As the 2024 Presidential Election is approaching, all the major political parties are preparing for elections. One of the major parties is Libertarian party that people are paying attention to and looking forward to seeing in 2024.
The Libertarian Party is the third-largest political party in the United States based on the motive of individual freedom, free markets, and limited government intervention. The 2024 Presidential Election is significant for the Libertarian Party candidates 2024, as it provides an opportunity to promote themselves and potentially win a significant election at the national level.
So, if you are looking to find the Libertarian party candidate who is running for president then read this article and you will find all the Libertarian candidates running for elections of 2024.
Who is a Libertarian Candidate?
A Libertarian candidate is a member of the Libertarian Party. The Libertarian Party is a political party that believes in individual freedom, free markets, and limited government intervention.
This means they want people to be free to do what they want as long as they’re not hurting anyone else, and they want the government to stay out of people’s lives as much as possible.
They believe that the government should be smaller and less involved in people’s lives and that people should be able to make their own decisions about things like healthcare, education, and the economy.
Historical Context of Libertarian Candidates
The Libertarian Party has been around since 1971; since then, they’ve nominated many presidential candidates. The most famous include Ron Paul, Gary Johnson, and Jo Jorgensen.
Ron Paul
Ron Paul is a fascinating figure in American politics, known for his unwavering commitment to libertarian principles and his passionate advocacy for limited government and individual freedom.
He has played a significant role in shaping the Libertarian movement and has impacted American politics. Ron Paul first gained national attention during his presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.
Despite being labeled as a long-shot candidate by many political pundits, he captured the hearts and minds of many supporters, particularly among young people. His appeal stemmed from his consistent and principled approach to politics, never shying away from expressing his views even when considered unconventional.
While Ron Paul never secured the Republican presidential nomination, his influence on American politics cannot be understated. He succeeded in bringing libertarian principles to the forefront of national discourse, challenging the status quo, and sparking meaningful conversations about the role of government and individual freedoms.
Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson is an exciting and influential figure in American politics. He has a long history of advocating for libertarian principles and challenging the two-party system that dominates American politics.
Born on January 1, 1953, in Minot, North Dakota, Johnson has always advocated for individual freedom and limited government intervention. He first entered politics as a Republican, serving as the Governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003.
During his time in politics, he gained a reputation for his fiscally conservative approach and commitment to reducing government spending and regulation. What distinguishes Johnson is his commitment to libertarianism.
As a candidate for president, he brought a fresh perspective to the 2012 and 2016 elections. Johnson championed that individuals should be free to live as they see fit, as long as they don’t harm others.
Jo Jorgensen
The Libertarian Party candidate Jo Jorgensen brought a fresh perspective to the 2020 U.S. presidential election. With her principled stance on individual liberty and limited government, she aimed to offer a choice to voters who were disillusioned with the two major party candidates.
Jo Jorgensen’s campaign focused on championing personal freedom and protecting individual rights. Her message resonated with many voters who felt their voices needed to be heard by the traditional political establishment.
While Jorgensen faced significant challenges in gaining the same media attention as the Democratic and Republican candidates, she used grassroots efforts and online platforms to connect with supporters. Her campaign team worked tirelessly to spread her message, organizing events and rallies nationwide.
In terms of being successful, Jorgensen faced very tough competition. The two major parties dominate the U.S. political landscape, making it very difficult for third-party candidates to secure significant support.
List of Declared Libertarian Presidential Candidates 2024
Here are the Libertarian presidential candidates who are running for 2024 elections:
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith is a podcaster and libertarian activist, who hosts break the cycle podcast. He has been an active participant since 2008 in the Liberty movement. He is declared as a libertarian presidential candidate for 2024.
He was inspired by authors and activists like Murray Rothbard, F. A. Hayek, Ron Paul,and Henry Hazlitt. In July 2023 he announced that he will be participating in 2024 elections as a libertarian presidential candidate so he can bring forward the true principles of libertarian in politics.
Smith’s campaign is focused on several issues which includes ending forever wars, ending the Federal Reserve system, and promoting market innovation and competition. His mission is to make a society which follows the liberty principles, personal responsibility and limited government. Moreover, he is looking forward to facing all the challenges that the nation is facing and to solve them.
Jacob Hornberger
Jacob Hornberger is a long-time activist of libertarian party. He had announced himself as a libertarian presidential candidate for the 2024 elections. Hornberger has been in the race for the presidential nomination and ran for the presidential candidate nomination in 2000 and 2020.
In 2020, at the convention of libertarian party Jacob came second to the candidate Jo Jorgensen who was president in 1996, who won the nomination on the fourth ballot. Hornberger campaign is focused on several issues which includes ending social security, opening the borders, ending aid to Ukraine, ending medical care, ending national security and withdrawing from all the alliances of foreign countries.
Mike ter Maat
Mike ter Maat worked as a police officer from 2010 to 2021 in Broward County Florida, he is declared as a presidential candidate of Libertarian party for the United States election of 2024. In 2021–2021 Mike campaigned as a candidate of Libertarian party in the special congressional election that was held in January in Florida for District 20.
He defines his initiatives as forging a new relationship among citizens and the government, and also changing the relationship that exists between state and the government at the national level. Mike is one of the many candidates anticipated to seek nomination during the LP National Convention in May 2024 in Washington, DC. The LP SCC has not supported any of the nominees for the nomination.
Mike formerly worked in economics and finance for banks, the White House Office of Budget and Management, international humanitarian organizations, federal departments, and trading groups. He established an expert education firm targeting banking managers in 2002, which he operated until 2009, which included seminars, webcasting, and strategic consultancy.
Lars Mapstead
Lars Mapstead is one of the declared libertarian candidate running for the presidency of United States election of 2024. He was born and raised in a poor background, and lived in an old barn in Big Sur, California, until his grandfather passed away. He then moved from one family relative to another and worked hard while overcoming booze, drugs, and unbelievable odds; he still manages to build and co-found several online startups.
As Lars grew his business, he observed the suppression of American voices and third parties in election after election. Americans frequently are required to choose between one of the two parties and basically the same candidates. In 2024, Lars will be running for the presidency in an effort to rig the system out of place, drastically change our electoral process, and hand back power to the American people.
The mission of Mapstead is to liberate Citizens from the chains of oppressive bureaucracy and high taxes. He is passionate about limitation of terms and ranked-choice elections and is dedicated to bringing about real change and mending the divide in Congress. He also wholeheartedly supports the national libertarian platform’s ideas.
Chase Oliver
Chase Oliver is also declared as the Libertarian presidential candidate for 2024 elections in the United States. In 2020 he was a candidate for Congress and in 2022 for the senate of the United States. However, on 2 December 2022 Chase made the announcement for the formation of the Presidential exploratory committee. Later on 5 April 2023 he announced himself as a presidential candidate for 2024 elections.
Oliver, a Libertarian activist who started his career as a politician by opposing the war in Iraq during the tenure of president. He believes that the political environment is favorable for a candidate from a third party to gain popularity because a lot of voters are unwilling to witness another presidential election between Republican Donald Trump, the former president, and Democratic Joe Biden, the current president.
Declined to be Candidates for the Libertarian Presidential Elections
Dave Smith, a well-known figure in the libertarian circles, recognised by his podcast “Part of the Problem “ and his stand-up comedy, certainly made a decision not to be a candidate for the Libertarian Presidential Elections 2024 due to his political and philosophical issues from a libertarian perspective.
His decision might stem from different reasons like it could be personal considerations such as the demand of a presidential candidate, the impact on his personal commitments and family priorities. It is also possible that he might want to use his current platform rather than a political party on this libertarian movement.
Campaign Finance for the Libertarian Presidential Elections 2024
In accordance with campaign finance regulations, reporting is required once fundraising or spending surpasses $5,000 for the libertarian presidential elections 2024 primaries.
Here is the campaign financing overview, keeping in mind that it is till june 2023 as Dave Smith had not announced candidacy by then.
Jacob Homberger
Raised $30,386, $12,870 since last quarter. Mostly from individual contributions ($30,361).
- Debt: $1,611
- No spending reported
- COH: $3,807
- Unitemized: $17,048
Suzanne Mapstead
Raised $158,414, $151,193 since last quarter. Majority from individual contributions ($2,300).
- Debt: $1,800
- Spending: $150,000
- COH: $56,871
- Unitemized: $101,543
John Oliver
Raised $24,164, $5,432 since last quarter. 22.5% from individual contributions.
- Debt: $0
- Spending: $24,058
- COH: $106
Mike ter Maat
Raised $126,805, $6,961 since last quarter. 27.8% from individual contributions.
- Debt: $0
- Spending: $96,820
- COH: $29,985
Key Issues and Policy Positions
The Libertarian Party is a political party in the United States that advocates for individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and personal freedoms. Here are some of the key issues and policy positions of the Libertarian Party:
Economic Freedom
The Libertarian Party believes in free markets and limited government intervention in the economy. They advocate eliminating most taxes, including income, property, and sales.
Libertarians also support repealing most government regulations, including minimum wage laws, occupational licensing requirements, and zoning laws.
Personal Freedom
Libertarians support individual liberty and personal freedom. They advocate the legalization of narcotics, prostitution, and gambling and oppose government intrusion into people’s private lives. The Libertarian Party also believes in the right to keep and bear arms and the right to solitude.
Foreign Policy
The libertarian movement supports a non-interventionist foreign policy. They propose the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers from other nations and a reduction in U.S. expenditure on defense. Libertarians believe in free trade and oppose tariffs and other protectionist policies.
Criminal Justice Reform
The Libertarian Party believes strongly in criminal justice reform and opposes the drug war. They push for the legalization of marijuana and the decriminalization of drug usage. Also, they advocate for reforming the criminal justice system and repealing mandatory minimum penalties.
Civil Liberties
Libertarians believe in protecting civil liberties and individual rights. They advocate for the repeal of the Patriot Act and other laws that infringe on privacy rights. Libertarians also support the right to free speech and freedom of the press.
Environmental Policy
Libertarians believe in free market solutions to environmental problems. They advocate for privatizing public lands and eliminating government subsidies for industries such as agriculture and energy.
They also support using market-based mechanisms like carbon taxes to address climate change.
Education
Libertarians support private education and reject government-funded institutions. They support eliminating the Department of Education and bringing education under the control of the free market. The use of tax credits and vouchers to assist parents in paying for private schools is also supported by libertarians.
Challenges Faced by the Libertarian Candidates
Running for a presidential seat in the United States is a challenging experience. Here are some challenges faced by Libertarian candidates highlighting their political journey.
Lack of Visibility
One of the most significant challenge is lack of visibility in the eyes of voters because the major parties like Democrats and Republicans have been dominating the political space for years which makes it hard for third-party candidates to gain voter’s attention.
Ballot Access Restrictions
The candidates face strict ballot access requirements in order to participate in elections. These limitations frequently impact third-party candidates which makes it hard to get their names on the ballot registration.
Limited Media Coverage
They have limited media coverage for their political campaigns as compared to the candidates of other two major political parties. This limited media coverage can not reach out to all the people and deliver their message which makes their chances low for winning elections.
Voter Perceptions
In a political climate characterized by polarization, candidates may face challenges in appealing to voters who align strongly with the Democratic or Republican parties.
Many voters perceive third-party candidates as spoilers or wasted votes, fearing that supporting them might help their least preferred major-party candidate win. The candidates must work to educate voters about their party’s principles, address misconceptions, and emphasize the benefits of having more diverse choices in the political arena.
Fundraising and Financial Resources
They face the real issue of financial funding plus resources. They are required to have funds in order to run competitive campaigns against the Democratic and Republican party. So, if there is not enough funding then it is difficult to properly plan and advertise the campaign and events which can result in less chances to win the elections.
Participating in Debates
It is very important for them to take part in debates on different events and forums to talk about their position and interact with other opponents. However, major party candidates take advantage of these forums and their position by often removing candidancy from these gatherings.
Conclusion
Learning about the mission and vision for the 2024 elections is interesting. It will be exciting to see their campaigns for the 2024 elections. Whether you’re a supporter of the Libertarian Party or just curious about their ideas, learning about these candidates can provide valuable insights for you to Keep an eye on the upcoming elections and see how they performs in common.
Secure your exclusive .vote domain effortlessly at 101domain.com, and let your online presence shine.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. What does the Libertarian Party stand for?
The Libertarian Party stands for individual liberty, limited government intervention, and personal freedom. They prioritize individual rights and advocate for minimal government interference in people’s lives.
Q2. Who are the declared libertarian candidates for the 2024 elections?
As of now, some of the declared candidates for the 2024 elections include Chase Oliver, Jacob Hornberger, Beau Lindsey, Joshua Rodriguez, Lars Mapstead, and Mike ter Maat. They bring their unique perspectives and ideas to the table.
Q3. What are some key principles of libertarianism?
Some key principles of libertarianism include individual liberty, free markets, non-aggression, and limited government. Libertarians value personal autonomy, voluntary interactions, and the protection of individual rights.
Q4. How can I get involved with the Libertarian Party and support their candidates?
To get involved with the Libertarian Party and support their candidates, you can join your local Libertarian Party chapter, volunteer for campaigns, donate to candidates, or even consider running for office as a candidate yourself. Check out their official website for more information on how to get involved!
Q5. How does a Libertarian candidate differ from a Republican or Democratic candidate?
Libertarian candidates differ from Republican and Democratic candidates by advocating for a smaller government and fewer regulations. They prioritize individual freedom and personal choice.
Q6. Can a Libertarian candidate win the presidency?
While it’s unlikely that a Libertarian candidate will win the presidency in 2024, they can still influence the election by raising awareness about important issues and offering alternative perspectives.
