Libertarians to refocus after losing major party status in Iowa - Barbara Rodriguez, Des Moines Register:
November 21, 2018 - "A lackluster performance in Iowa's midterms has cost Libertarians the major party status they earned for the first time after the 2016 general election.... Jake Porter, the Libertarian candidate for governor, received 1.6 percent of the vote ... — less than the 2 percent that Iowa law requires to retain major party status....
"The setback comes despite a period of growth for Iowa Libertarians. They have new party registrations, more candidates on the ballot and more people voting for those candidates.
"The 2 percent threshold, required in either a governor's race or a presidential race, allowed Libertarians to participate in this year’s state primary.... Instead, heading into the 2020 presidential election, Libertarians once again will be categorized in Iowa as a non-party political organization, and candidates will need to circulate nominating petitions to qualify to appear on the ballot. Party leaders predict they'll bounce back and regain their status in two years....
"A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll in September showed 7 percent of Iowans said they supported Porter. Another Iowa Poll days before the election showed Porter's support had dropped to 2 percent.
"That's despite a surge in registered Libertarians — from about 9,000 in early 2017 to more than 13,000 as of November. Porter ultimately received 21,426 votes out of more than 1.3 million cast in the governor's race....
"There were 27 Libertarian candidates running for congressional, statewide and legislative races in Iowa this year [which] surpasses the 2016 record of 24. But some of those candidates posted little, if any, information about themselves, and some had no website or social media presence. More importantly, ... campaign filing data show the four Libertarian congressional candidates raised no money....
"Nationally, Election Day produced mixed results for the Libertarian Party. Libertarians running for governor in Oklahoma and New York cleared the voting thresholds needed to maintain ballot access. In the governor’s race in New Hampshire, the Libertarian candidate failed to secure enough votes. Libertarians in Ohio are considering legal action over any attempt by that state to take away their newly acquired party status."
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November 21, 2018 - "A lackluster performance in Iowa's midterms has cost Libertarians the major party status they earned for the first time after the 2016 general election.... Jake Porter, the Libertarian candidate for governor, received 1.6 percent of the vote ... — less than the 2 percent that Iowa law requires to retain major party status....
"The setback comes despite a period of growth for Iowa Libertarians. They have new party registrations, more candidates on the ballot and more people voting for those candidates.
"The 2 percent threshold, required in either a governor's race or a presidential race, allowed Libertarians to participate in this year’s state primary.... Instead, heading into the 2020 presidential election, Libertarians once again will be categorized in Iowa as a non-party political organization, and candidates will need to circulate nominating petitions to qualify to appear on the ballot. Party leaders predict they'll bounce back and regain their status in two years....
"A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll in September showed 7 percent of Iowans said they supported Porter. Another Iowa Poll days before the election showed Porter's support had dropped to 2 percent.
"That's despite a surge in registered Libertarians — from about 9,000 in early 2017 to more than 13,000 as of November. Porter ultimately received 21,426 votes out of more than 1.3 million cast in the governor's race....
"There were 27 Libertarian candidates running for congressional, statewide and legislative races in Iowa this year [which] surpasses the 2016 record of 24. But some of those candidates posted little, if any, information about themselves, and some had no website or social media presence. More importantly, ... campaign filing data show the four Libertarian congressional candidates raised no money....
"Nationally, Election Day produced mixed results for the Libertarian Party. Libertarians running for governor in Oklahoma and New York cleared the voting thresholds needed to maintain ballot access. In the governor’s race in New Hampshire, the Libertarian candidate failed to secure enough votes. Libertarians in Ohio are considering legal action over any attempt by that state to take away their newly acquired party status."
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