From Eric Dondero:

Craig Smith is a Libertarian Republican running for State Senate in Arizona's 25th Senate district. The district stretches from the New Mexico border to the outskirts of Yuma County, and includes a small portion of Pima County.

Smith is a retired U.S. Army Master Sargent with a Masters Degree in Public Administration.
He was born in Nogales, AZ, he's described as "a gringo that speaks Spanish."

He's the former Director of Community Development in Bisbee. He's been married 41 years and currently serves on the Huachuca City town council.

According to David Morgan, Smith's Campaign Manager, and a member of the Libertarian Party of Arizona:

Craig is a libertarian-Republican. A true believer in smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom. He believes in the rule of law, not personal whims, but he's aware that laws are sometimes poorly crafted and unevenly applied.

When Craig Smith takes the Oath of Office swearing to uphold the Constitutions of both the United States and Arizona he means it.

Reached by Libertarian Republican, Morgan said that they have already collected 100 signatures. He also informed LR that they have a number of volunteers, but that they needed more help to get the number needed to qualify.

Smith has taken the somewhat unusual step of refusing public money for his campaign:

I choose not to participate in Arizona Clean Election Public Financing as a matter of principle. Although it is tempting to get $35,000 of "free" public money to run my campaign, it is just morally wrong.

If you'd like to help defray costs of the petition drive or make a contribution please visit:

electcraigsmith.com

From Eric Dondero:

My old friend and political ally Leon Drolet is quoted in Time Magazine on-line, in the article "Detroiters Ponder Marijuana Legalization."

Former state Rep. Leon Drolet of Macomb Township calls himself "a very proud Libertarian Republican" who favors legalization."We all make decisions about our health, whether it's drinking alcohol or having a slice of cake. There's lots of things people choose to do because they feel, in some way, it enhances their quality of life," he said.

Leon is a former three-term State Representative from Macomb County (he was term-limited). He is a two-time attendee of Republican Liberty Caucus national conventions. He is a longtime close friend of the Libertarian Party of Michigan. (In 2008 Leon actually won a large-screen television set in a raffle at a meeting of the Macomb Libertarians.) He also volunteered as a campaign worker for two weeks in Congressman Ron Paul's first campaign in Texas in 1996.

He is now running for an open seat for the Michigan State Senate. Ironically, he is challenging two of his best friends for the seat, libertarian-leaning conservative former State Rep. Jack Brandenburg of St. Clair Shores, and Rep. Kim Meltzer who Drolet actually recruited to take his seat in the legislature after he was term-limited out.

From Eric Dondero:

There's an interesting post-election analysis this morning from a UK Libertarian Janina Davison-Forder in The Economic Voice. Davison-Forder breaks some remarkable news about Libertarian support for minor parties, in her lengthy piece, "A hung Parliament."

From The Economic Voice:

It is tomorrow morning – the words of Alistair Stewart, this morning. Well would you believe I have lasted this long. I shall be sending ITV a bill for the pack of Proplus and 3 litres of energy drinks I have consumed over the course of the night.

Well at least I can say that I had voted TORY! If nothing else there I was placing the most positive cross I have ever seen upon a piece of paper next to that little Tory tree that I am so glad exists. Although Britain, I am sad to say, that we placed our votes in vain, as we may as well have not bothered! As so many others seemed to on May the 6th!

All through the run up to the elections we saw UKIP and BNP trying their hardest to get ahead. Although despite their efforts and the added support of the Libertarian party urging us all to favour the two above the main parties, they did not see much success. Had the Libertarians had enough numbers to provide a Libertarian candidate for each constituency then I truly believe they would see a good few votes. These would probably come from all those undecided voters who in the end didn’t bother. A few seats filled with Libertarians would not have been a bad thing. Especially as we face five years of rules and regulations (or in case of banks lack of) imposed upon us by both Labour and the LibDems and no doubt, a far bigger presence of the red tape stuck to Britain by the EU. I am sure Clegg would not hesitate to allow his European friends access to all and in doing so allowing himself a bigger bank balance!

Libertarian leader Sean Gabb, a friend of the UK Libertarian Alliance founder Chris Tame, and the group's current Executive Director explained in Free Life Commentary:

The purpose of voting UKIP is mostly to put pressure on a Conservative leadership that understands no other argument than measuring the haemorrhage of its core vote. Indeed, it shows no sign of having understood that argument.

Gabb in his piece "The Conservative Hidden Agenda?" tells of a secret meeting he had over coffee with a top Conservative Party official, who urged him to rally Libertarians in support of the Tories. But he ultimately bulked over the suggestion, citing a similar effort made in the 1980s by Tory leaders to Tame and the Libertarians, with nothing to show for it.

Photo of UK Libertarian Alliance Director Sean Gabb while at a free market conference in Turkey.