The Libertarian National Convention is held every two years by the
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party (LP) is a Political parties in the United States, political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, ''laissez-faire'' capitalism, and Limited government, limiting the size and scope ...
to choose members of the
Libertarian National Committee
The Libertarian National Committee (LNC) controls and manages the affairs, properties, and funds of the United States Libertarian Party. It is composed of the party officers, five at-large representatives elected every two years at the national c ...
(LNC), and to conduct other party business. In presidential election years, the convention delegates enact a platform and nominate the Libertarian presidential and vice-presidential candidates who then face the nominees of other parties in the November general election.
While most delegates to the
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
and the
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...
are tied to particular candidates, delegates to the Libertarian National Convention are free to choose, as was previously the case for the larger parties. Accordingly, Libertarian National Conventions place less emphasis on festivities and spinning the press, though some of each may be found. The complete convention is televised by
C-SPAN
Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...
with additional broadcast television coverage of the presidential nominating process.
None of the above
"None of the above" (NOTA), or none for short, also known as "against all" or a "scratch" vote, is a ballot option in some jurisdictions or organizations, designed to allow the voter to indicate disapproval of the candidates in a voting system. ...
is always an option on all ballots.
Conventions
1972
The first Libertarian National Convention was held in
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
in
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
John Hospers and
Theodora Nathan
Theodora Nathalia "Tonie" Nathan (February 9, 1923 – March 20, 2014) was an American radio producer, television producer, and political activist. She was the first woman to receive an U.S. Electoral College, electoral vote in a U.S. presidentia ...
were nominated presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively. The party received the first electoral vote won by a woman, cast by
Roger MacBride.
1973
The 1973 Convention was held in
Strongsville, Ohio, from June 8 to 10. Over 175 were in attendance.
1974
The 1974 convention adopted the
Dallas Accord
The Libertarian Party (LP) is a Political parties in the United States, political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, ''laissez-faire'' capitalism, and Limited government, limiting the size and scope ...
which sought to accommodate supporters of both
anarcho-capitalism and minarchism
Right-libertarianism,Rothbard, Murray (1 March 1971)"The Left and Right Within Libertarianism" ''WIN: Peace and Freedom Through Nonviolent Action''. 7 (4): 6–10. Retrieved 14 January 2020.Goodway, David (2006). '' Anarchist Seeds Beneath the ...
.
1975
The 1975 convention was held at the Statler-Hilton hotel in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Roger MacBride was nominated for president. After initially selecting
None of the Above
"None of the above" (NOTA), or none for short, also known as "against all" or a "scratch" vote, is a ballot option in some jurisdictions or organizations, designed to allow the voter to indicate disapproval of the candidates in a voting system. ...
, the convention's delegates nominated
David Bergland
David Peter Bergland (June 4, 1935 – June 3, 2019) was an American politician who was the United States Libertarian Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 1984 presidential election,[Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...]
, from September 23 to 26, 1976.
1977
The 1977 convention was held at the Palace Hotel in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. (More details soon)
1978
The 1978 convention was held at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston Massachusetts. (More details soon)
1979
The 1979 convention was held at the Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles and nominated
Ed Clark
Edward E. Clark (born May 4, 1930) is an American lawyer and politician who ran for governor of California in 1978, and for president of the United States as the nominee of the Libertarian Party in the 1980 presidential election.
Clark is an ho ...
for president and billionaire
David H. Koch
David Hamilton Koch ( ; May 3, 1940 – August 23, 2019) was an American businessman, political activist, philanthropist, and chemical engineer. In 1970, he joined the family business: Koch Industries, the second largest privately held c ...
for vice president.
Alternative '80
The 1980 convention was held at the Century City Hotel in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, and via satellite. Unlike other Libertarian Party conventions, its primary purpose was promotional.
1981
The 1981 convention was held in
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
.
1983
David Bergland
David Peter Bergland (June 4, 1935 – June 3, 2019) was an American politician who was the United States Libertarian Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 1984 presidential election,[1983
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...]
National Convention.
1985
The 1985 convention was held in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
.
1987
The
1987 Libertarian National Convention
The 1987 Libertarian National Convention was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Seattle, Washington, from September 4 to September 6, 1987. Ron Paul of Texas was chosen as the Libertarian Party's nominee for president in the 1988 election.
Libertaria ...
was held the first weekend in September in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
. At the convention, the party was split between conservative and liberal factions.
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as well ...
, representing the former, was nominated as the Libertarian Party's 1988 presidential candidate on the first ballot with 196 of the 368 votes cast. His closest opponent,
Native American activist
Russell Means
Russell Charles Means (November 10, 1939 – October 22, 2012) was an Oglala Lakota activist for the rights of Native Americans, libertarian political activist, actor, musician, and writer. He became a prominent member of the American Ind ...
, received 120 votes.
Andre Marrou
Andre Verne Marrou (; born December 4, 1938) is an American politician who was the third Libertarian elected to a state legislature with his election to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1984. He later served as the Libertarian Party's vice ...
was selected as Paul's running mate as the candidate for vice president without opposition.
[
]
1989
The 1989 convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
1991
The 1991 Libertarian National Convention
The 1991 Libertarian National Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois from August 29 to August 31, 1991. Andre Marrou of Alaska was chosen as the Libertarian Party (United States), Libertarian Party's nominee for President of the United States, ...
was held in Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
the last weekend in August, and nominated Andre Marrou as the party's 1992 candidate for president.
1993
The 1993 convention was held in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
.
1996
The 1996 Libertarian National Convention was held the first weekend of July in Washington D.C., and nominated Harry Browne as its presidential candidate.
1998
The 1998 convention was held in Washington D.C.
2000
The 2000 convention was held in Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
, from June 30 to July 4. Harry Browne was again chosen as the party's presidential candidate, becoming the first Libertarian Party candidate to run twice for president of the United States.
2002
The 2002 convention was held in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
, from July 3 to 7. Key Note Speaker: Dr. Ron Paul.
2004
The 2004 convention was held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Memorial Day weekend, May 27 to May 31. Michael Badnarik was chosen as the party's presidential candidate, beating out Gary Nolan and Aaron Russo
Aaron Russo (February 14, 1943 – August 24, 2007) was an American entertainment businessman, film producer and director, and political activist. He was best known for producing movies including ''Trading Places'', '' Wise Guys'', and '' The Ro ...
on the third ballot; Richard Campagna
Richard V. Campagna of Iowa City, Iowa was the vice-presidential running mate of Michael Badnarik of the Libertarian Party in the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
Early life, education, and career
Campagna was born in New York City, and grew ...
was chosen as the party's vice-presidential candidate over Tamara Millay
The 2008 congressional elections in Missouri were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Missouri in the United States House of Representatives. The primary election for candidates seeking the nomination of the Repu ...
, and Michael Dixon was elected chair of the LNC.
2006
The 2006 convention was held at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower in Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
, July 1–2. Delegates chose (in a "retain or delete" vote process) to eliminate about three-quarters of the specific planks in the party's platform
Speakers included:
* Michael Badnarik, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (TX-10) and the 2004 Libertarian presidential candidate
* Judge John A. Buttrick, Maricopa County (Arizona) Superior Court Judge, 1994 Arizona gubernatorial candidate, 1998 Arizona House of Representatives candidate
* Megan Dickson, an eighth-grade honors student who spoke about libertarianism
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's en ...
* Patrick Dixon, city councilman, Lago Vista, Texas
* Bill Lynn, alderman, Davenport, Iowa
* Tonie Nathan
Theodora Nathalia "Tonie" Nathan (February 9, 1923 – March 20, 2014) was an American radio producer, television producer, and political activist. She was the first woman to receive an electoral vote in a United States presidential election. Sh ...
, former Libertarian vice-presidential candidate, and the first woman to receive an electoral vote in U.S. history
* BetteRose Ryan, at-large LNC member
* Rev. Anthony Williams, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (IL-2)
* Former Congressman Bob Barr
Robert Laurence Barr Jr. (born November 5, 1948) is an American attorney and politician. He served as a federal prosecutor and as a United States House of Representatives, Congressman. He represented Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Re ...
, who has served as the chairman of Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances
* Andrew Neil, founding chairman of Sky TV, former publisher of ''The Scotsman
''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...
'', former editor of ''The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' and former editor-in-chief of the ''Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
''
* Christopher J. Farrell, member of the Judicial Watch
Judicial Watch (JW) is an American conservative activist group that files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits to investigate claimed misconduct by government officials. Founded in 1994, JW has primarily targeted Democrats, in particula ...
's board of directors
* Greg Nojeim, associate director and chief legislative counsel for the ACLU
* Krist Novoselic, founding member of the Seattle-based grunge rock band Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
, founder JAMPAC (Joint Artists and Music Promotions Political Action Committee), author of ''Of Grunge and Government: Let's Fix This Broken Democracy''
2008
The 2008 convention was held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel (formerly the Adam's Mark Hotel) in Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
(the same city as the very first convention in 1972), May 23–26.
2010
The 2010 convention was held in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, from Friday, May 28, to Monday, May 31.
2012
The 2012 convention was held in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, May 4–6, 2012.
2014
The 2014 convention was held in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
, during the last weekend in June.
2016
The 2016 convention was held in Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, during the last weekend in May.
2018
The 2018 convention was held from June 30 to July 3 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Nicholas Sarwark was reelected as chair, Alex Merced elected as vice chair, Caryn Ann Harlos elected as secretary, Tim Hagan reelected as treasurer, new at-large members were selected, and a new four-year term Judicial Committee was elected.
2020
The 2020 convention was scheduled to be held in Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, over Memorial Day weekend, but that was canceled via the enactment of their impossibility clause. Nomination business for president and vice president and potentially, confirmation of the in-person convention, was to be done virtually on Friday, May 22, with ratification to take place sometime in early July. That alternate venue was set by the Libertarian National Committee
The Libertarian National Committee (LNC) controls and manages the affairs, properties, and funds of the United States Libertarian Party. It is composed of the party officers, five at-large representatives elected every two years at the national c ...
for Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, the host city of the 2016 Libertarian National Convention
The 2016 Libertarian National Convention was the gathering at which delegates of the Libertarian Party chose the party's nominees for president and vice president in the 2016 national election. The party selected Gary Johnson, a former Governor o ...
.
2022
The 2022 convention was held on Memorial Day weekend from May 26 to 29 in Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
.[Doherty, Brian (May 29, 2022]
"Mises Caucus Takes Control of Libertarian Party"
''Reason
Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...
''.com. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
List of Libertarian conventions
The following is a list of United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
Libertarian Party
Active parties by country
Defunct parties by country
Organizations associated with Libertarian parties
See also
* Liberal parties by country
* List of libertarian organizations
* Lists of political parties
* Outline of libertarianism ...
Presidential nominating conventions.
References
{{U.S. Libertarian Party
*