Austin Wade Petersen (born February 19, 1981) is an American writer,
political activist
A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some ...
,
commentator, and broadcaster. He is currently the host of the Austin Petersen show on Real Talk Radio Network in the St Louis region. He's also the host of the Wake Up America show daily newscast. He was the runner-up for the
Libertarian Party's nomination for
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, finishing second place to
Gary Johnson
Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman, author, and politician. He served as the 29th governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for Presid ...
with 21.9% of the vote.
On August 7, 2018, he finished third in the
U.S. Senate Republican primary in Missouri with 8.3% of the vote, behind winner
Josh Hawley
Joshua David Hawley (born December 31, 1979) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Hawley served as the 42nd attorney general of Mi ...
and runner-up Tony Monetti.
Early life and education
Petersen was raised on a farm in
Peculiar, Missouri
Peculiar is a city in Cass County, Missouri and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the United States. The population was 4,608 at the 2010 census. The town motto is "Where the 'odds' are with you."
History
Early settlers of the ...
, the son of Donna and John D. Petersen. He attended
Southwest Missouri State University
Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...
, where he graduated with a degree in
musical theater
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
.
Career
Early work
Petersen's early career included stints as a
model
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
and as a product demonstrator at
FAO Schwarz
FAO Schwarz is an American toy brand and store. The company is known for its high-end toys, life-sized stuffed animals, interactive experiences, brand integrations, and games.
FAO Schwarz claims to be the oldest toy store in the United States ...
; at the latter position, he briefly appeared during a ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' sketch filmed at the store.
In 2008 Petersen worked for 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 ...
and the
Atlas Network, assisting on the
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
and
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
presidential bids of former
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
,
Ron Paul.
He was an
associate producer
A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...
at the
Fox Business program ''
Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano
''Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano'' is a television show hosted by Judge Andrew Napolitano, on Fox Business Network. The show aired from 2009 to 2012, focusing mainly on libertarian issues and perspectives.
The show
''Freedom Watch'' was cre ...
'', which aired from 2010 to 2012, and later went to work as director of production at the conservative
advocacy group FreedomWorks
FreedomWorks is a conservative and libertarian advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. FreedomWorks trains volunteers, assists in campaigns, and encourages them to mobilize, interacting with both fellow citizens and their political representat ...
.
Petersen has also been a frequent guest on the
RT program ''
The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann''.
Petersen served as an executive producer of the 2014 film ''
Alongside Night
''Alongside Night'' is a dystopian novel by science fiction writer J. Neil Schulman intended to articulate the principles of Agorism, a political philosophy created by Samuel Edward Konkin III, to whom Schulman dedicated the work. It was first ...
'', an adaptation of the novel of the same name which promoted
agorism, an
anarcho-capitalist
Anarcho-capitalism (or, colloquially, ancap) is an anti-statist, libertarian, and anti-political philosophy and economic theory that seeks to abolish centralized states in favor of stateless societies with systems of private property enfo ...
political philosophy. Several prominent Libertarian figures, like
Ron Paul and
Adam Kokesh
Adam Charles Kokesh (; born February 1, 1982) is an American libertarian political activist, radio host, and author. Kokesh was a U.S. 2020 Libertarian presidential candidate running on the single-issue platform of an "orderly dissolution of th ...
, appeared in the film.
Post 2016-activities
As of 2018, Petersen was the owner and CEO of a photo and video consulting firm called Stonegait LLC and is the founder of ''The Libertarian Republic'' and ''Liberty Viral'' – both
libertarian news and commentary websites. He
ran for the United States Senate as a Republican in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
, but was defeated in the primary by Missouri's Attorney General
Josh Hawley
Joshua David Hawley (born December 31, 1979) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Hawley served as the 42nd attorney general of Mi ...
. In 2019, Austin Petersen took over as the host of the KWOS Morning Show on Jefferson City, Missouri and has been broadcasting ever since.
2016 presidential campaign
By 2015, Petersen was living in
Kansas City, Missouri, "behind a midtown
QuikTrip
The QuikTrip Corporation, more commonly known as QuikTrip (QT), is an American chain of convenience stores based in Tulsa, Oklahoma that primarily operates in the Midwestern, Southern, and Southeastern United States as well as in Arizona. QuikT ...
" when he announced his candidacy in the
2016 Libertarian Party nominating convention for
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
.
Writing in the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'', he was described by ''
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, ...
'' editor
Matt Welch
Matthew Lee Welch (born July 31, 1968) is an American blogger, journalist, author, and
libertarian political pundit.
Early life
Welch was born on July 31, 1968 in Bellflower, California. He was raised in Long Beach, California. He attended U ...
as "an eager libertarian dudebro on the make".
Petersen called himself the
Bernie Sanders of the Libertarian Party due to his
grassroots fundraising strategy.
After
Ted Cruz
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas from ...
terminated his campaign for the
Republican Party's nomination for president, Petersen received the backing of
Mary Matalin
Mary Joe Matalin (born August 19, 1953) is an American political consultant well known for her work with the Republican Party. She has served under President Ronald Reagan, was campaign director for George H. W. Bush, was an assistant to Presid ...
and
Erick Erickson
Erick Woods Erickson (born June 3, 1975) is a conservative American radio host and blogger. He hosts a three-hour weekday talk show on WSB 95.5 FM and 750 AM in Atlanta, which is syndicated to other radio stations around the U.S. He also write ...
.
In many polls, he placed in the top three presidential choices for his party, along with opponents
John McAfee
John David McAfee ( ; 18 September 1945 – 23 June 2021) was a British-American computer programmer, businessman, and two-time presidential candidate who unsuccessfully sought the Libertarian Party nomination for president of the United States ...
and
Gary Johnson
Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman, author, and politician. He served as the 29th governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for Presid ...
. On May 29, 2016, at the Libertarian National Convention, Petersen lost the nomination to Johnson, getting second place on the second ballot.
Petersen congratulated Johnson on the win and gave him a replica of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
's pistol. Petersen then criticized Johnson's vice presidential pick
Bill Weld
William Floyd Weld (born July 31, 1945) is an American attorney, businessman, author, and politician who served as the 68th Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997.
A Harvard and Oxford graduate, Weld began his career as legal counsel to ...
, in response to which Johnson placed the replica into a garbage can.
Petersen, thereafter, endorsed
Johnson for president.
2018 Senate campaign
![Ap logo full](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Ap_logo_full.png)
In late June 2017, Petersen filed an
exploratory committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to candidates for pre ...
to consider running for the U.S. Senate seat in Missouri.
On July 4, 2017, Petersen formally announced his bid for the Republican nomination in the
2018 Missouri Senate race.
In September 2017, Petersen was banned from
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
during his senate campaign for giving away an
AR-15 style rifle
An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation d ...
as a promotion and criticizing his
Democratic opponent
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill (; born July 24, 1953) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Missouri from 2007 to 2019 and as State Auditor of Missouri from 1999 to 2007.
McCaskill is a native of Rolla, Missouri. She g ...
's positions on
gun rights
The right to keep and bear arms (often referred to as the right to bear arms) is a right for people to possess weapons (arms) for the preservation of life, liberty, and property. The purpose of gun rights is for self-defense, including securi ...
. The ban was lifted after
Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
and the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'' reported that Facebook's COO
Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Kara Sandberg (born August 28, 1969) is an American business executive, billionaire, and philanthropist. Sandberg served as chief operating officer (COO) of Meta Platforms, a position from which she stepped down in August 2022. She is al ...
had made max donations to McCaskill's campaign. The raffle drew renewed controversy in February 2018 when the
school shooting in Parkland, Florida caused the ''
Springfield News-Leader'' to investigate.
KMOV
KMOV (channel 4) is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power Circle owned-and-operated station KDTL-LD (channel 16). The two stations s ...
in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
scrutinized Petersen over his views on gun control in light of the shooting.
Petersen also reportedly received the national record for the largest
Bitcoin donation in American campaign history.
Fox News reported in January 2018 that Petersen was one of two "potential general election challengers" in the election.
Petersen officially filed with the
Missouri Secretary of State
The people below have served as the Secretary of State of the U.S. state of Missouri.
List
Gallery
File:Warren E. Hearnes.jpg, Warren E. Hearnes
File:James C. Kirkpatrick.jpg, James C. Kirkpatrick
File:Rep Roy Blunt.jpg, Roy Blunt
File:Mattb ...
for the US Senate seat as a Republican on February 28, 2018.
On March 6, Petersen announced a new AR-15 raffle on Facebook. His personal page was banned after the livestream was recorded.
In July he announced a raffle for a machine, similar to a 3-D printer, that can produce "untraceable gun parts". His campaign said 3-D printing technology has been described as the "end of gun control".
In the runup to the Republican primary election in August, President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
endorsed Petersen's rival
Josh Hawley
Joshua David Hawley (born December 31, 1979) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the junior United States senator from Missouri since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Hawley served as the 42nd attorney general of Mi ...
and campaigned for him. Petersen complained bitterly about Trump's involvement in the primary. In the August 7 primary Petersen came in third with 8.3% of the vote.
Political positions
Petersen has voiced and published his rejection of the
non-aggression principle
The non-aggression principle (NAP), also called the non-aggression axiom, is a concept in which aggression, defined as initiating or threatening any forceful interference (violating or breaching conduct) against either an individual, their propert ...
. Petersen describes himself as a
minarchist
A night-watchman state, or minarchy, whose proponents are known as minarchists, is a model of a state that is limited and minimal, whose functions depend on libertarian theory. Right-libertarians support it only as an enforcer of the non-aggre ...
. During his presidential campaign, he maintained that he had a "consistent pro-life ethic," meaning he is both
pro-life
Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respon ...
and anti-
death penalty.
He opposes the
War on Drugs
The war on drugs is a global campaign, led by the United States federal government, of drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the United States.Cockburn and St. Clair, 1 ...
.
He is a
non-interventionist
Non-interventionism or non-intervention is a political philosophy or national foreign policy doctrine that opposes interference in the domestic politics and affairs of other countries but, in contrast to isolationism, is not necessarily opposed t ...
on most matters of foreign policy and applies a
free-market capitalist
A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding investment, production and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals created by the forces of supply and demand, where all suppliers and consumers ...
approach to economics.
Personal life
On social media and in interviews, Petersen has described himself variously as an
agnostic and an
atheist.
He grew up as a
Christian, though in a 2016 interview with
Glenn Beck, Petersen spoke about how the death of his mother changed his religious views: "When I was a young man my mother died, and she was victimized by a pharmacist who diluted her chemotherapy drugs. I lost my faith and I never went back."
Petersen resides in
Jefferson City, Missouri.
Petersen was married to Stephanie Renee Cole on October 23, 2021.
[https://www.theknot.com/us/stephanie-cole-and-austin-petersen-nov-2021]
Electoral history
Filmography
* ''
Alongside Night
''Alongside Night'' is a dystopian novel by science fiction writer J. Neil Schulman intended to articulate the principles of Agorism, a political philosophy created by Samuel Edward Konkin III, to whom Schulman dedicated the work. It was first ...
'' (2014) – Executive Producer
* ''
Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano
''Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano'' is a television show hosted by Judge Andrew Napolitano, on Fox Business Network. The show aired from 2009 to 2012, focusing mainly on libertarian issues and perspectives.
The show
''Freedom Watch'' was cre ...
'' (2010–12, 19 episodes) – Associate Producer
See also
*
Libertarian Party presidential primaries, 2016
*
United States presidential election in Missouri, 2016
*
United States Senate election in Missouri, 2018
*
Stossel Libertarian presidential forum, 2016
References
External links
*
*
Stonegaite Pictures official websiteAustin Petersen at ''The Libertarian Republic''*
Appearanceson
C-SPAN
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petersen, Austin
1981 births
Living people
21st-century atheists
21st-century American male writers
American atheists
American former Christians
American gun rights activists
American libertarians
American online publication editors
American political commentators
American political writers
Candidates in the 2018 United States Senate elections
Missouri Libertarians
Missouri Republicans
Missouri State University alumni
People from Peculiar, Missouri
Candidates in the 2016 United States presidential election
Writers from Kansas City, Missouri
21st-century American non-fiction writers
American male non-fiction writers