Liberal Party USA (formerly known as Association of Liberty State Parties) is a classical liberal political party in the United States that is affiliated with multiple state parties. In 2022, the state libertarian parties from Massachusetts and New Mexico disaffiliated from the national United States Libertarian Party and affiliated with one another.[1][2] The Libertarian Party of Virginia also split, with some members leaving to form a new party, the Virginia Classical Liberal Party that affiliated with Liberal Party USA.[3] Additionally, the Liberal Party of Pennsylvania is associated with the organization.[4] For the 2024 United States presidential election, Liberal Party USA nominated Laura Ebke and party chairwoman Trisha Butler as the party's first presidential and vice presidential nominees, respectively.
Liberal Party USA | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairperson | Trisha Butler |
| Founded | December 3, 2022 (as Association of Liberty State Parties) February 12, 2024 (as Liberal Party USA) |
| Split from | Libertarian Party |
| Membership (2024) | 31,343 |
| Ideology | Classical liberalism Liberal conservatism |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
editAssociation of Liberty State Parties
edit
At the 2022 Libertarian National Convention members of the Mises Caucus, a paleolibertarian group, successfully staged a takeover of the Libertarian Party and shifted the party in a rightward direction.[5] The caucus successfully got their members elected to sweep leadership positions, including Angela McArdle as chairwomen and Joshua Smith as vice-chairman.[5] After the takeover, many non-Mises-affiliated members walked out, criticizing the group for rejecting libertarian orthodoxy and for several allegedly racist statements Caucus members had made in the past.[5] More ardent members of the party started to splinter, with Pennsylvania, the state with the most elected Libertarian officeholders, seeing a hardliner Mises-affiliated member, Rob Cowburn being named chairman, resulting in dissidents splitting to form the Keystone Party of Pennsylvania.[5]
After the Mises-dominated Libertarian Party adopted the national divorce as part of the party's official core rallying cries, more moderate members of the party began to mutiny, with the state Libertarian affiliates in New Mexico and Virginia disaffiliating from the national party, and in the case of Virginia, dissolving itself.[1] The party in New Mexico also highlighted that according to LP bylaws, that there can never be more than two executive positions overturned in a single convention, making the Mises sweep illegal.[1] The Mises-dominated party quickly changed the bylaws after their sweep to amend this.[1] After Mises-affiliated libertarians in Virginia reformed their branch of the party quickly seeing backing from the national party, the dissidents then formed a splinter group, the Virginia Classical Liberal Party.[1] Additionally, after the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts disaffiliated, Mises hardliners formed the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts, which the national party recognized as the official libertarian branch in the state.[1] Mises was also able to block the disaffiliation of the New Hampshire party.[1]
The Association of Liberty State Parties (ALSP) was officially formed on December 3, 2022, as a national party committee between the Massachusetts and New Mexico parties, and the Virginian splinters.[2] The party's first goal was to organize a national convention for the nomination of candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, and to expand into more states.[2]
Liberal Party USA
editAfter briefly flirting with creating its own national political party, the Keystone Party of Pennsylvania began merger talks with ALSP in mid-2023. A preliminary platform and values statement was drafted by Chris Luchini (ALSP chairman), Kevin Gaughen (Keystone chairman), Brian Doss, Joshua Eakle, Jonathan Casey, and Tyler Harris over the course of several months.[citation needed]
Keystone and ALSP had a merger meeting at the Cambria Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee from December 8-10, 2023. Members from all ALSP state parties were in attendance, as well as representatives from Keystone, and also representatives from prospective new state parties that had not yet been formed. At that meeting, the platform and values were workshopped further, a strategy was formulated to create a new nationwide political party, and Joshua Eakle first suggested the name "Liberal Party" for the new organization.[citation needed]
During a subsequent Zoom meeting on January 12, 2024, the new organization officially adopted the name "Liberal Party" and named Trisha Butler to serve as the Liberal Party's pro-tem chairwoman until the inaugural convention. This was announced publicly on February 12, 2024.[6]
As part of their new affiliation to the Liberal Party USA, the Keystone Party announced that it would be changing its name to the Liberal Party of Pennsylvania.[7][8]
On May 30, 2024, the Liberal Party officially adopted its platform and values statement. Party co-founder, and former leader of the Keystone Party, Kevin Gaughen, announced on Twitter the adoption of the party's official bylaws as well as the addition of three state affiliates in Missouri, Utah, and Wyoming.[9][10]
The party announced the creation of a Nebraska affiliate on its social media on July 26, 2024.[11]
2024 United States presidential ticket
editThe party previously announced that it would not have a candidate for the 2024 United States presidential election with the Massachusetts party reporting it would run Libertarian candidates Chase-Ter Maat on their ballot line.[10] However, in September 2024, Liberal Party USA formed its first presidential ticket, with ballot access in New Mexico as well as automatic write-in status in nine other states, consisting of former Nebraska Republican Party politician and pro-life conservative libertarian Laura Ebke for president, with their party chairwoman and classical liberal Trisha Butler nominated for vice president.[12]
First national convention
editThe inaugural Liberal Party National Convention is tentatively scheduled to be held December 7–8 in Houston, Texas in 2024.[13]
Symbols
editThe party is represented by a Bison, it was chosen as the party's mascot because of its association with freedom, life, service, abundance, and unity. It is also rooted in the American Identity embodying strength, respect and resilience.[14]
List of affiliates
editWith ballot access
edit- Libertarian Association of Massachusetts – 16,307 members[15]
- Libertarian Party of New Mexico – 15,036 members[16]
Without ballot access
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Doherty, Brian (September 15, 2022). "Libertarian Party Faces State Rebellions". Reason. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Introducing the Association of Liberty State Parties" (PDF). Libertarian Party of New Mexico. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ "Affiliates". Association of Liberty State Parties. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ "Affiliates". ALSP. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Doherty, Brian (May 29, 2022). "Mises Caucus Takes Control of Libertarian Party". Reason. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ Phillies, George. "ALSP Changes Name, Membership". thirdpartywatch.com. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ Phillies, George. "National Keystone Party Forms". independentpoliticalreport.com. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
- ^ Evans, Jordan Willow. "The Keystone Party Rebrands as the Liberal Party of Pennsylvania, Announces plans to field candidates for 2024 state elections". independentpoliticalreport.com. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ @gaughen (May 31, 2024). "We had a USA Liberal Party (@liberalparty_) meeting tonight. Things are really moving! • Bylaws adopted • Platform adopted • Executive Board appointed • Board of Directors appointed • Three new state affiliates added" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Phillies, George. "Liberal Party USA Emerges". Third Party Watch. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Willow Evans, Jordan. "Liberal Party of Nebraska Joins Liberal Party USA as Ninth State Affiliate". Independent Political Report. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2024/09/liberal-party-usas-laura-ebke-and-trisha-butler-confirmed-to-appear-on-new-mexico-state-ballot/
- ^ "Bylaws". Liberal Party USA. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
- ^ https://x.com/LiberalParty_/status/1786242653207613755
- ^ Winger, Richard (May 3, 2024). "New Massachusetts Registration Data". Ballot Access News. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Voter Registration Data". NM SOS. Retrieved May 7, 2024.