The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin is the

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

affiliate of the

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 ...

. Founded in 1973, it is one of the oldest state affiliates in the Libertarian Party. In 2002,

Ed Thompson Edward Thompson or variants may refer to: Politicians * Edward Thompson (of Sheriff Hutton) (c. 1639–1701), English landowner and politician * Edward Thompson (1697–1742), British MP and Lord of the Admiralty * Edward Thompson (FDNY Commissi ...

, brother of

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served ...

and the Mayor of

Tomah, Wisconsin Tomah is a city in Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,570 as of the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Tomah and the Town of La Grange. History Tomah was founded by Robert E. Gillett in 1855 and incor ...

, ran for Governor of Wisconsin, garnering over 10% of the vote. This was a record for a Libertarian gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin running against both a Democratic and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

candidate. Wisconsin requires parties to poll at least 1% in a statewide election in order to be recognized for ballot status and to conduct party primaries. The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin met this test in 2014 with the candidacies of Madison attorney Tom Nelson for Attorney General (3%), Milwaukee political consultant Andy Craig for secretary of state (3%), and former Mayor Jerry Shidell of Rhinelander for state treasurer (2%). In 2022, the sitting state chair of the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, Jacob VandenPlas, ran for Congress (U.S. House of Representatives, WI District 8) and received 10.5% of the vote in a 3-way race, a state of Wisconsin record. (the Democratic candidate was listed on the ballot as an Independent due to failing to meet ballot access paperwork requirements).

Current office holders

* Mark Hepfinger -- Cottage Grove Municipal Court Judge * Dennis Kenealy -- Erin Town Council Chairperson * Dave Ripp -- Dane County Board of Supervisors, District 29 * Kevin Scheunnemann -- Kewaskum Village Board * Brad Sponholz -- Greenfield Planning Commission * Andy Williams -- Cleveland Village Board * Brian Defferding -- Winnebago County Board of Supervisors, District 6

Vote totals for Libertarian candidates in Wisconsin

Federal elections

U.S. President

U.S. Senate

State elections

Gubernatorial

Conventions

*2016 – The 2016 convention was held on April 16 in Wisconsin Dells, and included speaker

David Boaz David Boaz (; born August 29, 1953, Mayfield, Kentucky) is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute, an American libertarian think tank. He is the author of ''Libertarianism: A Primer'', published in 1997 by the Free Press and described ...

and presidential candidate

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 ...

. *2017 – The 2017 LPWI convention was held in

Tomahawk A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Europ ...

on April 21, and included speaker Gavin Seim. *2018 – The 2018 LPWI convention was held in

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

on April 14. *2019 – The 2019 LPWI convention was held in

Sturgeon Bay Sturgeon Bay is an arm of Green Bay extending southeastward approximately 10 miles into the Door Peninsula at the city of Sturgeon Bay, located approximately halfway up the Door Peninsula. The bay is connected to Lake Michigan by the Sturge ...

from May 3–5.

Mary Ruwart Mary J. Ruwart (born October 16, 1949) is an American retired biomedical researcher and a libertarian speaker, writer, and activist. She was a leading candidate for the 2008 Libertarian Party presidential nomination and is the author of the boo ...

was a speaker. *2021 - The 2021 LPWI convention was held in Eau Claire, Wisconsin from April 23–25. Speakers include Jo Jorgensen, Spike Cohen, Adam Kokesh.

References

External links

Libertarian Party of Wisconsin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Libertarian Party Of Wisconsin

Political parties in Wisconsin