Libertarian Party of New York


The Libertarian Party of New York is a ballot-access qualified party in the United States active in the state of New York. It is the recognized affiliate of the national Libertarian Party.
The Libertarian Party of New York is dedicated to the principle that free people have the right to do anything they please, except to initiate force, the threat of force, or fraud, against other persons or their property.

History

The Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 on the libertarian principle: that people should be free to do whatever they wish, except to initiate force, the threat of force, or fraud against others or their property. The principle does not preclude retaliatory force, as in the redress of wrongs through courts, and as in the traditional common law of self-defense. National Libertarian Party members, including the New York members, have paid $25 per year, and have as a condition of membership signified: "I certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals."
The Libertarian Party of New York was founded as an unregistered political party in 1970 by Paul and Michael Gilson who became its first people in public office the next year on election to a zoning board in Upstate New York. It helped drive the creation of a national party, and was re-organized in 1972 by a group now centered around Ed Clark, later the Libertarian Party presidential candidate. Its name was changed to the "Free Libertarian Party" when the New York Board of Elections ruled that the name Libertarian Party would confuse voters with the Liberal Party of New York. However, the Board of Elections eventually allowed the name "Libertarian Party" to be used. The Statue of Liberty is their ballot symbol, and they now appear on the ballot as the Libertarian Party.
Since 1974, the Libertarian Party of New York has had a candidate for Governor of New York on the ballot every four years except for 1986, the only party in New York State without official ballot status up to that point to do so. Several other minor parties in New York have achieved ballot status through electoral fusion, endorsing the candidate of a major party. The Libertarian Party of New York declined to achieve ballot status by this means, although Republican William Weld flirted with the LPNY gubernatorial nomination in 2006.
In 2018, Larry Sharpe, the Libertarian Party nominee for governor that year, finished with over 90,000 votes, the most in the state party's history for a gubernatorial candidate. By surpassing 50,000 votes, the Libertarian Party achieved qualified party status, and thus automatic ballot access, for the first time in its history. The party's membership jumped 25 percent after the qualification.

Ballot access

After it first received write-in votes in 1972 for presidential candidate John Hospers and vice presidential candidate Tonie Nathan, the LPNY has obtained at least 15,000 petition signatures
and placed statewide candidates on the ballot in every statewide election between 1974 and 2016, except 1986. These signatures were, by law, collected in a six-week period in mid-July to August.
In the gubernatorial elections, Libertarian candidates included a full slate of the possible statewide candidates: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, and, when one is up for election: Senator. In the Presidential races, candidates included the full number of Electors for President and Vice President, and when one is up for election, Senator. This regular achievement of statewide ballot status by a full slate of candidates for 42 years indicates substantial support in New York State.
Nationally, the Libertarian Party has 208,456 voters registered by the
respective state boards of election.

Leadership

The officers of the Libertarian Party of New York are elected annually. In 2018, the party become a ballot-recognized party, and a political entity was created that is recognized under election law. Therefore, the party is current going through a transition as it works to restructure. The officers of both entities are listed.

Corporation (Free Libertarian Party, Inc.)

The officers of the corporation were elected on May 4, 2019.
PositionNameNotes
ChairMark Glogowski4th Term
Vice ChairJeff Motta
Kari Bittner		1st term
1st term
TreasurerDuane Whitmer1st term
SecretaryBill Schmidt1st term
At-LargeSteve Minogue
Paul Grindle
Mike McDermott
Christopher Olenski
Chase Tkach		2nd term
1st term
1st term
1st term
1st term

Interim State Committee

The officers of the Interim State Committee were elected on February 9, 2019.
PositionName
ChairAnthony D'Orazio
1st Vice ChairTucker Coburn
2nd Vice ChairSteve Minogue
SecretaryFred Cole
TreasurerLora Newell

Past leadership

Listed local affiliates

The Libertarian Party of New York contains Local Chapter affiliates, each of which is administered by its own local Libertarian Party; after having attained NYS party status, all affiliate chapters must be associated with a respective county by 2020.
Chapter Officers are elected annually at their own Conventions and serve alongside their state counterparts during the year. The Chairman of each County Chapter is usually the state representative for the County.
Occasionally, local chapters may choose to appoint or elect a State Representative to the LPNY.
CountyWebsiteChair
AlbanyVeronica Diver
BroomeJennifer Kolesar
CattaraugusLuke Marshal Wenke
ChautauquaAndrew Martin Kolstee
ChemungPaul Sechrist
ColumbiaW. Cody Anderson
ErieDuane Whitmer
FultonBrandon Lyon
GeneseeMark Potwora
Kings Devin Balkind
MonroeKevin Wilson
NassauBlay Tarnoff
New York Ilya Schwartzburg
NiagaraCharlie Flynn
OnondagaShawn Hannon
OntarioKari Bittner
OtsegoJason Loveland
QueensMichael Arcati
RensselaerPhil Vecchio
Richmond Rocco Fama
SaratogaRob Arrigo
SchoharieLora Newell
SteubenPeter Olausson
SuffolkMichael McDermott
TiogaMelvin Foster
UlsterGary Triestman
WestchesterMark Rosen

Manhattan Libertarian Party

The Manhattan Libertarian Party is a chapter of the Libertarian Party of New York established in 2000.
The Manhattan LP was the host chapter of the 2012 Libertarian Party of New York convention, held January 21, 2012. The convention was attended by several candidates seeking the national Libertarian Party's presidential nomination, including former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson and New York attorney Carl E. Person.

Candidates endorsed in the 2008 election endorsed by MLP

Sam Sloan and the Manhattan madam Kristin M. Davis both sought the Libertarian Party nomination for Governor of New York State. Andrew Clunn sought to be nominated for Lieutenant Governor, Carl Person sought the nomination for Attorney General. John Clifton sought the nomination for US Senate, and Michel Faulkner sought the nomination for US Congress from the 15th Congressional District previously held by Charles Rangel.

Libertarian Party of Queens County

The Libertarian Party of Queens County, formerly known as the "Queens Libertarian Party" led by Tom Stevens, is the local affiliate of the LPNY for the Queens county-borough in the City of New York. The chapter was known for whipping up candidates for public office until 2010 when Blay Tarnoff hijacked the party and passed a surprise motion to decertify the chapter.
In December 2016, the LPNY State Committee voted to de-charter the chapter. Shortly thereafter, a small group of former Democrats and two former Republicans chartered the chapter under a new name. The "Libertarian Party of Queens County", or LPQC for short, was chaired by Elliot Axelman for its first 8 months. Axelman is a radio host, certified Paramedic and former Lieutenant for Whitestone Volunteer Ambulance Corps. In October 2017, Axelman resigned following a move to New Hampshire. His Vice Chair, Christopher Fuentes-Padilla, took over until November 19th, 2017.

Accolades

The Queens Chapter is the first chapter in the history of the LPNY to elect a Chair under the age of 24. On November 20th, 2017 Christopher Fuentes-Padilla, the former Vice Chair, was sworn in as Chairman at age 20.
Padilla is also the first Hispanic to hold the Office in Queens and the first Puerto Rican male to hold office in the LPNY.

Suffolk County Libertarian Party

The Suffolk County Libertarian Party is a chapter of the Libertarian Party of New York established in 1974.

Vote totals for Libertarian candidates in New York

State elections

Governor

Attorney General

Comptroller

Federal elections

U.S. Senate

U.S. President

Current officeholders

As of July 12, 2019: