Even as Republicans and Democrats are suffering sharp declines in voters who identify with them, the Libertarian Party is gearing up for their biennial national convention to build on record growth in the last two years.
More than 500 Libertarians from all 50 states and around the world are convening in Columbus, Ohio, from Thursday, June 26, to Sunday, June 29, for the 2014 Libertarian Party National Convention.
“Libertarian Party voter registration in the United States has grown 11.4 percent since late 2012,” said LP Political Director Carla Howell, citing research by national ballot access expert Richard Winger.
“Our members and candidates from across the country are excited to get together to network, to share success stories, and to continue building the only nationally organized political party that’s growing,” Howell said.
According to Winger, the most recent figures available from state governments show that there were 368,561 registered Libertarians in March 2014, compared to 330,811 in November 2012.
This measure of Libertarian Party growth only includes data from the 30 states (plus the District of Columbia) that allow voters to include a party affiliation with their voter registration.
Other races from around the country indicate that support for Libertarian candidates is increasing, even in hotly contested races with national implications.
Among the races to watch are:
- U.S. Senate, North Carolina: Libertarian Sean Haugh is polling at 11 percent in a tightly contested, much-watched race with Democrat Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican challenger Thom Tillis. (Source: Public Policy Polling.)
- U.S. House, FL-13: Libertarian Lucas Overby is polling at 31 percent in a two-candidate race with incumbent Republican David Jolly, who is polling at 47 percent. (Source: SaintPetersBlog.)
- U.S. House, FL-19: In a special election slated for June 24, in which 41 percent of voters report being undecided, Libertarian Ray Netherwood is polling at 13 percent, ahead of the Democrat, who is polling at 12 percent. The Republican is polling at 26 percent. (Source: Vote USA.)
- Florida Governor: Libertarian Adrian Wyllie is polling at 4 percent in a race with incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democrat Charlie Crist. But with Florida’s all-important independent voting bloc, Wyllie is polling at 10 percent. (Source: Daily Beast.)
- U.S. House, AK-1: Libertarian Jim McDermott is polling at 12 percent in a race for Alaska’s only House seat with incumbent Republican Don Young (50 percent) and Democrat Matt Moore (22 percent). (Source: Public Policy Polling.)
- Georgia Governor: Libertarian Andrew Hunt, a nanotechnologist, is polling at 9 percent. (Source: Daily Beast.)
Delegates at the four-day event will help shape the direction of the Libertarian Party by electing members of the Libertarian National Committee and by considering changes to the LP’s platform and bylaws.
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