March 5, 2014
Thank you for your interest in Christopher Koch’s candidacy and the Libertarian Party.
Christopher Koch for Governor
When Christopher first approached us last spring, he had initially wanted to run against Michelle Bachmann in CD6. While we were interested, her withdrawal changed the focus. We saw his potential as a gubernatorial candidate and mutually agreed that was the path we should take. We had discussed his candidacy on and off since then. March 6th was to be the announcement of his long-awaited venture. It is a disappointment both to Christopher and the Libertarian Party that it did not occur. A MinnPost interview details Christopher’s decision against a run for governor.
From our several months of collaboration in the lead-up to his announcement, we clearly saw that Christopher would have been a well-spoken gubernatorial candidate to represent the Libertarian Party of Minnesota. Despite his change of heart, we wish Christopher the best.
Libertarians believe the logical argument to stay within the Republican or Democratic parties is over. If anyone still has hope that things will change with either of these parties in charge, they have not been paying attention. It is hard to forge a new path, so this normally leads many people down the path of least resistance. But we understand that it is important to make sure there is a clear voice for personal freedom, strong civil liberties, a genuinely free marketplace, and peace. If not us, who?
Looking around at today’s political landscape, it’s easy to feel frustrated. It seems like all we see is endless gridlock, partisan gamesmanship, finger-pointing, and a government playing an ever-increasing role in our lives.
Like a lot of people, we agree with some of what the Left believes and some of what the Right believes. That’s because we view politics from a liberty perspective. Your mind and your body are yours. Your money and your property are yours. Every time the government passes a new law or regulation, it takes away some of our liberty. Every dollar the state government spends comes out of the pockets of Minnesotans like you and me.
Unfortunately, both Republicans and Democrats are happy with the status quo. They continually pass new rules telling us how to live and make us pay for it. They discourage competition and meddle in businesses they know little about. We want to shrink the rulebook. We want Minnesotans to live with minimal government intrusion into their personal and economic lives.
The Republicans and Democrats both claim to be for free markets. They claim that competition fosters innovation and offers consumers more options. Ironically, when it comes to the ballot box, they’re very protectionist. In that arena, they say, “These two options are enough.” They’re wrong. Minnesotans deserve a candidate who reflects their real values.
Moving forward, our plans remain the same. There are too many voters in Minnesota who feel like they are without a voice. In an age of immeasurable choices, we find the options that the two-party system has to offer are simply not acceptable.
Our next major event will be our 2014 LPMN State Convention on April 26th in Maple Grove, where we plan on nominating a principled gubernatorial liberty candidate at that time.
Andy Burns
LPMN Executive Director
Concerned about the expansion of government control and the erosion of individual liberty? Please consider joining and becoming active with the Libertarian Party of Minnesota. Libertarians support liberty on all issues, all the time! Libertarianism is a philosophical and political movement to promote personal freedom, strong civil liberties, a genuinely free marketplace, and peace.