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Category Archives: Libertarian

Libertarian, Green parties post write-in candidates for primary in hopes of reaching November ballot

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two Libertarian Party candidates, including the party's chairman, and a team from the Green Party have qualified as write-in candidates for the statewide primary election with the hope of reaching the November ballot.

The Green Party's Anita Rios and Bob Fitrakis filed as write-ins for the gubernatorial race. Rios is the candidate for governor, while Fitrakis is her lieutenant governor running mate.

Rios, of Toledo, previously has run for local offices in that city and for U.S. Senate in 2012. Fitrakis, from Columbus, ran as a Green Party candidate for governor in 2006 and for Congress in 2012.

Republican Gov. John Kasich and Libertarian Charlie Earl are unopposed in the May primary. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald and Larry Ealy of suburban Dayton both filed as Democratic candidates.

Bob Bridges of Columbus filed as a Libertarian candidate for state auditor. Bridges is the political director for the Libertarian Party of Ohio.

Republican Auditor Dave Yost and Democratic state Rep. John Patrick Carney qualified for the primary ballot and are unopposed.

Kevin Knedler, the state chairman for the Libertarian Party, filed to run as secretary of state.

Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted and Democratic state Sen. Nina turner both qualified for the primary ballot and are unopposed.

In all three contests, the Green and Libertarian parties had filed petitions with the Ohio secretary of state by the Feb. 5 filing deadline to place candidates on the May primary ballot. But each of those candidates failed to have the required 500 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify.

These candidates will have to reach that 500 vote threshold to qualify for the November ballot, said Matt McClellan, Husted's press secretary.

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Libertarian, Green parties post write-in candidates for primary in hopes of reaching November ballot

Joe Trippi: There Will be a Libertarian President. And Sooner Than You Think. – Video

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Joe Trippi: There Will be a Libertarian President. And Sooner Than You Think.
Joe Trippi has seen the future of presidential politics - and it #39;s libertarian. Trippi, the longtime Democratic political strategist who began his career wor...

By: ReasonTV

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Joe Trippi: There Will be a Libertarian President. And Sooner Than You Think. - Video

Libertarian Krawchuk wages battle to get on the ballot in primary election

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Published: Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, 10:10p.m. Updated 9 hours ago

HARRISBURG The tone in Ken Krawchuk's voice changes when he talks about the signatures he needs to get on the ballot as a Libertarian Party candidate in the governor's race.

Turning serious, Krawchuk acknowledges it's a sore spot.

Though Republican Gov. Tom Corbett and his Democratic challengers each need 2,000 signatures, Krawchuk by law, as a third-party candidate, must gather 16,639 valid signatures of Pennsylvania residents. The number of signatures that third-party candidates need fluctuates based on top vote-getters' totals in the last election.

They don't want the competition, he said, calling it an onerous requirement.

The party on Saturday nominated Krawchuk, 61, of Cheltenham in Montgomery County as its candidate for governor in the November general election. For anyone who wants less government, he's the guy for whom to vote, he said.

Pennsylvania government has grown at three times the rate of inflation over 50 years, he contends, and taxes are too high because spending is too high. Krawchuk supports ending what he calls the insane war on drugs and would legalize marijuana. He says government should be limited to protecting people's rights, lives and property.

We do believe in defense, police and public safety, Krawchuk said.

Unlike the major parties, there's no primary in May for third-party candidates, of which Libertarians are the largest with about 45,000 registered voters in Pennsylvania: We have more than all the other third parties put together.

The big test is getting those ballot signatures with every i dotted and t crossed to withstand court challenges that Republicans typically file, Krawchuk said.

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Libertarian Krawchuk wages battle to get on the ballot in primary election

Libertarian enters mix for Pa. governor

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Published: Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014, 12:33p.m. Updated 23 hours ago

HARRISBURG A Libertarian Party activist is the first third-party candidate to enter the Pennsylvania governor's race.

Ken Krawchuk, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1998 and 2002, said Thursday he'll seek the Libertarian Party's nomination at its convention this weekend in Bethlehem.

As a third-party candidate, Krawchuk must gather more than 16,000 voters' signatures between March 12 and Aug. 1 to be listed on the November ballot. Republican and Democratic candidates need only 2,000 signatures but must win their party's nominations in the May 20 primary in order to run in the general election.

Krawchuk, a 60-year-old information technology consultant from the Philadelphia suburb of Abington, advocates separating the roles of society and government. He favors smaller government and lower taxes and opposes laws that criminalize marijuana and outlaw same-sex marriage.

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Libertarian enters mix for Pa. governor

Libertarian in 2012 race backs Tisei vs. Tierney

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The Libertarian Party candidate whose third-party run drew more than 16,000 votes in the tight, heated congressional race between incumbent John Tierney and challenger Richard Tisei two years ago has thrown his support to Tisei this time around.

In a letter sent Monday to the Times and to several other 6th Congressional District media outlets, Daniel Fishman of Beverly said he was backing Tisei, who came within a single percentage point of ousting Tierney in 2012, as a moderate candidate and a fiscal conservative who has been consistently socially tolerant.

Decrying criticism of Tisei from the 2012 Tierney campaign and from other Democrats, who have tried to paint Tisei as having ties to the conservative tea party, Fishman wrote, I would ask people on the North Shore to evaluate him based on who he says he is, calling Tisei the most tolerant and, thus, the most liberty-minded candidate.

The endorsement from Fishman comes less than two years after the Beverly man had rung up 16,668 or 4 percent of the votes cast in the bitter, rough-and-tumble 2012 run, which Tierney won by a margin of 3,550.

Tierney, widely viewed by pollsters as trailing right up to the day before the election, pulled out his re-election to a ninth term by capturing 179,603 votes to Tiseis 175,953 or winning by 48.4 to 47.2 percent of the vote.

But Fishman, who was active throughout the campaign and participated in some of the debates including one hosted by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce at Cruiseport Gloucester just 10 days prior to the election drew 16,668 votes, or 4 percent of the total, far more than Tierneys margin of victory. Tierneys final margin also virtually matched the 3,000-vote margin by which he carried the city of Gloucester.

In his endorsement letter, which can be read in full on Page 4 the Opinion page of todays Times, Fishman begins with a basic pronouncement.

Im supporting Richard Tisei for Congress in 2014, he writes, before going on to note the need for all sides to hear out and be tolerant of each others views.

Richard has said that its easier to be gay in Massachusetts than it is to be a Republican, wrote Fishman. Thats not a happy jest, its a sad truth.

If you live in Massachusetts youve heard hate speech directed towards Republicans, and that shouldnt be OK, he adds in backing Tisei, who is gay, pro-gay marriage and pro-choice, despite the stands of many in his own party.

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Libertarian in 2012 race backs Tisei vs. Tierney


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