Libertarians have emerged from this election with a real sense of momentum, with many already looking forward to 2014 and 2016! The story behind this and results of the various races are presented here.
First, the local-level races. In Columbia Heights, Libertarian candidate Bob Odden did not win. Results were Odden 2609 votes (33%) vs perennial incumbent Gary Peterson 5349 votes (67%). However, in Hastings, Libertarian candidate Mike Grady narrowly missed a victory. Results were Grady 1147 votes (49%) vs incumbent Tony Alongi 1171 votes (50%). Minnesotans missed having an elected Libertarian official by just 25 votes. Yet again, results like this show that local races are indeed winnable for Libertarian candidates!
For the Constitutional Amendment results, the Same-Sex Marriage Ban was rejected by 53% of voters, and the Voter ID Mandate failed with 54% against. Libertarians were on the correct sides of these issues. Further government encroachment has been halted, at least in these areas.
The results of any Minnesota race can be obtained from this link.
In the race for President, while many had hoped that Libertarian Gary Johnson would obtain at least 5% of the vote in Minnesota which would’ve led to Major Party Status for the LPMN, his result of 1.2% was a significant turnout. The presidential race is unusual, with the public tending to vote for someone whom they believe has a chance of winning, much moreso than in other races. Thus, it’s difficult for any opposition candidate to surpass 1%. Johnson is only the third candidate who was not a Democrat or Republican to achieve that level in the last four presidential election cycles, as can be seen in the results from 2008, 2004, and 2000.
Nationwide, Gary Johnson was the first Libertarian to receive over one million votes. In Minnesota, Johnson earned over 35,000 votes. Johnson’s supporters found that their votes did count, as surpassing 1% proved to be a key accomplishment. Each of those voters contributed to a rise in stature for Libertarians, who will now become one of the few parties to achieve Minor Party Status as specified by the state statute. One benefit of this will be access to the state income tax checkoff box. Minnesotans may now choose to offer $5 of their tax payment to the Libertarian Party (selecting the checkoff box won’t affect anyone’s tax payment or refund amount). It can add up to thousands of dollars, and while there are strict limitations on how that funding may be used, it will be a new resource the LPMN hasn’t had previously.
Even more importantly, substantial gains were made in organization, infrastructure, and activism. Numerous new liberty activists across the state made themselves known during the final month of Gary Johnson’s campaign, in addition to a new Libertarian affiliate starting up in Duluth and multiple campus organizations becoming active. Furthermore, the LPMN’s steadfast support of liberty attracted the attention of many in Ron Paul’s movement, and several key Ron Paul coordinators joined forces with the LPMN to assist with the Johnson campaign.
As a grassroots party of concerned individuals rather than career politicians, most in the LPMN are new to politics. Nonetheless, great strides were made in this election cycle. In 2008, very little was done to promote that year’s Libertarian presidential candidate, leading to predictably poor results. This time was very different. Four years of preparation since then fueled much stronger efforts in 2012, with a well-publicized state convention featuring major Libertarian speakers, a summer-long statewide outreach effort, increasing use of press releases to the mainstream media, email blasts to potential supporters, airing of radio ads for a mass-media component, multiple sign-waving rallies to generate enthusiasm, and even phone banking to “get out the vote” for Gary Johnson. Of course, these tactics are standard fare by the DFL and MNGOP. But the use of them by the LPMN shows that we are gaining in our ability to challenge the two-party system and to create a voice of our own!
Despite all the activism, it’s been estimated that 75% of voters still hadn’t heard of Gary Johnson by election day. No doubt, there’s much work yet to be done. But by achieving Minor Party Status, a small but significant step, Libertarians are now getting a taste of what it means to be a “player” in the public debate. The libertarian movement is growing in Minnesota, with many now joining our state party and becoming more active. In fact, many libertarians have stated their eagerness to build upon what’s been started and are already looking forward to 2014 and 2016!
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.