Here Are Four Major Electoral Opportunities for the Libertarian Party in 2018 - Andy Craig, The Jack News:
January 1, 2018 - "The most common criticism of the Libertarian Party is that it can’t win.... It’s not always the case that Libertarians can’t win, though.... In no particular order and with the New Year upon us, here are [some] key opportunities for Libertarians in 2018:
1. "Nebraska state senator Laura Ebke ... switched her registration to the Libertarian Party in 2016.... Since then, Ebke ... secured the passage of a bill to ensure Libertarian ballot access in Nebraska, assembled a bipartisan coalition for occupational licensing reform, and was elected by her colleagues to serve as the Chair of the important Judiciary Committee....
"But Ebke still needs help from Libertarians nationwide, particularly in fundraising to match the spending-spree that [the GOP] is likely to go on.... Ebke’s re-election ... could set off a domino effect of other liberty-minded state legislators ditching the GOP....
2. "Libertarian Party ... chair ... Nicholas Sarwark is making his first bid for elected office in a special election for Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. A unique combination of circumstances and local notability give Sarwark some recognition. In a race that includes two Democratic members of the City Council, but no Republican, it is possible that Sarwark could make it into the top-two run-off....
"So far his campaign website shows that he has raised over $27,000 in online donations since announcing his campaign.... That’s not yet enough, but it’s a good start....
3. "In a belt of states across the Mountain West, and ... Upper Midwest, popular alignment with libertarianism runs higher than in most of the country.... As we get into the Spring of 2018, it will be worth keeping an eye on states like Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. If viable non-incumbent Libertarian candidates for state legislatures arise anywhere, it will probably be in this part of the country. Elections that ... go uncontested by one of the two major parties can be particularly ripe for Libertarians to target....
4. "In New Hampshire, the party already has three incumbent party-switchers ... – Caleb Dyer, Brandon Phinney, and Joseph Stallcop – [who] face very local elections, with low margins for victory under New Hampshire’s multi-member-district system..... The incumbent advantage is real, but voting trends for the NH legislature also tend to be sharply partisan, a real obstacle for even a Libertarian incumbent who doesn’t secure the endorsement of either local Republicans or Democrats....
"Next-door Maine also offers potential, thanks to having become the first state to adopt instant run-off voting, also known as ranked choice.... It’s not yet known whether IROV will actually be used during the 2018 elections, but if it is, it will provide a chance for Libertarians to test the theory that they could prevail if not hindered by the perception of 'wasted votes' and perpetual spoiler status."
Read more: https://www.thejacknews.com/politics/elections/four-electoral-opportunities-for-libertarian-party-2018/
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January 1, 2018 - "The most common criticism of the Libertarian Party is that it can’t win.... It’s not always the case that Libertarians can’t win, though.... In no particular order and with the New Year upon us, here are [some] key opportunities for Libertarians in 2018:
1. "Nebraska state senator Laura Ebke ... switched her registration to the Libertarian Party in 2016.... Since then, Ebke ... secured the passage of a bill to ensure Libertarian ballot access in Nebraska, assembled a bipartisan coalition for occupational licensing reform, and was elected by her colleagues to serve as the Chair of the important Judiciary Committee....
"But Ebke still needs help from Libertarians nationwide, particularly in fundraising to match the spending-spree that [the GOP] is likely to go on.... Ebke’s re-election ... could set off a domino effect of other liberty-minded state legislators ditching the GOP....
2. "Libertarian Party ... chair ... Nicholas Sarwark is making his first bid for elected office in a special election for Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona. A unique combination of circumstances and local notability give Sarwark some recognition. In a race that includes two Democratic members of the City Council, but no Republican, it is possible that Sarwark could make it into the top-two run-off....
"So far his campaign website shows that he has raised over $27,000 in online donations since announcing his campaign.... That’s not yet enough, but it’s a good start....
3. "In a belt of states across the Mountain West, and ... Upper Midwest, popular alignment with libertarianism runs higher than in most of the country.... As we get into the Spring of 2018, it will be worth keeping an eye on states like Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. If viable non-incumbent Libertarian candidates for state legislatures arise anywhere, it will probably be in this part of the country. Elections that ... go uncontested by one of the two major parties can be particularly ripe for Libertarians to target....
4. "In New Hampshire, the party already has three incumbent party-switchers ... – Caleb Dyer, Brandon Phinney, and Joseph Stallcop – [who] face very local elections, with low margins for victory under New Hampshire’s multi-member-district system..... The incumbent advantage is real, but voting trends for the NH legislature also tend to be sharply partisan, a real obstacle for even a Libertarian incumbent who doesn’t secure the endorsement of either local Republicans or Democrats....
"Next-door Maine also offers potential, thanks to having become the first state to adopt instant run-off voting, also known as ranked choice.... It’s not yet known whether IROV will actually be used during the 2018 elections, but if it is, it will provide a chance for Libertarians to test the theory that they could prevail if not hindered by the perception of 'wasted votes' and perpetual spoiler status."
Read more: https://www.thejacknews.com/politics/elections/four-electoral-opportunities-for-libertarian-party-2018/
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