The Libertarian Party of Virginia is dissolving, according to a report this week from Virginia Mercury, with party leaders expressing frustration with the alt-right direction of the national party.
The national party has reversed its 50-year legacy of support for LGBTQ+ rights, openly denounced women’s suffrage, the Civil Rights Act, and “democracy itself,” according to a resolution dissolving the state party that was approved by a 7-6-1 vote of the party central committee on Sunday.
The national party has also been discouraging parties in swing states from running candidates where they could tilt the outcome toward Democrats.
“It’s clear we can’t function,” former chair Holly Ward said.
That happened in 2013, when Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Robert Sarver received more than 145,000 votes statewide, more than the slim margin of victory for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe over Republican Ken Cuccinelli.
Libertarians have not run candidates in recent statewide cycles, something Ward noted in comments to Virginia Mercury justifying the move to dissolve.
“We couldn’t run anybody. No one’s even willing to put their names behind this,” Ward said.
The Virginia Mercury article notes that there are local Libertarian chapters around the state challenging the validity of the dissolution vote.
It’s not like there’s a lot there, though, when you look at the bottom line.
According to the most recent campaign finance report for the state party’s political action committee, the party only had $26,984 in cash on hand as of March 31.
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Chris Graham
