarrassed by recent failures of American presidents to exercise their global duties responsibly. We have entered into never-ending, illegitimate conflicts […]

Women hold most of the leadership positions in Burnsville, Minn., and one of them is Cara Schulz, the Libertarian National Committee’s candidate recruiting specialist, who is an elected member of the Burnsville City Council. Schulz was featured on NBC’s Today show alongside several other of these women on July 19. Watch the full Today Show […]

On July 3, a federal judge in U.S. district court enjoined Arkansas from enforcing the state’s new petition requirement for newly-qualifying parties, putting a halt to the secretary of state’s plans of carrying out tougher laws to regain ballot access. In February, the Arkansas legislature had raised the signature requirement from 10,000 registered voters to […]

Five Libertarian Party state affiliates have at least 1 percent of the active registered voters in their respective states. Less than 10 years ago, only one affiliate, Alaska, had at least 1 percent of the state’s registered voters. The affiliates with at least 1 percent are: Alaska — 3.04% Nebraska — 1.25% Colorado — 1.14% […]

South Dakota Libertarian Lance Lehmann was elected to the Rapid City Council Ward 4 seat on June 25 with more than two thirds of the vote, defeating incumbent City Council President Amanda Scott. Rapid City has a population of around 68,000 people, and is the second largest city in South Dakota. From the Rapid City […]

The Libertarian Party has fought for gay rights since its founding in 1971, and annual pride festivals are well attended by Libertarians throughout the country. Whitney Bilyeu, Libertarian National Committee representative for Region 7, reports on how Libertarians in Houston, Texas, brought their messages of freedom an equality to their local pride event: Houston Libertarians […]

Dani Cronce, an elected Democrat on the Binghamton, New York city council, changed her affiliation to the Libertarian Party on June 12. Binghamtom has a population of about 47,000. Cronce announced her party switch the same day on Binghamton Now With Bob Joseph, a radio show on WNBF-AM. From the WNBF website: Binghamton city councilwoman […]

When government officials charge exorbitant fees for petty violations, they wind up using their own poor citizens as revenue cash cows and keep people trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and jail time. The mayor and councy commission of Athens–Clarke in Georgia has taken a significant step to end that, thanks in large part […]

Libertarian Marco Battaglia’s race for Des Moines City Council received coverage in the Des Moines Register on June 10: A former Libertarian candidate for Iowa attorney general will now challenge for a seat on the Des Moines City Council this fall. Marco Battaglia, who lost his bid last fall to unseat longtime Attorney General Tom […]

Some people discover libertarian ideas when they’re young, but others may take decades to realize the value of individual liberty for all. Lincoln Chafee, a former governor and U.S. senator for Rhode Island, recently announced that he has switched his political affiliation to the Libertarian Party. From the Boston Globe on June 4: Lincoln D. […]