Libertarian party

Libertarian Party

By Jesus Melgarejo

  • Final straw for creation

    Nolan and fellow libertarians created the group after President Richard Nixon's 1971 imposition of wage and price controls, as well as his closing of the foreign gold window.

  • Creation

    The Libertarian party is founded in the home of David Nolan. Disillusioned Republicans, Democrats and political newcomers hope to create an alternative to the old parties.

  • First National Convention

    At the first national convention, John Hospers, a philosophy professor, is nominated as presidential candidate. Libertarian party candidate Tonie Nathan is nominated as vice president and is the first woman in U.S. history to recieve an electoral vote.

  • Getting into Government

    Dick Randolph of Alaska becomes the first elected Libertarian state legislator. Ed Clark and David Koch named presidential and vice presidential candidates. In the presidential nominating covention in California, more than 80,000 voters register Libertarian.

  • Ed Clark

    Ed Clark appears on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and earns almost 1 million votes. His national tv ads offer many Americans the chance to see what the Libertarian Party has to offer.

  • More Libertarians in Government

    On the ballot held in 39 states, David Bergland and Jim Lewis come in third in the race for president for the first time in party history. Eleven other Libertarian candidates are elected nationwide along with Andre Marrou becoming the third Libertarian elected to the Alaska legislature.

  • Libertarians getting bigger

    200 candidates across the U.S. receive 2.9 million votes. Ray Cullen, candidate for California Treasurer, gets 570,000 votes, the largest ever for a third-party candidate in that state.

  • Ron Paul = Libertarian?

    Libertarians win every seat in the city council in Big Water, Utah. Ron Paul resigns from the GOP and joins the Libertarian Party. Later becomes nominated for president during the Seattle convention.

  • Election Day

    Approximately 2 million people vote for the libertarian party candidates. Elections Day is considered “Double Digit Day,” as many LP candidates for the Congress and state house draw percentages in the teens, ‘20s and ‘30s.

  • Goodbye Republican Party

    New Hampshire state legislators Cal Warburton and Finlay Rothhaus decide to resign from the Republican Party and join the Libertarian Party.

  • Third parties become easier.

    Stuart Reges, the Libertarian party director, decides to testify before Congress, endorsing legislation to make it easier for third party candidates to appear in presidential debates.

  • Libertarians are taking control!

    More than 40 Libertarians are elected or appointed, setting a record, while LP activists participate in the successful effort to stop President Clinton from taking over the nation's health care system. In November, more than 650 Libertarian candidates run for office, and more than 2.2 million people decide to vote Libertarian.

  • New Headquarters

    The Libertarian Party moves its national headquarter to prestigious Watergate Office Building due to its substantial growth in stature.

  • Breaking U.S. history

    The Libertarian Party becomes the first third party in U.S. history to earn ballot status in all 50 states- two presidential elections in a row. LP candidates for statewide and federal office alone win 5.4 million votes.

  • Record setting "off-year" elections.

    39 Libertarians are elected into office, including 4 council city winners: Fred Collins (Berkley, Michigan); Ron Wittig (New Meadows, Idaho); Bob DeBrosse (Picqua, Ohio); and John Gearheart (Palous, Washington).

  • New members

    Roy Innis, African-American civil rights leader, and Art Bell, talk radio powerhouse, join the Libertarian party. A new record is set in Novermber by having 853 candidates in 44 states.

  • Take down the FDIC

    The party breaks new ground in political activism with its Internet-based campaign against the FDIC’s proposed “Know Your Customer” bank-spying regulation. The FDIC decide back out of their plan after recieving 250,000 complaints due to the Libertarian party's strategy of making them look bad.

  • Breaking past 80 years record.

    The Libertarian Party head into the election with a total of 1,436 LP candidates, including 256 candidates for U.S. House – the first time in 80 years a third party has contested a majority of Congressional seats. Those Libertarian U.S. House candidates get over 1.7 million votes.

  • Cathing up to the Democrats and Republicans

    The Libertarian party makes history when its U.S. House candidates receive over 1 million votes for the second time – a feat achieved previously only by the Democrats and Republicans.

  • Congressional Million-Vote

    Two Libertarian candidates from Texas and Georgia each receive over one million votes. Libertarians running for U.S. House receive over 1,078,000 votes, breaking the congressional million-vote threshold for the fourth time.