LP.org blog:

The Indiana LP will be targeting vulnerable state House seats in the 2014 election, the state affiliate announced in a Thursday press release, which presented an initial list of 20 sitting politicians that LPIN Chair Dan Drexler says they hope will be defeated in November:

On Thursday, the Libertarian Party of Indiana released a list of targeted Indiana House seats to challenge in 2014. The list contains a mix of twenty Republican and Democrat held seats.

Those seats include:

Ed Soliday, District 4; B. Patrick Bauer, District 6; Ryan Dvorak, District 8; Vernon Smith, District 14; Harold Slager, District 15; Tim Wesco, District 21; Randolph Truitt, District 26; Eric Turner, District 32; Jack Lutz, District 35; Heath Vannater, District 38; Alan Morrison, District 42; Kreg Battles, District 45; Richard Hamm, District 56; Peggy Mayfield, District 60; Matt Ubelhor, District 62; Thomas Washburne, District 64; Lloyd Arnold, District 74; Wendy McNamara, District 76; Christina Hale, District 87; and Mike Speedy, District 90.

“We have not specifically targeted vulnerable seats in the past. We are now,” noted LPIN State Chairman Dan Drexler. “As a growing party, it is important we show our presence matters. It is important voters and the media begin seeing we are serious about changing policy, running candidates to challenge races and moving a libertarian philosophy forward through real policy.”

“This is our initial list,” Drexler explained. “We can certainly reassess these seats. We’re watching the current legislative session closely. We want to see strong, vocal libertarian positions taken by these legislators. We don’t want to see increased taxes. We don’t want to see the state push down unfunded mandates to local government. We don’t want to see discrimination written into our Indiana Constitution. And, we’d like to see Common Core in Indiana die a swift legislative death. Clearly, we don’t think this is asking too much.”

The LPIN will nominate federal, statewide and state legislative candidates at convention in Indianapolis in late April.

Libertarian Party of Indiana

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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

Recently on your program, you’ve been openly stating your disdain and disenfranchisement with the Republican Party and a little more than hinting at your switch to Libertarianism. You’ve even acknowledging that you had scored at the top of the Libertarian quadrant on the World’s Smallest Political Quiz.

With that in mind and on behalf of the Libertarian National Campaign Committee (LNCC), I would like to welcome you to the Libertarian Party and to the movement to limit government and protect the individual right to personal and economic freedom.

Very few people come to Libertarianism with a “pure” Libertarian ideology. I for one came to the party still supporting the War on Terror. But after being involved with Libertarian campaigns and activist groups I had a moment of clarity. Through this period of self-discovery, I came to see the error in my previously held views on our country’s interventionist foreign policy. I drank the Kool-Aid and saw the light. Over time, you will too.

My open arms welcome comes with a couple of caveats, after all “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch“.

First, I would like for you to understand that the ire and outrage you’ve received in the past couple months from Libertarians comes not from some high-minded purity test or doubt in your sincerity. It swelled from the lack of any acknowledgment of how you have previously discussed and treated our Party’s philosophy, leadership, candidates and our dedicated activists.

Second, from one friend of Bill’s to another…I think you owe us some step work. It would go a long way with the Party and Libertarian activists if you did a politically themed 12^th step with us.

I think a politically modified version of the 12^th step would be the best way to show Libertarians that you are truly “with us”.

You have an awesome platform with which to reach millions of Americans. I ask that you use it to openly and honestly discuss Libertarian philosophy and the campaigns of our candidates. Giving us an equal and respectful footing will show the rest of the party that you are truly committed to embracing and sharing our unique message of less government and more freedom.

I encourage you to have a couple of our quality candidates and activists on your show.  I know that the Libertarian National Campaign Committee Chairman, Mark Rutherford, would be more than happy to either come on your programs or help line up Libertarians to participate in your on-air discussions.

Together we can further spread the message of personal and economic freedom across the country.

Again, I am proud to welcome you to the Libertarian Party.

In Liberty,

Evan McMahon, Executive Director
Libertarian National Campaign Committee

Advice to Libertarians who wish to run for City Council:

You may or may not follow my path.  It’s a change of life and a lot of work.

Find a leadership area in your community that’s of interest to you.  Seek a volunteer or appointed position in a community organization such as PTA, charity, local committee, city board or commission.  Attend City Council and commission meetings regularly.  Know the agenda topics. Write and speak to the City Council. Write letters to the editor.  Establish name recognition.

After you have a community resume and some name recognition, start a city council campaign 6-12 months before the election.  Know approximately how many votes it takes to be elected and focus on getting those votes.  Votes are all that matter.

Form an organizing committee.  Recruit campaign committee members to coordinate volunteers, manage a bank account, file state forms, and prepare your printed material (brochure/door hanger, signs, newspaper ads, campaign mailer).  You the candidate must do fund raising (about $15,000 for my successful re-election campaign for the Nov 2012 election).  You also must develop your campaign priorities and platform to reach voters, answer questionnaires, attend press interviews, attend candidate forums and walk precincts to meet voters.

Those are the essentials.  As an elected official you do not need to preach everything that is contained in the Libertarian Party Platform. There are enough bad policies and squandered taxpayer dollars to reasonably argue against.   You must have complete command of the facts involving a wide range of Council agenda topics and just use common sense in policy making.

Email all of your supporters and remind them to vote.  Don’t just assume they know the election is Tuesday, or that they will even remember to vote for you.  Your supporters are intelligent, but they are also busy people with families, jobs and businesses.

Prepare your election night speech and press statement for three potential outcomes: a win, a loss and an inconclusive result.

Use your email, Twitter account and Facebook to post updates and tweets throughout the election day.

The minute the race is called, post a thank you note on your website, and any social media feeds, thanking your volunteers and donors.

Prepare list of people you must call after the results are announced.  The first should be your opponent to either congratulate (should he or she win) or thank (should you win.)   The next on the list should be your biggest donors.

BEFORE Election Day, contact an attorney experience in election law.  Let him know you may need his services should your voters or poll workers need assistance.

Speaking of which, if your race is called, and the margin is close enough to be in doubt, DO NOT CONCEDE!  Simply tell the press and your supporters very politely and professionally you will wait until all the votes are counted AND VERIFIED before declaring victory or defeat.  Immediately contact an attorney experienced in election law.

No matter the result, be gracious and professional.  Remind your supporters of the same.

There’s no such thing as Election “Day.”

Thanks to more states opening up early and absentee voting, the use of mail-in ballots in states like Colorado and Oregon and because of our increasingly busy lives, in many elections more than half the votes counted on Election Night are cast in the weeks ahead of Election Day.

That while it’s a good idea not to spend all your money in the early days of a campaign, it means campaigns must hit mailboxes, phones and doors earlier than ever.

If you’re a Libertarian candidate, or running a Libertarian campaign, find out when absentee and early voting begin.

Make sure the voter registration list you purchase has the voter’s history on it.  Most voter registration lists also mark who cast an absentee ballot or voted early in person.  Make sure your campaign has contacted those voters as soon as early voting begins.

[Make sure you spend all of your volunteer's time only mailing, calling or knocking on the door of people who are 1) Registered to vote. 2) Show up to vote and 3) Aren't supporting your opponent(s.)  Don't waste time contacting people who don't show up to vote, knocking on every door, "converting" your opponents or doing voter registration drives.  There's a reason they didn't bother to register to begin with.]

In many places you may contact election officials, who will agree to send you a list of voters who have requested mail-in ballots.  Have someone devoted specifically to knocking on their doors to hand them a flyer or call them on the phone as soon as possible.

There’s no such thing as Election “Day” anymore.  Many, if not most, of the votes cast in your race will already be cast by the time Election “Day” comes.  Make sure you are specifically contacting those voters as soon as voting opens, and BEFORE they cast their early vote.

“Colorado may legalize marijuana on a state level this November. Oregon and Washington will hold referendums on the subject as well. Meanwhile, six states and the District of Columbia currently recognize same-sex marriage. Maryland and Washington state each passed laws legalizing same-sex marriage this year, but opponents managed to delay enactment until after referendums. One more state, Maine, will also hold a referendum this November. It is therefore possible that by the end of the year, nine states, or almost 20 percent of the nation, will have full marriage equality.”

“The Libertarian Party is gaining ground on a national level as well. For the first time ever, they have a presidential candidate with previous executive experience – former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson. With a former governor running on the Libertarian Party line, it is clear that their ideas have gone mainstream.”

“They did. They gave us five tax proposals — plus one change to the criminal code — that every one of them could support wholeheartedly, from left to right.”

What were they?

1. Eliminate the mortgage tax deduction
2. End tax deductions for health-care
3. Eliminate the corporate income tax
4. Eliminate all income and payroll taxes
5. Drop the income tax, tax consumption
6. Legalize marijuana

Libertarians are the only party dedicated to eliminating income taxes and ending costly drug prohibition, and many Libertarian officeholders

Please go here to chip in $25 or more to help Brett win on July 31!

Can I count on you to help Libertarian Brett Bittner win his race, which is just a few days away?

Brett is running for the Marietta School Board in Marietta, Georgia.

And I can tell you few places need Libertarians more than government schools.

Brett is running a hard-charging campaign that is competing for a win.

Brett has been an active Libertarian for over a decade.

You’ve probably seen him supporting candidates, tackling issues, and working for solutions.

And As a member of the school board, Brett will continue to stand for his libertarian principles and ideals, seeking to do what’s right for the students and the taxpayers of Marietta.

Brett is no unknown.  He’s served as an appointed member of Marietta’s Historic Board of Review, as well as its Historic Preservation Commission, representing Ward 1 on both since 2010.  He is also active in county and state politics.

Brett is also partner in Forward Focus Media, a libertarian strategic web consulting firm with offices in Atlanta and Birmingham.

Needless to say, Brett is just like our hundreds of elected Libertarians.

But he needs Libertarians like you to push him over the finish line.

With just days left until voting, Brett needs help getting out the mail, getting literature on doors and driving voters to the polls.

Please go here to chip in $25 or more to help Brett win on July 31!