The Libertarian Party of Illinois has recruited a fantastic and highly active slate of candidates for statewide office and they worked tirelessly to get them well over the 25,000 petition signatures needed to appear on the November ballot. In fact, they gathered over 43,000 signatures in just 90 days!

But the victory was short lived. The IL GOP challenged those signatures and sent a team of staffers and interns to the Illinois State Board of Elections to ensure that the voices of those 43,000 people were silenced.

The process for defending those signatures is long and unnerving. The Libertarian Party of Illinois needed to answer the GOP’s attack by gathering volunteers at the state election board’s office in Springfield for several days. From 9am to 7pm you sit in a chair, petitions and GOP objections in hand, working with the election board staffer to locate the petitioner in voter rolls. Arguing with the GOP interns over matching signatures, legal name changes, and whether LSD in Chicago actually means Lake Shore Drive.

Knowing they would not be able to match the GOP’s presence, they called on us for help. And we had to act on short notice.  We committed ourselves to the state party’s efforts, and we brought out the big guns. We sent in LNCC Executive Director Evan McMahon last week for a few days.

Evan returned home this past Friday, just in time to celebrate his nephew’s first birthday, and is already back on the road heading to Springfield. Evan will stay in the area for the rest of the week. Including a couple of days to assist Lex Green, LP Illinois Political Director, with paper work and preparing documentation for any additional legal challenges.

The Libertarian Party of Indiana, being a good neighbor, not only sent their State Chair Dan Drexler for a day of assistance, but they also helped pay part of the expenses for Evan’s first week in Springfield.

Of course, placing Evan in the field for this task comes at a price.  There are additional costs we bear to cover his transportation, room and board. Then there is the opportunity cost. While Evan is in Illinois, he has limited time to address the day-to-day tasks of the LNCC.

We are here to turn the tide and change the course of America. And our ability to accomplish this depends on you. With your help we can make a dramatic impact on the liberty movement.

If you believe as I do that providing practical support for Libertarian candidates and local parties is need for our success, I ask you to stand with me and our mission by underwriting our efforts.

Please click here to donate online today.

Very Truly Yours,

Mark W. Rutherford, Chairman
Libertarian National Campaign Committee

The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), commonly known as McCain-Feingold, places strict regulations on, among other things, how a political party can raise money, limits the amount of money that can be raised and, more importantly, prevents a party from fully supporting its own candidates for federal office.

Many of BCRA’s restrictions, as enforced by Federal Election Commission (FEC), recently have been challenged and overturned in the U.S. Supreme Court.  Two such cases are the high profile McCutcheon v FEC, and Citizens United v FEC.  In these two cases, the court overturned the limitations placed on corporate political spending and the aggregate totals an individual may contribute in an election cycle.  The restrictions on political parties have largely remained. If successful, this case would strike down arbitrary limitations on contributions to political parties made for the sole purpose of funding their independent speech.

In early 2014, Chris Rufer donated $32,400 to the Libertarian National Congressional Committee, the maximum amount allowed to a national political party committee under the current regulation. Rufer has also donated $10,000 to the Libertarian Party of Indiana, the maximum amount allowed to a state political party committee under the current regulation. Rufer joined the lawsuit because he believes the first amendment guarantees his right to ensure that the Libertarian philosophy and non-coordinated messages are heard by the voters.

LNCC holds that the FEC’s prohibition on political party committees from receiving unlimited funds through an independent expenditure account violates its first amendment right to speak in support of Libertarian candidates for federal office.

LNCC Chairman Mark Rutherford said that, “Libertarians and other minor parties have a much smaller pool of donors than the other two dominating parties. We would like to be able to buy billboards, mailers, and TV and radio commercials that encourage people to vote for the Libertarians on their ballot. We can do that without coordinating with the candidates.  But it will take larger donations from our dedicated donors to be able to compete with the two much older political parties.”

The Libertarian National Congressional Committee, Libertarian Party of Indiana, and Chris Rufer are prepared to take this lawsuit all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary.

REFERENCE: Rufer et al. v. FEC Plaintiff’s Motion

The Libertarian National Congressional Committee is more commonly known as the Libertarian National Campaign Committee.

Below is the letter of thanks the LNCC received from Brett:

Mr. McMahon,

Last year, while running in a special election for the Marietta City School Board, I sought and received the endorsement of the Libertarian National Campaign Committee.

Despite a large number of other races throughout the country, your support led to a significant fundraising effort for that election. On July 31st, 2012, I was elected to represent Ward 1 on the school board for Marietta City Schools. Without your endorsement and the support of Libertarians across the country, that may not have happened. For your support, your endorsement and “call to action” from those who also advocate Libertarian principles, I thank you.

My first year in office has been a learning experience more than anything, and I have the LNCC to thank for that opportunity.

Earlier this year, the LNCC renewed their endorsement of my campaign. This time, the endorsement was for my RE-election bid. As part of your support, you once again asked your supporters to help. While last year’s support was tremendous, I am truly honored and humbled by the generosity of those who stand strong in their principles of liberty. I am completely floored by those contributors from Virginia, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania who found it important enough to support my campaign here in Marietta, Georgia with some of their hard-earned money to help keep an elected Libertarian in office.

I’m happy to report that your fundraising efforts helped me raise $4,000. Or in other words, 60% of fully funding the campaign budget and plan we discussed back in December, and the “buzz” about the fundraising efforts made its way around the politicos in Marietta.

More than the funds raised, I also appreciate the time and advice that you gave to my campaign. I was one of only two people facing an opponent…and I had two. By maintaining a highly active campaign of going door-to-door, attending nearly every school function and creating buzz in the local media I was able to avoid a runoff election. I was re-elected after receiving 56.52% of the total vote and 62.68% of the early/absentee vote.

Thanks again for your renewed endorsement, and please share my thanks with the supporters who won with me on Tuesday night.

Sincerely,

Brett C. Bittner

School Board Member – Ward 1 Marietta City Schools

If you want to see Libertarian Victories in 2014, like Brett’s, please support the Libertarian National Campaign Committee by making a donation, today. Click Here to help the LNCC financially prepare for 2014.

In Liberty,

Evan McMahon, Executive Director
Libertarian National Campaign Committee

The media, in typical fashion, had been mostly dismissive of the young looking Libertarian. But after the Democrat and Republican used their time to bash each other on stage, the media was reminded that there is a better option. Now, they are giving Sarvis equal footing and plenty of coverage. Sarvis has been doing interviews around the state everyday…all day.

The commercial and the media coverage have helped propel Sarvis to a head turning 12% in the polls. In some counties Sarvis is polling in the high 20′s! That’s in a race where the other two candidates are spending millions of dollars a week in radio and TV ads.

And we’re not talking about some half-baked internal polling. These numbers are coming from the big boys – CNN, Politico and others.

Click on the image above to read the full Politico story.

There will be one last debate in Virginia and the organizers will decide tomorrow if, in their opinion, Sarvis has met the threshold to be included in it. Sarvis has already met at least two of the requirements 1) Be on the ballot 2) get at least 10% in recognized polls. The third key area of focus is direct public support of the campaign.

To show they have the direct support of the public, and to fund a statewide airing of the “Open-Minds and open for business” ad, the Sarvis campaign has launched a $10,000 on 10/10 fundraiser. As this email is going out, the campaign fundraiser has already raised over $8,000! Let’s help push them far over the top – Donate Here Today!

You can also join Robert Sarvis for Governor online at www.RobertSarvis.com and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

PS, the Libertarian National Campaign Committee has been a proud supporter of the Robert Sarvis for Governor campaign since day one. They have shown, throughout the campaign, that the team is serious and dedicated not only to achieving ballot access for the Virginia Libertarian Party, but also to building a positive image of the party in the hearts and minds of Virginia voters.

I encourage you to help support this groundbreaking campaign!

In Liberty,

Evan McMahon, Executive Director
Libertarian National Campaign Committee

On the local level, the media and the voters started really seeing our serious candidates as just that, serious.

Every candidate, state chair and local activist can tell you that after the election we heard from an unprecedented number of people that are tired the strangle hold the two-party system has on this country and that they are ready to get involved with the Libertarian Party. The momentum is on our side and we can’t let that slip away. As a political party we can’t rest on our laurels or be content with getting 1%, 2% or even 15% of the vote. We must keep Moving Momentum.

Moving Momentum: 2013 LNCC New Year’s Resolution

1. Assist state and county chairs in the recruitment and training of candidates
2. Develop and host monthly Campaign 101 video webinars
3. Start a 12 week intensive campaign leadership school
4. Get all 135 currently elected Libertarians Reelected to office
5. Support 25-50 candidates who are starting their 2014 campaigns NOW
6. Work with state chairs to develop a localized Get Out The Vote (GOTV) plan
7. Create a Precinct Captain training program for local activists and volunteers
8. Recruit 500 volunteers to operate the LNCC Phonebank
9. Recruit 2,500 volunteers to promote Libertarian candidates via social networks
10. Do whatever it takes to at least double the number of elected Libertarians in 2014

Help us make our New Year’s Resolution a reality… Click Here to Donate Today and support the mission of the LNCC.