W5 [5 (50M "file ?ssion amt CTR: 16.7051; nab? Chou-f *?f/Lc 3% L9 lQ-ll 4?bit!? ?38/0. #961 1971 1972 @342: my (CZ/ma Highlights from LP History 1973 Dismayed by Richard Nixon?s attacks on civil liberties and economic freedom. five Colorado libertarians led by Dave Nolan debate the idea of forming a new, pro-freedom party. After an inconclusive meeting in luly. a they agree to reconvene a month later. Their next meeting falls on August 15, the day Nixon announces wage-price controls andI demonctimtiun of the dollar; this goads them into action. Throughout the fall, they contact other 197'4 libertarians and draft a tentative platform. On December I t, at a meeting in Colorado Springs, the original gmup plus three additional members votes formally to found the Libertarian Party. Membership passes I00. A survey of the fledgling party's members shows Murray Rothbard to be their First choice tor a presudential nominee; second is Alan Greenspan. The party's first press conference, held in Denver on January 3 1, receives international news coverage. including a piece in the New York Tums. At a June nominating convention in Denver held. ironically, the same weekend as the break-in 39 of the new party's 500 members adopt a Statement of Principles written by John Hospers and name him as their first Presidential candidate] Tonic Nathan of Oregon is chosen for the VP slot. Susan Nolan is elected Part Chair; Ed Clark becomes Vice air. On the ballot in only two states Colorado and Washington the Hospers-Nathan ticket draws about 5,000 votes on Election Day. Six weeks later. on December it?a, Roger MacBride of Virginia casts an Electoral Vote for the Li1 slate, making Tonie Nathan the first woman in history to receive an Electoral Vote. MacBride's act triples public awareness of the LP overnight. g; @412? The second convention, held June 8- ID on the outskirts of Cleveland. Ohio, draws ITS participants. Combined state and national membership passes 3,000. New York Mayoral candidate Fran Youngstein receives 8,800 votes, running fifth in a field of nine and almost outpolling four leftist splinter candidates combined Gary Greenberg, running for District Attorney in Manhattan, receives 8,300 votes nearly 3.7?.1 of the total vote cast. Utah becomes first state where LP attains ballot status. Hal Iindrich receives over 200,000 votes tor Superintendent of Education in Calitornia; his record stands until Third annual convention in Dallas draws 3-00. Ed Crane defeats Scott Royce for National Chair by Hot margin: Andrea Mitten is unopposed fur Vice Chair. Business conventions are moved to mid-numbered years. Party HQ moves trom Denver to San Francisco. Party fields 32 candidates in \lovember elections. Kay Harroff receives WADE votestnearly I in the US. Senate race in Ohio: Jerry Tucc?le polls only [0,200 in New York Governor's race. His poor showing is attributed to 'stunts". Hospers is a write-in for Governor in California: David Bergland runs tor California Attorney General. Congressional contenders include Sandy Cohen and Ken Kalcheim [New ?iorki. Bob Steiner (New Jersey). Karl Bray (Utah: and Jerry M?lett (Louisiana) None fares especially well. 51 1915 1976 Presidential nominating convention in New York City draws 500 libertarians. Roger MacBride wins top spot in an easy tirst ballot victory over Kay Harroft and Guy Riggs. but controversy erupts over VP nomination. MacBride vetoes self- proclaimed ?tax resister and smuggler" Iim Trotter, who is leading atter first VP ballot. Second ballot deadlocks. David Bergland, who flies in from California overnight, is chosen the next day. Despite problems most LP members leave with enthusiasm, and news coverage is excellent. Crane and Millen are re-elected to lead party.- HQ is moved from San Francisco to Washington, DC. LP candidates enter local races in fall: most ambitious mayoral campaigns are those of Ray Cunningham [San Francisco) and Dave Long (Boston). inspired by tireless campaigners MacBride and Bergland, over 250 other Libertarians run for office; Michigan tops the list with so. Media coverage accelerates. US. Senate candidate Steve Trotter, runnin in Utah, is endorsed by that state's former Governor. "Pep Rally" convention in Washington, DC, draws 000. MacBride and Bergland are tisted on ballot in 31 states and DC. On Election Day, the LP ticket polls 172.000 votes; only one-fourth as many as independent candidate Eugene McCarthy, but narrowly edging out Lester Maddox to lead the minor~party pack. Best showing; in Alaska. Many state and local candidates top this mark; Larry Fullmer receives 50% in a State Senate race thvowayl in ldaho. 197'? 1973 1979 gal? g?ew Sixth annual convention. San Francisco, July. Speakers range from Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson to Roger MacBride and Eugene McCarthy; the latter both speak at a banquet of over [,000 people. David Bergland is elected Chair without 0 position; Mary Lciuise Hanson is chbsen Vice Chair, also unopposed. Elaine Lindsey is elected to the City Council in Circleville, Ohio. David McNeil! receives over 2 7,000 votes {29 '31) in a six-way City COuncil race in Phoenix. Ann Hammond places second in a threeaway City Council race. scoring 32%, in Garland, Texas. Barbara Hutchinson polls I 18,000 votes mnning for Assessor in San Diego County less than 1,000 votes behind the incumbent. Libertarians are active and visible in California's Proposition 1.3 battle. A Labor Day Weekend convention in Boston draws only 400. but more than 150 Libertarians run for public office around the country; Arizona has 42, Nevada 23. Combined total vote is 1.3 million. Biggest news: Dick Randolph wins state legislature seat in Alaska. becomes first Libertarian legislator. Ed Clark polls 350.000 votes (5.5 for Governor in California the best showing by a third-party candidate since 1940. Gary Greenberg receives 19,000 votes tor GovernOr in New York. Ed Clark and Bill Hunscher engage in spirited contest tor LP presidential nomination; 1,500 turn out for nominating convention in Los Angeles, September o0. Clark wins handily: VP slot goes to David Koch of New York who defeats ?None Of The Above" on first ballot. Bergland and Hanson re- elected as party Chair and Vice Chair without opposition. California party activists register more than 50,000 voters as Libertarians by December 31, thereby giving the LP ballot status in that state. "wu- .- m-A 1 980 are an; a; Murray Feldstein wins City Council seat in Flagstaff, Arizona; runs third in a ?eld of six. receiving 3.o00 votes. Drive to repeal Alaska state income tax, led by Dick Randolph, is successful. _Bi1] While receives 18,539 votes a three-way race for Califomia State Senate. Robert Murphy polls 0% in Tulsa mayoral contest. Nearly 500 candidates run on LP label. Gark~Koch ticket achieves ballot status in all 50 states lus DC, a feat never before accomplished. Campaign generates feature articles in man publications, disappointingly hull: national news coverage. Clark and Koch garner 911,000 votes over 1 of the national total thus outputting Eugene four years earlier, but getting only one-sixth the vote of Independent entry John Anderson. Randolph is re-elected in Alaska by a huge margin,- a second Libertarian. Ken Fanning, is also elected to the Alaska legislature and Stan Thompson becomes Mayor of Kenai Borough. in California. David Bergland receives 203.000 votes for US. Senate, while Dan Mahatfey polls 81% in a three- way race for Congress; Mahaftey's raw vote total exceeds that of 2.: Republican Congressional cantenders. Total vote for all Libertarian candidates tops four million. 5 c? ?aw Convention Co-Ordinator Paul Grant Convention Director Ruth Bennett Treasurer Jerry Hatch Program Committee M. L. Hanson, Chair Brian Erickson Liz Erickson Paul Grant Dave Nolan Gale Norton Re istration Committee Bet Sennett. Chair Rob Gilmore len?y Hatch Charlie lackson Len lackson Ruth Bennett Media Co-Ord'inator Brian Petersen Banquet Co-Ordinator Janice Prince Central City Liaison Judy Huffman NV Production Chuck Maher Publications Editor Linda Barth Graphic Design Greg Akiyama Typography Olympic Type-O'Craphics. Ltd.