LP Nominations and Elections

Rep. Bob Barr defeated Mary Ruwart 324-276 on the sixth ballot to win the 2008 LP Presidential nomination.  Wayne Root won a close race with Steve Kubby to win the Vice-Presidential nomination.

 

Chair Bill Redpath received 49% on the first ballot, compared to about 30% for Ruth Bennett and around 15% for Ernest Hancock.  Somewhat surprisingly, Hancock's voters did not go overwhelmingly for Bennett on the second ballot, and Redpath was re-elected with 57%.

 

Presidential candidate Michael Jingozian was a surprise last-minute opponent to otherwise unopposed Vice Chair Chuck Moulton.  Jingozian apparently rode his celebrity status to a first-ballot win of over 60%, perhaps assisted by a nomination speech by Secretary Bob Sullentrup.  (Moulton declined to run for an at-large LNC seat, citing his recent matriculation at George Mason University in pursuit of a Ph.D. in economics, having just completed his Master's five days ago.)

 

Aaron Starr received over 60% of the vote over Carol McMahon to remain Treasurer, and Secretary Bob Sullentrup was re-elected by acclamation.

 

Radicals won three of the five LNC at-large seats, as Dr. Mary Ruwart and R. Lee Wrights join returning incumbents Angela Keaton, Admiral Michael Colley, and Pat Dixon.  Well-known and principled Libertarians were elected to fill the seven Judicial Committee seats: Ruth Bennett (subsequently elected Chair), David Nolan, Nick Sarwark, Allen Hacker, Tom Stevens, Travis Nicks, and Joe Cobb. Thus the LNC and Judicial Committee seemed well-prepared to ensure that our new presidential ticket will hew to the comprehensive principles of our repaired Platform.

 

The convention passed one substantive resolution, a brief one offered by Bruce Dovner citing Bush's "lies" and "cronies" and demanding immediate withdrawal from Iraq.