Preview of Kalin Stipe's Campaign Material for his Race in Lorain.

As Kalin notes, "The way I'm going to make the spinning signs only will add about 14 cents per sign. If you take a coroplast sign and split the groove on just one side and then flip it over and split the other side of the sign, you create a windmill.
Kinda like this:

\______.______
......................\

There will be one metal stake with a "crimp" on it that will have a plastic washer sit on it. Then the sign will sit on that. It actually works quite well."

Kalin Stipe Issues a Solid Press Release in Lorain

SEAN ‘KALIN’ STIPE SEEKING LORAIN COUNCIL AT-LARGE SEAT

Lorain resident and community activist Sean “Kalin” Stipe has filed to run as a Libertarian candidate for a Lorain City Council at-large seat in the May 5, 2009, primary and has launched his campaign Web site, www.seanstipe.com.

Stipe says he is running because “it is time for well-thought-out fresh ideas to be intelligently debated.” Stipe brings a three-pronged approach to helping Lorain: strong principles, thorough research and intelligent debate.

The city of Lorain needs to be willing to look at a whole new way of approaching things, Stipe says. He has spent the past eight years attending Lorain council meetings and committee meetings and studying actions by similar “peer cities” around the country. “I find out what works and I make contact,” Stipe says. “I’ve heard firsthand what works and how it works.” Stipe says his years of observation and research make him ready to serve the community from day one.

Referring to a variety of administrative problems, including Lorain‘s budget problems and lack of an employee manual, he says, “We’re not being business-smart on a basic level. We don’t need to increase taxes, we need to restructure how Lorain does business.”

Stipe demands accountability with city funds. Lorain’s “shell game” with city funds is not only wrong but illegal, he says, and could make the city a target for lawsuits or action from the state. “Stop asking us for money without showing us what it’s going to be used for,” Stipe says.

Stipe proposes rethinking the city’s safety services and the city’s work force in general. Rather than a separate fire department and police department, he suggests “safety officers,” an idea that has been successful in Kalamazoo, Mich. “If there’s a fire, they go to a fire. If there’s not a fire, they can be patrolling the streets,” he says. “You take our largest chunk of payroll and restructure to meet our needs.” He also wants to look at pooling laborers in the general work force through a Public Works Division.

To combat crime, he wants to restore community resource officers and give full support to the Neighborhood Block Watch Program. A proactive approach “helps people take care of their neighborhoods” rather than just relying on a quality but reactionary police force.

There’s way too much red tape for a company to come in and do business in Lorain, Stipe says. “Let businesses do what they do,” he says. “Private enterprise is capable of doing these things if Lorain gets out of the way.” A simple-three part approach of planning, zoning and vision will make Lorain “a city where people will bring work and where people will want to work.”

The Libertarian Party’s motto, “Smaller government, lower taxes, more freedom,” is “a set of principles I already abide by,” Stipe says. “Instead of tending to the basics, government has grown into a bloated conglomerate of political services that gets larger every year with no end in sight.”

Stipe grew up in the Amherst area with a large close-knit family that has been in Lorain for more than a century. He attended Kent State University and Ohio University. He has spent his career in entertainment, working as an independent artist and technician at professional theaters around Cleveland and in teaching positions at Amherst High School and Baldwin-Wallace College. He has excelled at taking bare-bones budgets and finding creative methods to produce a final product for all to enjoy.

In January, the Libertarian Party of Ohio achieved ballot access in Ohio through the 2009 election and is now considered a minor in the state of Ohio. The Libertarian Party reaches out to voters who are tired of the politics as usual and see little difference between the major parties. Its basic philosophy is individual rights and personal responsibility, and its goal is reducing government to the minimum required to protect the rights of its citizens.

Voting For A City Councilman Has Never Been So Fun! Spencer Phelps Unleashes his Campaign Website on Marion!

Playing serious gamesmanship with Marion County's Republican party so that he will meet the incumbant Democrat head-tohead should not mislead you! Spencer Phelps is here to win, and have a damn good time doing it! Please check out: www.spencerphelpsdotcom.com. Who says smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom cannot be done in style? I cannot wait to see what Spencer dreams up for a fundraiser this summer! I know I'm in!

Mike Johnston Will Be Playing To Win in Ohio's 19th.

Mike intends on 'wearing out the soles of several pairs of shoes' through 2010! Mike is the guy who 'watches the store' for the L.P.O. and if a check is signed on behalf of our Party, it's likely that it was approved by Mike first. He has decided to bring his experience in campaign management and candidacy to bear on winning the 19th House seat. The ballot access we enjoy in 2009 and 2010 is due in large part to Mike dedication to Liberty. I have a feeling a great many of us will need new shoes by the time his campaign is over and he's sworn in at the State House! Thanks Mike, and good luck!

Michael Adkins Contemplates a 2010 State House Run in Darke County

Michael Adkins is contemplating a run at the Ohio House when he's not busy guarding our Freedom with the National Guard. At the time of the election in 2010, Mike will be just 20 years old. However, by that age, Alexander the Great had already conquored the known world.

We are energized how the Libertarian movement is motivating the youngest among us. Let's pull around patriots like Mike and make moves in the Statehouse in 2010. Good luck to Mike, and thank you for your ongoing service to us all!

Casey Borders Announces His Intent to Win in Ohio's 23rd.

Casey Borders, a fresh face in Ohio's Libertarian Party announces that he's prepared to represent his home district. Casey's dedication is sound and he will be assembling his team through the spring. We welcome Casey to crowded Libertarian field in 2010!

Joyce Early, an Ohio Libertarian Authority on Red Light Cameras

The more you learn about Joyce Early, candidate for Lorain City Council, the more impressed you become. Apparently, Joyce is the be-all/end-all authority on the Libertarian position regarding these municipal ATM machines. Please visit her blog which is entirely dedicated to this issue at: http://stoptrafficcams.blogspot.com/

Read the positings and memorize important passages for issue arguements. These machines are coming to a town near you!

Joe Garrett Seeks Treasurer in 55th Ohio House District

Joe Garrett, an energetic candidate for the General Assembly in 2010 is seeking a Treasurer for his 2010 race. As Joe recently mentioned to me, "Getting Libertarians on the local level is a great foundation for the party."

Please assist Joe in his search for a Treasurer.

Angela Williams is Up to the Challenge in Marion 2009

As mentioned in other emails to the party, we all owe a debt of gratitude to Angela Williams. Angela, aside from running for City Council in Marion, is the Marion County Libertarian Party organizer. Angela will be facing stiff competition for a seat that traditionally goes uncontested. The LPO will be turning out in force for Angela in 2009 because of the viability of her campaign as well as the steadfastness of her beliefs.

Angela was the candidate seated across from the Secretary of State as the poster child for Libertarian Ballot access. Angela was the first candidate to turn in petition documents only to get turned away initially because she's a Libertarian. Angela has been the 'head of the spear' in Libertarian ballot efforts.

Angela's going to show them what she's made of! Stay tuned, as the Marion race ignites with two viable Libertarian candidates running for City Council!

We Cannot Wait to See Spencer Phelps in Action! Marion City Council President 2009

If you don't know Spencer Phelps...you will! Spencer is a frequent guest writer for the Marion Star and his writings have been stirring and occasionally controversial. But we are as pleased as can be that Spencer decided to run as a Libertarian in Marion. As Spencer put it last month in an email to me, "Although I plan on running a very unorthodox campaign, I do want to win. Behind the smoke and mirrors, there's a serious "dude" wanting to get elected into local politics. By the way, I've decided to run for City Council President instead. There's another lady in town, Angie Williams, planning on running for City Council At-Large as a Libertarian, and I decided it best that we don't run against each other. That way we can help each other from the comfort of separate races......I'm down for the "real talk." Even though I haven't been elected to an office yet, I know what it takes to get elected in this city. ...."

Spencer included in his email to me a radio spot that ran a few years back when he ran for office that was hysterical!

In case there is any doubt about Spencer's dedication ~ think about this: Spencer was approached by the Republican party who attempted to bribe him with a small campaign contribution in the form of a billboard. Spencer was also assured of not having to face another Republican in the May primary (how they'd legally do that is unknown!)

Not only did Spencer stiff-arm Republican advances, he strung them along until the filing deadline was too close to marshal another candidate. Spencer will be running against the seated Democrat for Marion Council President IN A TWO-WAY RACE!

Here is the Marion Online press release:

Short Ballot For May Election02-20-2009

The deadline for issues and candidates came Thursday and the result is a short ballot on May 5. Because of a lack of inter-party races, the only items on the agenda will be three tax levies.
Pleasant Local Schools will be seeking a 9.5 mill, 10 year emergency levy while Elgin Local Schools will ask voters to pass a .75% income tax.

Marion County Children Services will ask for a 2.5 mill, 10 year replacement levy.
There will be lots of things to vote on in November with the general election, including most of Marion City Council.

In the 2nd ward, it will be Democrat incumbent Ayers Ratliff running against Republican Bryan Potteiger.

The 3rd ward will see long-serving Democrat Mike Thomas against Eric Hines for the GOP.
The 4th ward features Deb Blevins for the Democrats against Nick Clarke and in the 5th ward, John Smith takes on Republican challenger Barry Wallace Jr.

Running for council-at-large are Democrats Imo Crow, Rebecca Gustin, and Sara Babich; Republicans Jason Schaber and Ryan Schertzer, and Libertarian Angela Williams.
Current council-woman Amy Pinnick will not seek reelection.

The Council President race will be between Dave Edwards, the Democratic incumbent, versus Spencer Phelps for the Libertarians.

City Treasurer will also be contested between incumbent Thomas Pannett and Republican challenger Paula Clarke.

Democrat Ralph Cumston in the 1st Ward and Dr. James Gilsdorf in the 6th will run unopposed.

The Marion County Board of Elections will hold a meeting for the certification of candidates on Tuesday, February 24th at 5:00 PM.

Kalin Stipe Jumps Out of the Gate in his Press Release for Lorain City Council 2009

SEAN ‘KALIN’ STIPE SEEKING LORAIN COUNCIL AT-LARGE SEAT

Lorain resident and community activist Sean “Kalin” Stipe has filed to run as a Libertarian candidate for a Lorain City Council at-large seat in the May 5, 2009, primary and has launched his campaign Web site, www.seanstipe.com.

Stipe says he is running because “it is time for well-thought-out fresh ideas to be intelligently debated.” Stipe brings a three-pronged approach to helping Lorain: strong principles, thorough research and intelligent debate.

The city of Lorain needs to be willing to look at a whole new way of approaching things, Stipe says. He has spent the past eight years attending Lorain council meetings and committee meetings and studying actions by similar “peer cities” around the country. “I find out what works and I make contact,” Stipe says. “I’ve heard firsthand what works and how it works.” Stipe says his years of observation and research make him ready to serve the community from day one.

Referring to a variety of administrative problems, including Lorain‘s budget problems and lack of an employee manual, he says, “We’re not being business-smart on a basic level. We don’t need to increase taxes, we need to restructure how Lorain does business.”

Stipe demands accountability with city funds. Lorain’s “shell game” with city funds is not only wrong but illegal, he says, and could make the city a target for lawsuits or action from the state. “Stop asking us for money without showing us what it’s going to be used for,” Stipe says.

Stipe proposes rethinking the city’s safety services and the city’s work force in general. Rather than a separate fire department and police department, he suggests “safety officers,” an idea that has been successful in Kalamazoo, Mich. “If there’s a fire, they go to a fire. If there’s not a fire, they can be patrolling the streets,” he says. “You take our largest chunk of payroll and restructure to meet our needs.” He also wants to look at pooling laborers in the general work force through a Public Works Division.

To combat crime, he wants to restore community resource officers and give full support to the Neighborhood Block Watch Program. A proactive approach “helps people take care of their neighborhoods” rather than just relying on a quality but reactionary police force.

There’s way too much red tape for a company to come in and do business in Lorain, Stipe says. “Let businesses do what they do,” he says. “Private enterprise is capable of doing these things if Lorain gets out of the way.” A simple-three part approach of planning, zoning and vision will make Lorain “a city where people will bring work and where people will want to work.”

The Libertarian Party’s motto, “Smaller government, lower taxes, more freedom,” is “a set of principles I already abide by,” Stipe says. “Instead of tending to the basics, government has grown into a bloated conglomerate of political services that gets larger every year with no end in sight.”

Stipe grew up in the Amherst area with a large close-knit family that has been in Lorain for more than a century. He attended Kent State University and Ohio University. He has spent his career in entertainment, working as an independent artist and technician at professional theaters around Cleveland and in teaching positions at Amherst High School and Baldwin-Wallace College. He has excelled at taking bare-bones budgets and finding creative methods to produce a final product for all to enjoy.

In January, the Libertarian Party of Ohio achieved ballot access in Ohio through the 2009 election and is now considered a minor in the state of Ohio. The Libertarian Party reaches out to voters who are tired of the politics as usual and see little difference between the major parties. Its basic philosophy is individual rights and personal responsibility, and its goal is reducing government to the minimum required to protect the rights of its citizens.

It cannot be put any clearer than that! Go get 'em Kalin!

John Ridder has Seen Enough! A St. Paris Trustee Seat is the Target in 2009

John Ridder, a resident of St. Paris, has seen the mishandling of local laws regarding agricultural land use long enough. John has 'held down the fort' for Libertarians in Champaign County and is the lone Libertarian outpost at their local fairgrounds each year. His political views are known in the community and we are hopeful that he might receive a groundswell of support based largely on property rights issues in St. Paris.

As John puts it in his recent email to me, " I am considering running for Township Trustee in Mad River Township, Champaign County Ohio as a Libertarian Candidate. I am a member of the Libertarian National Party. I have been active in the Ohio Party's Ballot Access petition drives and have funded and manned a Libertarian Part Outreach booth at the Champaign County Fair for the last two years....... I will be opposing an incumbent Trustee with a pro-Liberty, pro-business, and sustainable local economic position against a group of pro-agriculture, anti-business trustees who try to use government power to preserve farmland by opposing most non agriculture land use. Zoning here smacks of social and economic discrimination. One whole section of their code appears to be in violation of the Ohio Revised Code."

We welcome John to the fight for Liberty via the ballot box!

Joe Garrett Plans a Run for Ohio's General Assembly in 2010 in Butler County

I had a nice conversation with Joe Garrett this past week at the behest of Brett Zwolinsky. Joe is the type of intriguing candidate that the LPO intends to field in the years to come to the benefit of all Ohioans. Joe's campaign is in the fledgelings stage, but he is clearly dedicated to making Ohio a better place for his kids. If I may, I will quote from Brett's email:

"I just met with Joe Garrett for lunch today. He seems like a really great, level-headed guy...and another recovering Republican. He is the guy who works for channel 5 here in Cincinnati and wants to use his marketing experience to help recruit and promote the LPO. He lives in Butler County in West Chester and expressed more than once that he is ready and really wants to get involved with the LPO and also wants to run for office......I think this is a great opportunity for the LPO and that having a guy like this on board could really be beneficial. Like I said, he expressed more than once that he is interested and really wants to get involved."

The LPO is fortunate to gain the attention of Joe and others like him. Those of us who are in the Butler County area: Please continue to reach out to Joe in support of his upcoming candidacy.
Welcome, Joe!

Jim Berns' Press Release for 2010 U.S. Congressional run in Ohio's 1st.

For additional information contact Jim Berns at 513-708-0815 or jaberns@hotmail.com

Berns to make 2010 Congressional race a 3 way.

Jim Berns of College Hill who is frequently seen around Cincinnati eating Chile at Skyline and Gold Star announce his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives First District saying “I think I will make it a 3 way”.

“I just had to enter the race. The thought of Steve Chabot and Steve Driehaus offering the same old stale ideas that don’t work was just too much for me to take” Berns said.

“They both support Economic Stimulus plans which have the Federal Government borrowing massive amounts of money to revive the economy. I don’t see how running up our debt so some bureaucrat can have a new Chevy will bring back jobs.

“They are Economic Poison Plans. Would Chabot and Driehaus offer an alcoholic another bottle of Jack Daniels to get him on the road to recovery?

My Economic Recovery Plan includes:

Replacing the Federal Reserve System with The Federal Monetary Stability Agency.
The Federal Monetary Stability Agency would maintain the value of the Dollar with 0 inflation. The Federal Reserve System has been stealing money from our savings, pay checks and retirement accounts for 60 years, it is time to stop that!

All Americans should support the Home Team by buying Made in the USA products. We support our sports teams, Olympians and School Athletic Associations we also need to support American Workers. I call for bigger Made in the USA stickers on U.S. made products and for retailers to have isles and displays featuring USA made products so it is easier for shoppers to find USA made products.

China needs to immediately become a trading partner by buying many more American Made Products. U.S. consumers buy 5 times as many China made products as the Chinese buy back. I have been to China twice and there are no USA made products on the shelves of their stores.

Too many U.S. citizens are in prison, especially young black men with an entrepreneurial spirit, who enter the business of selling drugs and end up in prison.
This must end. Drugs should be available either at State Stores or Pharmacies with a Doctors Prescription. The demand for these products will not go away. Farmers and U.S. companies might as well produce these commodities of know quality and concentration. Abuse programs should be paid for with taxes on the sales.

What I call Very Small Businesses should not have to report income or file returns on their enterprises if they gross less than $5000 per year, including for example: babysitting, lawn cutting, repair services, car washing, house cleaning, and cooking to name a few examples. Independent contractors do not need to report income under $5000 per year.

Cash earned from side jobs, barter exchanges, awards, prizes, contest winnings and gambling winnings up to $5000 should be tax exempt.

Businesses don’t pay taxes they only collect taxes from their customers and forward it to the government. Taxes on businesses should be eliminated.

Balanced Budget Amendment must pass. The Federal government should no longer be allowed to borrow allowing it to spend more than it takes in.

Disengage in Iraq and Afghanistan. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have nothing to do the strategic safety of the United States. The health of the United States economy is of strategic importance. The money wasted on these wars is needed to be spent here at home.

Drastic cuts in Military spending including spending on the bogus war on Terror.

Berns is 60 years old, works at the University of Cincinnati, DAAP as Shop Supervisor and is father to 9 children 8 of them adopted.

This is Berns 10th run for public office including runs for Cincinnati City Council, School Board, State Representative and twice for US Congress, once against Tom Luken and once against Steve Chabot.

Berns plans to seek the endorsement of the Libertarian Party.

Libertarian Candidates Roll Call for 2009!

The February 19th partisan race filing deadline has come and gone.

This is our current slate of Libertarian candidates in partisan races in 2009:

Angela Williams - Marion City Council (At-Large)
Spencer Phelps - Marion City Council President
Joyce Early - Lorain City Council (Ward 3)
Sean Kalin Stipe - Lorain City Council (At-Large)

Alexander Haas - Canton City Council
Alexander will be running as an Independent

This is our current slate of candidates in non-partisan races in 2009:

Mike Burkholder - Troy City Council
John Ridder - St. Paris Trustee

Considering a run for office is:

Judith Horvath - Violet Township
Richard Stewart - Mason City Council

All of these candidates deserve our appreciation and support. They are part of the foundation on which future Libertarians will stand in Ohio. Each of them has decided to take a public stand for Liberty. Please suppoort and encourage to the fullest extent!

Websites are Beginning to Pop Up for 2009 Candidates!

Please visit the following websites to learn about some of our 2009 candidates.

http://www.joyceearly.com/

http://www.seanstipe.com/

http://www.alexanderhaas.org/

Please email them with words of support and encouragement. If you are in a neighboring county, please keep in touch with their upcoming fundraising events this summer and consider attending them! Best of luck to all of our candidates!

2009 Candidates ~ Keep March 14th Open!

An email will come shortly from Ohio LPO Political Director Paul Campbell detailing a visit that all candidates are urged to make on March 14th at the LPO HQ in Westerville, Ohio to attend the Executive Committee 'meet & greet'. This will give candidates as well as committee members an opportunity to get aquainted.

Although attendance will not have a bearing on whether a party endorcement will be granted to those seeking it, please try to make time in your schedule for this informal event.

Watch your email boxes for Paul's invitation!

Bill Pierce, PE Will Run for Senate as an Independent (For Now)

This is the correspondence between me and Mr. Bill Pierce, P.E. ~ Independent for U.S. Senate from Cincinnati. I went and listened and talked with Bill for a couple of hours on Saturday. There were six other persons at this meeting representing Ohio Freedom Coalitions and Constitution Party guys.

To summarize, Bill is eminently qualified to hold the post. His views are Libertarian in nature, but I get the vibe that he is not in tune with most of the Libertarian social agenda (ending the war on drugs, gay equality, non-interventionalist foreign policy…etc). Bill is Republican that is angry with his former party. (that fact is specifically detailed on his website). All the same, this is the type of fellow that would represent Libertarians well in 2010 on the issues of taxes, less government and personal freedom. I explained to him the troubles that Independent candidates will face at the State level (5000 valid signatures, for one thing) in 2010 as well as having an unidentifiable presence as an Independent. Bill was very cordial and listed his response to my proposition that he consider running for the Libertarian nomination, however he wants to ‘go it alone’ for now. The election season for 2010 is still young and I anticipate seeing him on our radar as the summer comes and goes and certain realities become obvious.

Allow me to impress upon everyone that the LPO will endorse OUR candidate for that race. We will likely hear about ‘Ron Paul-type’ candidates for many statewide and federal offices between now and then. I will join with other C+C committee members, Paul, and field guys to reach out to them. Hopefully, we will be successful in persuading those candidates to vie for the LP nomination. However, if we are NOT successful, we need to immediately switch gears and re-focus on Libertarian candidates. I know that there has been some discussion in the past about endorsement of candidates that are not Libertarian. I am not interested in opening up that can of worms right now. But, for the time being, Bill’s efforts will be watched thought the spring and summer, but he is off the radar for now. Please help me to focus on finding candidates for these important races. We need to not only celebrate our ballot access, but to display our party viability by fielding Libertarians in high profile races.

Thank You,

William (Butch) McDowall
Chair, Candidates and Campaign Committee

-----Original Message-----From: William Pierce [mailto:williampierce@yahoo.com] Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 10:50 AMTo: William McDowallSubject: Re: Regarding our meeting in Worthington~

Butch:

Thank you very much for the note you sent, and the sentiments you offered in it, with regard to the difficulties we have as we try to “right the unrightable wrong.” We certainly are on the same page as we discuss the failures of our federal government, but more importantly the failures of those to whom we have given the responsibility for leading it.

You and Rob were very explicit about the difficulties which lie ahead for an independent candidacy, and I truly appreciate that very much for a dose of reality is very necessary as I proceed. I have taken your suggestion to look at the SoS website and I thank you for the “heads up” regarding the changing rules.

I also appreciate your perspective and suggestion concerning my relationship with PACs and have made the adjustment in the “contract.” It is a valid point that all PACs are not created equally, and the distinction you made is a wonderful addition. It represents exactly the type of input I seek over the next year before formalizing the employment contract and making an instrumental part of my campaign.

Your comments regarding the Libertarian Party are thought provoking and I will keep them in mind as I proceed. My initial reaction is that I must remain independent of any and all party labels as I want to be held accountable by the people of Ohio and not be expected to carry the platform generated by others. I guess it is the same independence which led me to leave direct employment, venture off on my own, and start an engineering service company.

As a freelance engineer even today, the freedom to set my own direction is in my blood and very difficult to set aside. Having said that, I seek the opportunity to have the people of Ohio set my direction – but, it is very similar to my past when I had my company’s customers and my banker determine expectations and hold me accountable. It is the freedom to set the method of meeting those expectations which I feel I must hold on to since it is such a major portion of my makeup.

I hope we may stay in contact and chat off and on as we proceed in our common goal of reestablishing a vision of a government which understands that it exists at the will of the people, and not of a society which exists at the will and dominance of a government.

Thanks again for your time and input yesterday – it was truly appreciated.

Bill
513.239.2793

--- On Sat, 2/21/09, William McDowall wrote:
From: William McDowall Subject: Regarding our meeting in Worthington~To: williampierce@yahoo.com, "Paul Campbell" Cc: "Matthew Bianco" Date: Saturday, February 21, 2009, 4:19 PM

Original Message to Bill Pierce:


Mr. William. Pierce P.E.,

I enjoyed the lunch we had in Worthington. I do the best I can to attend any meetings where like minded individuals can talk freely about the concepts of Liberty and Freedom. I am also reading your book and I appreciate the gift. I work for a small Civil Engineering firm here in Columbus and I will pass it on to our owners who struggle with these regulatory agencies frequently.

Regarding your campaign, I have to say that I am intrigued. Your views on the political spectrum largely fall within that of the party I represent. At the risk of being forward, I ask you to evaluate in the short term whether your candidacy will be the most plausible; as an independent or perhaps as a Libertarian.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a party officer. My duties include recruitment and nurturing prospective candidates from the time they decide to run for office to the point where they are filing their petitions with the Board of Elections as Libertarian candidates. As a grassroots-style party, I can make no promises that your campaign would be simpler than remaining an independent candidate. However, there is a definite party structure in place that can offer you advantages. As you might be aware, running as a Libertarian in no way will isolate you from the support of the groups represented at the lunch in Worthington. Ohio Freedom Alliance advocates hold positions in the L.P.O. notably, the Deputy Political Director for Ohio, Matt Bianco, an Ohio Freedom advocate, advised me to attend the luncheon.

In order to maintain minor party status in Ohio, the L.P.O. has a party structure similar to the major parties. As such, we maintain field, political and communication divisions. We also have nomination and endorsement procedures, executive and central committees and an ever increasing county development group with active memberships.

In closing let me reiterate that I am not in a position to offer you a party nomination should you decide to consider running as a Libertarian. It is likely that you would face opposition in the May 2010 state primary. Although you seem to be the most equipped person to run right now, the election season is young and more candidates will are likely to appear. As an independent, you would not have to endure this internal process but, the L.P.O. will most certainly be backing the Libertarian candidate for Senate. It is your decision to evaluate the following two questions: 1) Would you receive more votes in November 2010 as an independent candidate, or would you receive more votes as the endorsed Libertarian Candidate for Senate? and 2) Although Libertarians do not take a stance on the abortion issue, if you were to run as a Libertarian, would you be comfortable representing a party that has a comparatively progressive social agenda? While we are a ‘big tent’ organization and opposition to planks in the party platform are common, our party is traditionally supportive of human rights, a non-interventionalist foreign policy and a general end to the drug war that some traditional ‘across the board’ conservatives struggle with.

Please call me at any time to discuss any questions you might have. In the mean time, I would strenuously suggest to download the 2009 candidate’s guide from the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. I am also attaching the 2006 candidate’s guide for you to determine your signature and petitioning requirements. Please visit http://www.lpo.org/ to review our party structure and to determine if this is a road to office you might consider.

Thank You, and I hope to hear from you in the near future