Incorrect results reported in NC LP primary

Warren County, North Carolina, has only 41 registered Libertarians – but reported more than 800 votes cast in its Libertarian primary.

NC election officials confirm voting irregularities in one county, blame human error | Raleigh News & Observer - Will Doran:

March 5, 2020 - "Officials in a North Carolina county accidentally inflated the votes in one Super Tuesday primary election, but fixed the problem on Thursday. Tuesday’s election results are still unofficial everywhere in the state, and officials at the N.C. State Board of Elections will do audits all around the state regardless of whether voting results appear wrong. In one rural area, however, they have already found an issue and say it was due to human error....

"'It’s very important to note that the results on the election night reporting system are unofficial and this is ongoing,' Pat Gannon, a spokesman for the elections board, said in an interview Thursday morning.

"Warren County, a small community north of Raleigh on the Virginia border, has only 41 registered Libertarian voters. But on Tuesday the county reported more than 800 votes cast in the Libertarian presidential race. The county also has just one registered Constitution Party voter and one registered Green Party voter — but mistakenly reported dozens of votes cast in both primaries.

"By Thursday afternoon, however, the county had figured out what went wrong and submitted the correct numbers. In reality, the new numbers show, both of the county’s single Constitution Party and Green Party voters cast a ballot. So did five — not 863 — Libertarians, most of whom voted for “No Preference” ....

"Before each election, counties run what are called 'logic and accuracy' tests of their voting software to ensure there are no problems. A top state election official, Katelyn Love, wrote in a press release ... on Thursday afternoon that on election night, Warren County officials accidentally reported those test results.... 'The error ... would have been caught by one of the numerous audits that take place prior to canvass,' Love said."

Read more: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article240917261.html

[Corrected figures have been posted on the North Carolina State Board of Elections site. The change does not substantially change the previously reported ranking and percentages. None of the Above's vote share increased, from 30% to 33%. - gd ]

NOTA wins North Carolina Libertarian primary

by George J. Dance

According to results posted on Wikipedia, None of the Above (NOTA) won the North Carolina Libertarian Party primary held on Super Tuesday, March 3. There were 6,904 votes cast in the primary, the largest number of Libertarians to vote a presidential candidate preference so far in 2020. Less than 500 people voted in the three previous contests (in New Hampshire, Iowa, and Minnesota) combined, making the Super Tuesday votes the first with a large enough sample size to indicate Libertarians' actual preference.

Of those 6,904 votes, 30% (2,060) went to NOTA. Future of Freedom Foundation founder Jacob Hornberger placed first among the declared candidates, with 604 votes, or 9% of the vote (making NOTA's margin of victory more than 20 percentage points).

Close behind Hornberger were John McAfee with 570 votes, and Kim Ruff (who suspended her campaign in January after losing to Vermin Supreme in New Hampshire) with 545. The only other candidates to receive at least 5% of the vote were Supreme (410), Ken Armstrong (366), and Jo Jorgensen (316).

Neither former Rhode Island Governor and Senator Lincoln Chafee nor "million-vote man" John Monds received any votes, and they may not have been on the ballot. I have asked the North Carolina Party to clarify the point, and will update the article when received.

Close to 50 Libertarians running in North Carolina

Libertarian candidates swell ranks - Rocky Mount Telegram - Lindell John Kay:

September 23, 2018 - "Two local candidates for state office this year are part of a growing trend of more Libertarians appearing on North Carolina ballots.

"'I’m fortunate to be the first Libertarian to run for the North Carolina House in our area,' said Nick Taylor, 30, of Nashville, who is running for the state House District 25 seat, which represents most of Nash County including Rocky Mount. Jesse Shearin, 77, of Scotland Neck, is running for for the state Senate District 4 seat....

"North Carolina is second only to Texas this year in having the largest number of Libertarian candidates — and with nearly 50 Libertarians running this year, it's one of the largest slates of Libertarian candidates ever, according to information from the N.C. Libertarian Party.

"Libertarians believe government stifles innovation through regulation, subverts compassion through bureaucracy and suppresses achievement through economic manipulation, according to the preamble of the party's platform....

"Lack of jobs is one of the biggest challenges facing Nash County and the state, Taylor said.... 'I would like to make it easier for businesses to open up in Nash County and our state,' he said. 'Therefore reducing the unnecessary steps and run-around that citizens have to take to create a business'....

 "The most important issue facing District 4 — and all other districts — is the tendency to rely upon government to solve all problems, Shearin said....

"The Libertarian platform calls for the legalization of marijuana, the end of immigration laws, gun ownership without regulation, repeal of any restrictive marriage laws, outlawing government collection of information on people, a free market, abolishing the execution of prisoners, school choice, privately owned roads and more."

Read more: http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/News/2018/09/23/Libertarian-candidates-swell-ranks.html
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Democrat endorses Libertarian in NC's 9th CD

Democrat supports Libertarian in 9th District congressional race | Richmond County Daily Journal - William R. Toler:

June 22, 2018 - "A two-time congressional hopeful is throwing his support behind a third-party candidate.

"Democrat Christian Cano announced June 14 that he is endorsing Libertarian Jeff Scott for North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District seat currently held by lame-duck Republican Rep. Robert Pittenger.

"'I know that Jeff Scott will fight for my family and all our families equally in Congress,' Cano said in a letter on his campaign website. “More importantly, he is not beholden to the corporate deep pockets in Nancy Pelosi’s political machine, President 45’s (Donald Trump) hatred and bigotry, or the privileged interests focused on preserving the status quo and the ways they benefit.'

"Scott said he was 'extremely pleased' with the endorsement. 'This opens a lot of important doors for me to swing voters in this district,' he told the Daily Journal....

"Cano also accused the other candidates of being involved in collusion or corruption during the campaign.

"'As a progressive and person of faith, major party collusion and corruption is a non-negotiable issue for my family and many of our families,' he said. 'I have decided to put our country over party and endorse Jeff, because I know where he stands on the real-world issues facing our rich culturally diverse working-class and struggling neighbors'....

"Cano made sure to say that his endorsement of a Libertarian 'does not and will not alter our complete dedication and support for flipping our North Carolina General Assembly' in the much-anticipated 'blue wave,' with Democrats replacing Republicans in November’s mid-term elections.

"Cano lost the Democratic primary last month to Dan McCready.

"Pittenger was defeated by former Charlotte pastor Mark Harris in the Republican primary. He narrowly won a recount against Harris in the 2016 primary and handily won over Cano in the general election."

Read more: https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/news/81521/democrat-supports-libertarian-in-9th-district-congressional-race
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Record 50 Libertarians running in NC in 2018

In Wake County, the Libertarians Are Coming—and They’re Not Just Old Whites Dudes Looking to Skip Out on Taxes | Wake County | Indy Week - Erica Hellerstein:

March 7, 2018 - "Robyn Pegram ... a twenty-four-year-old Apex [North Carolina] native, had been a Democrat, but the party's handling of Bernie Sanders's candidacy and the HB 2 aftermath left her feeling alienated. Pegram had always been interested in libertarianism — 'I had always kind of prided myself on being a free thinker,' she says — so she switched.

"A few months later, Pegram made another big decision. She filed to run against state representative Nelson Dollar, the seven-term Republican whose district covers parts of suburban Wake County, because she 'wanted to be a voice for the people' and believed his seat was winnable....

"Pegram isn't the only local Libertarian with high hopes for 2018. She's one of a record number of Libertarian candidates running for office in Wake County, a trend party officials chalk up to voters' dissatisfaction with the two-party duopoly and a growing Libertarian presence across North Carolina. Statewide, the party is fielding six congressional candidates, twenty-one state House candidates, fifteen state Senate candidates, four sheriff candidates, and four county commissioner candidates.

"In all, fifty Libertarian candidates are running for office in 2018, including sixteen in Wake County.

"'The people of North Carolina deserve real choices in the voting booth, and we have an amazing group of people who have made the commitment to serve,' wrote Libertarian Party of North Carolina chairwoman Susan Hogarth in an email announcing the party's 'record-setting slate' of candidates. 'In an environment dominated by political expediency, the growing energy in the LPNC tells us people want something more'....

"Any sort of Libertarian movement in North Carolina, in fact, will face an uphill climb. Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson received less than 3 percent of the vote in 2016; Sean Haugh, the Libertarian Senate candidate, garnered 3.6 percent."

Read more: https://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/in-wake-county-the-libertarians-are-coming-and-theyre-not-just-old-whites-dudes-looking-to-skip-out-on-taxes/Content?oid=12102419
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12 Libertarians win office in November elections

Libertarian Party Wins More Than a Dozen Elections Across the Nation - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Brian Doherty:

November 8, 2017 - "The Libertarian Party participated in elections in 12 states yesterday: Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. The party's candidates won races (not always partisan ones) in the following states:

• In Florida, party members were elected to the Altamonte Springs City Commission, the Coconut Grove Village Council, and the Cape Canaveral City Council.
• In Pennsylvania, party members were elected Rome Township auditor, Spring Township auditor, auditor of Upper Providence, Victory Township supervisor, Houston Borough judge of elections, Exeter Township school director, Lower Nazareth auditor and judge of elections, constable in Sunbury, and member of the Houston Borough Council.
• In Washington, party members were elected to the Long Beach City Council and the Covington City Council.
• In North Carolina, a party member was elected to the Carthage Town Board of Commissioners.

"While nowhere near the spread between winning Democrat Ralph Northam and losing Republican Ed Gillespie, at least 29,000 Virginians voted for Libertarian Cliff Hyra for governor. Michelle Darnell won an impressive 32 percent in a Washington State Senate race in the Redmond area, though with only one major-party opponent, the winning Democrat.

"Details on the L.P.'s results yesterday can be found on the party's website."

Read more: http://reason.com/blog/2017/11/08/libertarian-party-wins-more-than-a-dozen
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Libertarians holding debate and primary in NC

N.C. Libertarian Party to hold presidential debate - Winston-Salem Journal: Local News - Melissa Hall:

"The Libertarian Party of North Carolina will host a presidential debate at 9 p.m. Monday in Raleigh. It will be webcast on Google Hangouts On Air.

"The debate will feature five of the 11 Libertarian candidates who will appear on the March 15 North Carolina primary ballot. The participants will be chosen in an online poll. To vote in the poll visit, http://strawpoll.me/6514672.

"The moderator of the debate will be Barry Smith, the associate editor of the Carolina Journal. The candidates will take part from locations across the country.

"To watch the debate, visit http://bit.ly/libertarian_debate.

"The candidates listed on the primary ballot are: Marc Feldman of Ohio; John Hale of Kentucky; Cecil Ince of Missouri, Gary Johnson of New Mexico; Steven Kerbel of Colorado; Darryl W. Perry of New Hampshire; Austin Petersen of Missouri, Derrick Reid of California; Jack Robinson of South Carolina; Rhett Smith of Texas, and; Joy Waymire of California.

"Presidential and vice presidential candidates will be chosen by delegates to the party's national convention scheduled for May 27 to 30 in Orlando, Fla."

http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/n-c-libertarian-party-to-hold-presidential-debate/article_6f1d420b-c1f7-5c62-8089-39a76bacb9e4.html
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Libertarian enters North Carolina Senate race

Libertarian joins race for Senate seat here - Mooresville Tribune: Local News:

December 9, 2015 - "Nic Haag of Denver, an information security professional and Marine Corps combat veteran, has filed to run as a Libertarian candidate for the North Carolina Senate District 44 seat.

"Haag joins a race that includes two Republicans – incumbent David Curtis and challenger Chris Carney – who will square off in a March 15 GOP primary. If no additional Libertarians file for office, Haag will be on the November ballot....

"Haag said his campaign will focus on issues 'regarding individual liberties, restoring the rights of the people in the era of ever-expanding government. (My) guiding principle in regards to good government has always been: The government is best, that which governs the least'....

"Haag said he has 'always been against government where [it] does not belong,' hence his positions on 'abolishing the ABC spirits monopoly. NC citizens should be allowed to buy spirits in a competitive free market, where selection is greater and prices are cheaper,' he said.

"Haag also advocates the legalization of marijuana in North Carolina and “using the tax revenue to abolish property taxes on vehicles and reduce income tax rates'....  Haag said he is 'confident a state with such deep roots in the tobacco industry will be more than welcoming to a cash crop that will bring about long-term economic stability.'

"Haag spent more than 10 years in the Marines and works as a technical advisor for a venture capital firm. He said he supports the idea 'that entrepreneurial spirit is among the most important things for a government to nurture. This is done by ensuring people are free from burdensome regulations, economic protectionism, and bureaucratic meddling.'"

Read more: http://www.mooresvilletribune.com/news/libertarian-joins-race-for-senate-seat-here/article_0cf38ea4-9e8d-11e5-a673-5bc4a6f3f01c.html
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Former news publisher to run for NC governor

Former Denver newspaper publisher announces bid for governor as Libertarian | Lincoln Times-News:

January 5, 2015 - "An East Lincoln resident has announced plans to run as a Libertarian candidate in North Carolina’s 2016 gubernatorial race.

"Ken Fortenberry, former publisher of the weekly news@norman newspaper, informed media outlets of his decision to run in a press release Tuesday afternoon. His political platform includes calling for a significant decrease in state income taxes, lowering the state’s legal drinking age and ceasing legislative and legal efforts in the War on Drugs.

"If elected, he plans to reduce North Carolina personal income taxes by 50 percent over the span of five years, with the ultimate goal of eliminating the tax entirely. 'If Tennessee, Texas, Florida and six other states can operate without a personal income tax, surely we can do half of that in North Carolina,' Fortenberry wrote.

"In his eyes, returning the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 is long overdue. 'If a person is old enough to go to war and possibly die for this country, that person is old enough to buy a beer…. North Carolina should lead the nation in telling the federal government to mind its own business in issues such as this,' he said.

"Although Fortenberry wrote that he has never consumed an illegal drug, he believes that the time has come to accept the War on Drugs has served as a “costly failure that has ruined millions of lives by labeling otherwise law-abiding citizens as criminals.'"

Read more: http://www.lincolntimesnews.com/2015/01/05/former-denver-newspaper-publisher-announces-bid-for-governor-as-libertarian/
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Did Haugh 'spoil' election for Democrat in NC?

Analysis: Did Libertarian votes hurt Kay Hagan? - Meghan Molleruss, WFMY:

November 5, 2014 - "In the day following Democratic incumbent senator Kay Hagan's loss to Republican challenger Thom Tillis, voters speculate what role Libertarian candidate Sean Haugh played in the end result.

"North Carolina House speaker Tillis clinched victory by two percent over incumbent Hagan, who was favored in the majority of polls leading into Tuesday's Mid-Term Elections. Final numbers indicated Tillis received 49 percent of the vote. Hagan received 47 percent. Haugh received four percent -- a historically large number for a third party in Mid-Term Elections.

"Past elections and party platforms suggest Libertarian candidates tend to take away votes from Republican candidates. But, the trend might have been the opposite in this Senate race, according to a political poll.

"Elon Poll director Kenneth Fernandez, Ph.D. said, 'We (Elon Poll) did an online survey, and we found that basically two-thirds of the votes were being stolen from Hagan'....

"He added, 'I think this is a tough, tough decision for Hagan to think -- could I have done something different to woo those Sean Haugh voters or maybe have tacked Tillis to woo some independents? Tillis did much, much better with independents.'"

Read more: http://www.wcnc.com/story/news/politics/elections/2014/11/05/analysis-did-libertarian-votes-hurt-kay-hagan/18532449/
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Conservative group runs web ads for Haugh in NC

Conservative group funds pro-weed campaign for North Carolina Libertarian candidate - Washington Post - Matea Gold, Post Politics:

October 23, 2014 - "Sean Haugh, the Libertarian candidate for Senate in North Carolina, is getting a big lift in the waning days of the election from an unlikely group praising his support for marijuana legalization and his opposition to U.S. military action abroad.

"The 'More Weed, Less War' online ad campaign features beaming young men and women who tout Haugh as 'sharing our progressive values,' chant 'Get Haugh, get high!' and dismiss Democratic incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan as 'out of touch.'

"The outfit behind the campaign does not have a history of advocating for marijuana legalization.

"American Future Fund, a tax-exempt organization based in West Des Moines, has been frequently used as a pass-through for political money on the right. In the 2012 campaign, it was a major player in a network of politically active nonprofits supported by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch and other conservative donors.

"But James Davis, a spokesman for Freedom Partners, the main financial arm of the Koch-backed network, said it no longer funds the Iowa group and has nothing to do with its pro-Haugh campaign....

"Nick Ryan, AFF’s founder, declined to say who was supporting the campaign. 'As a practice, we don't comment on who does or does not contribute to our organization,' he wrote in an email.

"He added that the goal of the pro-Haugh campaign 'is straightforward — share information with voters about where Sean Haugh stands on a variety of issues'.

"Ryan said the campaign is now generating so much buzz that AFF plans to expand its initial $225,000 buy.... 'We are going to re-double our efforts and expand the program next week.'"

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/10/23/koch-linked-group-launches-pro-weed-campaign-for-north-carolina-libertarian-candidate/

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LP could affect outcome in 10 U.S. Senate races

Meet Sean Haugh, the Libertarian pizza guy who may deliver a Senate seat in N.C. - The Washington Post - Karen Tumulty & Reid Wilson:

July 6, 2014 - "Most evenings, Sean Haugh is a pizza deliveryman.

"But every other week or so, the Libertarian Party’s Senate nominee in North Carolina opens a few craft beers ... and expresses his Everyman frustrations with the current political system into a video camera.

"So far, Haugh’s campaign barely exists anywhere but on YouTube. But it is doing surprisingly well in a high-stakes Senate contest in which candidates and outside groups have already spent more than $15 million.

"Four polls lately put his support somewhere between 8 and 11 percent — not enough to suggest a realistic possibility of winning, but conceivably enough to affect the outcome of the race. The same surveys show the margin between incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan and her GOP challenger, state House Speaker Thom Tillis, at six points or less....

"North Carolina is not the only state where Democrats and Republicans are starting to look over their shoulders and down the ballot.

"Libertarians are poised to draw votes in at least 10 other competitive Senate elections this fall — in Montana, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Arkansas, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia and Alaska. The party is working to collect enough signatures to appear on ballots in Kentucky and New Hampshire and is attracting attention with gubernatorial candidates in Florida and Kansas

"How well any of them will do is hard to predict. Many pollsters have a policy of excluding from their surveys third-party candidates who lack celebrity or financial resources, on the theory that people who say they will vote for them rarely end up doing it, said Kenneth Fernandez, director of the Elon University Poll, which does not plan to add Haugh to its horse-race questions."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/meet-sean-haugh-the-libertarian-pizza-guy-who-may-deliver-a-senate-seat-in-nc/2014/07/06/b321c03a-022f-11e4-8572-4b1b969b6322_story.html
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Libertarians shaking up 3 southern U.S. races

Southern-Fried Freedom Lovers Propel Libertarian Candidates - The Daily Beast - Patricia Murphy:

June 5, 2014 - "Drawing surprisingly high support, a trio of Libertarian candidates has the potential to disrupt already tight races in the Deep South, where Democrats and Republicans are waging epic battles for Florida governor, Georgia governor, and one of North Carolina’s seats in the U.S. Senate.

"In Georgia, nanotechnologist Andrew Hunt is polling at 9 percent in the governor’s race, which is otherwise a dead heat between incumbent Republican Nathan Deal and Democratic state Sen. Jason Carter. In North Carolina, the headlines have focused on the Thom Tillis-Sen. Kay Hagan face-off in November, but quietly amassing 11 percent in the contest is Sean Haugh, the Libertarian candidate running on an anti-war agenda. And in Florida, Adrian Wyllie will be on the November ballot with Gov. Rick Scott and former governor Charlie Crist. Although Wyllie is polling at 4 percent, he’s at 10 percent with Florida’s all-important independent voters and will be on the same November ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize medical marijuana....

"'I think it’s more of a positive identification with Libertarian ideas more than just a willingness to try something different,' Haugh said of his race this time around. 'The word is not new anymore. They know it’s out there and they know what it means.'

"All three Libertarian campaigns said they see the rest of the country coming around to longtime Libertarian positions on federal spending, gay marriage, the war on drugs, privacy, and ending wars overseas. But it is the disgust with both major parties that seems to be animating many of their new voters."

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/05/southern-fried-freedom-lovers-propel-libertarian-candidates.html
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NC Libertarian polling at 11% in close Senate race

PPP: Hagan, Tillis a Toss-up, With Third-Party Spoiler - Chapelboro.com - Danny Hooley:

May 13, 2014 - "A new poll conducted by Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling finds that, overall, voters aren’t too happy with either of North Carolina’s candidates for U.S. Senate.

"As a result, a surprising number of voters are leaning Libertarian.

"Here’s Director of Public Policy Polling Tom Jensen:

"'Our first general-election poll finds Kay Hagan leading Thom Tillis 38-to-36,' says Jensen. 'And the Libertarian candidate, Sean Haugh, is getting 11 percent. And that’s a pretty unusually high level of support for a third-party candidate.'

"Jensen points out that Hagan, the Democratic incumbent, has a 38 percent approval rating, while 49 percent of voters disapprove....'And Tillis doesn’t do any better,' says Jensen. 'Thirty percent of voters see him favorably; 46 percent, unfavorably.'"

Read more: http://chapelboro.com/news/election/ppp-hagan-tillis-toss-third-party-spoiler/
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Sean Haugh wins Libertarian Senate primary in NC

NC Libertarians hold Senate primary election, Haugh wins - Charlotte Libertarian news | Examiner.com - Matthew Reece:

May 6, 2014 - "On May 6, the Libertarian Party of North Carolina held a primary election in a US Senate race. It was the second statewide Libertarian primary in North Carolina history.

"There were two candidates on the primary ballot: Sean Haugh, a pizza delivery man from Durham, and Tim D'Annunzio, a businessman from Raeford.

"Haugh is a longtime Libertarian Party activist who also ran for US Senate in 2002.... D'Annunzio is a former Republican who ran unsuccessfully for the 4th Congressional District in 2012 and the 8th Congressional District in 2010....

"With all precincts reporting, Haugh won the primary election by a margin of 1,215 votes (60.69 percent) to 787 votes (39.31 percent). Haugh moves on to face incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan as well as Republican Thom Tillis in November."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/nc-libertarians-hold-senate-primary-election-haugh-wins
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NC Libertarians hold primary for U.S. Senate seat

NC Libertarians hold unusual primary for US Senate - fayobserver.com: Election:

April 15, 2014 - "North Carolina Libertarians are in the unusual position of getting to pick from two of their own in the May primary for the U.S. Senate race.

"Former Senate candidate Sean Haugh of Durham and previous Republican congressional candidate Tim D'Annunzio of Raeford each filed for the Libertarian Party nomination. It marks just the second time in its short history that the party committed to minimal government intervention and personal freedom had a primary - the other primary came in 2000 in the race for governor.

"Libertarian primaries have been few because only one member filed for elected office or the state party sometimes wasn't recognized as an official state party because their top candidates previously failed to reach minimum thresholds of support. D'Annunzio and Haugh planned to participate in three forums before the primary, party spokesman Brian Irving said."

Read more: http://www.fayobserver.com/news/election/article_e974d5a2-fbdd-5f93-b7cb-abf89837b77e.html

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NC Libertarians a sponsor of Nullify Now conference Oct. 19

Libertarians support Nullify Now conference - Raleigh Libertarian | Examiner.com - Brian Irving:

September 23, 2013 - "Nullification is ... about the fundamental principles of the American republic, said J.J. Summerell, chair of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina. The Libertarian Party is one of the sponsors of the Nullify Now conference scheduled for the Raleigh Convention Center Oct. 19.

"The Tenth Amendment Center has been hosting events around the country to educate and activate people on the topic of Nullification since September 2012. Thomas E. Woods, Jr., an historian and best-selling author of the book Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century, will give the keynote speech [at] the event.

"'Libertarians believe the American system of government is founded on three basic and fundamental principles,' Summerell said. These principles are: that the states formed the federal government, not the other way around; that the people are sovereign, not the states, nor the federal government, and; that all government power is granted only by the 'consent of the people.'"

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/libertarians-support-nullify-now-conference
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New Hanover (NC) County Commissioner Brian Berger switches to Libertarian Party

Berger switches to Libertarian Party | StarNewsOnline.com - Ashley Withers, Wilmington Star-News:

April 19, 2013 - "New Hanover County Commissioner Brian Berger is no longer a member of the Republican Party.

"Berger submitted an application to the county Board of Elections Thursday afternoon to switch back to the Libertarian Party, according to county spokesperson Charles Smith.

Berger ran for commissioner in 2008 as a Libertarian and lost, but switched to the Republican Party before his successful election in 2010.

"Recently, the New Hanover County GOP has spoken out against Berger.

"In late March, the local party adopted a resolution 'censuring and repudiating the actions of Brian Berger' and echoed calls for his resignation."

Read more: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20130419/ARTICLES/130419587?Title=Berger-switches-to-Libertarian-Party
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Libertarian Party of North Carolina breaks voter registration record

Libertarian Party of North Carolina breaks voter registration record - Charlotte Libertarian news | Examiner.com - Matthew Reece

February 19, 2013 - "On Sunday, Ballot Access News reported that the latest North Carolina voter registration tally shows that 0.31% of the state's voters are registered as Libertarian. This is the highest percentage of registered voters that a third party has ever had in North Carolina since statistics began to be kept in 1966.

"The old record for third party voter registration in North Carolina was set in October 1972 by the American Party, with a 0.30% share. The American Party gained ballot access in 1968 but lost ballot access after the 1972 election. When a party loses ballot access in North Carolina, the state converts the registered voters of that party to unaffiliated (independent) voters, thereby making a third party start all over again if it regains ballot access."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/libertarian-party-of-north-carolina-breaks-voter-registration-record
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Libertarians optimistic for next round of NC elections

The Daily Tar Heel : Libertarians remain optimistic for next round of NC elections - Jeff Kagan:

November 18, 2012 - "The state’s Libertarian Party came away from the 2012 election without any huge gains on paper — but politicians from the two dominant parties say libertarians nonetheless won an opportunity to influence policy....

"Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Barbara Howe received slightly more than 2 percent of the vote, barely crossing the threshold of necessary votes to allow the party to remain on the ballot for the next four years....

"Two Libertarians in N.C. state legislative races received about 20 percent of the vote, which is promising, Howe said."

Read more: http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2012/11/libertarians-remain-optimistic
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