The Libertarian Party of Maryland is the
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
affiliate of the
Libertarian Party
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Defunct parties by country
Organizations associated with Libertarian parties
See also
* Liberal parties by country
* List of libertarian organizations
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Lists of political part ...
. The state chair is
Eric Blitz. The party, also known as "LPMaryland," or "LPMD" is Maryland's third-largest political party, with 17,364 registered voters across the state as of August 31, 2022. According to its website, the party "speaks to the proper relationship between the state and the individual; it does not speak to what individuals ought to do morally. The state exists to protect residents and their property from those that would harm." LPMaryland also forms coalitions with other civic organizations who share at least some common ground with libertarians, including groups that concern themselves primarily with civil liberties, world peace, fiscal restraint, and government reform. The official views of the party on state-level policy issues are set forth in the Libertarian Party of Maryland Platform.
Governance
The Libertarian Party of Maryland is governed primarily by its Constitution and Bylaws. The Constitution and By-laws entrust all party decision-making to the State Central Committee. Currently, any Maryland resident who is an official party member may become a voting member of the Central Committee as long as they are registered Libertarian and certifies that they agree with the principle that no person (or group of persons) has the right to seek to attain values by initiating the use of force or fraud against any other person (or group of persons). This is one version 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 ...
," a fundamental principle of liberty and limited government.
Operational management of the party is entrusted to an executive board of the State Central Committee. The board is composed of a chair, vice-chair, treasurer, and secretary, as well as three at-large members. The current membership of the executive board (elected to serve through the 2023 Convention) is as follows:
:Chair: Eric Blitz
:Vice-Chair: David Dull
:Treasurer: Robert S. Johnston III
:Secretary: Sherri Drummond
:At-Large Members: Phil Dassing, Alex Schlegel, Tim Miller
The Libertarian Party of Maryland is one of five political parties that are recognized by the Maryland State Board of Elections. Its ability to continue nominating candidates for office without qualifying each candidate separately ("ballot access" for short) depends on its ability to demonstrate sufficient popular support for the party every four years by obtaining 1% of the vote in the gubernatorial elections, maintaining 1% of registered voters, or by obtaining 10,000 valid petition signatures.
2022 Libertarian Candidates
Governor , Lt. Governor: David Lashar and Christiana Logansmith
Wicomico County Executive: Muir Boda
Maryland Senate , District 31: Brian Kunkoski
Maryland Senate , District 43: Bob Gemmill
U.S. Congress , 1st District: Daniel Thibeault
U.S. Congress , 8th District: Kevin Andrés Garcia
House of Delegates , District 1A: Monique M. Mehring
House of Delegates , District 31: Travis Lerol
Anne Arundel County Council , District 2: Dave Sgambellone
Baltimore County Council , District 7: Doug Stanley
Harford County Council , District F: Matthew Whitlock
Electoral history
James Cook is a Libertarian elected to Rock Hall City Council in 2021.
Muir Boda is a Libertarian elected to the Salisbury City Council in 2015.
See also
*
2022 Maryland gubernatorial election
The 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the next Governor of Maryland. Governor Larry Hogan, the incumbent two-term Republican, was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third consecutive ter ...
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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
Lists of political part ...
*
Maryland elections
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Maryland Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single-m ...
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Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...
References
External links
Libertarian Party of Maryland
{{Libertarian Party (United States)
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
Political parties in Maryland
1971 establishments in Maryland