Libertarians Win 17% of Local Elections

Libertarians won 14 of their 81 slots in local races across the country Tuesday, which included mostly small-town mayors and city council positions; all incumbents were kept in office. They won four out of five races in Michigan, and others in Iowa, Idaho, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. More information on the individual elections can be found at the LP website.

Washington, D.C. – In an exciting conclusion to the 2007 off-year election, Libertarian Party candidates won an impressive 17 percent of all known races in the United States that included the Libertarian Party. Additionally, all Libertarian incumbents won re-election. The Libertarian National Committee counted 81 known races for the Nov. 6, 2007 elections and had 14 victories spread across seven states. "Last night's election once again proved that the Libertarian Party offers a viable third option that many Americans take advantage of when selecting the leaders of their government," says Libertarian Party Executive Director Shane Cory.

Libertarians were elected in Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania—54 percent of the states in which Libertarians ran. Libertarians in Michigan won four of the five known races in that state where Libertarians were involved—a stunning 80 percent rate of victory.

"The saying goes that all politics are local, and that's exactly where the Libertarian Party has its greatest influence," says Cory. "Decisions made by leaders at the local level are often the ones that have the most impact over people's lives, and the Libertarian Party wants to make sure that it's there when these decisions are made. The Libertarian Party's call for less government, lower taxes and more freedom doesn't change depending on what level of government it's made from. Liberty is liberty no matter what public office you hold."

While the Libertarian Party does not have any elected officials at the national level, the party does have Libertarians elected to local offices across the nation.

"The idea we want people to take from this election is about more than numbers and elected positions," says Andrew Davis, media coordinator for the Libertarian Party. "We want people to see that the Libertarian Party has been a viable third option in American politics for the last 35 years. The Libertarian Party exists as a real choice for voters who have long grown tired of picking from only Republicans and Democrats. This is democracy at work. It doesn't get any clearer than a Libertarian getting elected to office."