Jake Porter
Personal details
Born
Jacob Daniel Porter

(1988-01-27) January 27, 1988 (age 36)
Unionville, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyLibertarian (2006–present)
Residence(s)Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S.
Alma materAIB College of Business
OccupationPolitical activist, writer, publisher
Websitejakeporter.org

Jacob Daniel Porter (born January 27, 1988) is an American business consultant and political activist from Council Bluffs, Iowa. He is the Libertarian nominee for Governor of Iowa in the 2018 Iowa gubernatorial election.

In July of 2017, Porter announced his candidacy for the Libertarian nomination for Governor of Iowa.[1] In June 2018, he won the Libertarian nomination for Governor of Iowa[2] and will go on to face Democrat Fred Hubbell and incumbent Republican Kim Reynolds in the November general election.

Early life and education

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Porter was born in Unionville, Missouri on January 27, 1988. He graduated Lineville-Clio High School in Lineville, Iowa in 2006, and attended AIB College of Business where he received his associates and then bachelor of business administration in 2006 and 2011, respectively.

Career

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Early work

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Petersen's early career included stints as a model and as a product demonstrator at FAO Schwarz; at the latter position, he briefly appeared during a Late Night with Conan O'Brien sketch filmed at the store.[3]

In 2008 Petersen worked for the Libertarian National Committee and the Atlas Network, assisting on the 2008 and 2012 presidential bids of former U.S. Representative from Texas, Ron Paul.[3] He was an associate producer at the Fox Business program Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano, which aired from 2010–2012, and later went to work as director of production at the conservative advocacy group FreedomWorks.[3][4] Petersen has also been a frequent guest on the RT program The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann.[5]

Current activities

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As of 2018, Petersen is the owner and CEO of a photo and video consulting firm called Stonegait LLC and is the founder of The Libertarian Republic and Liberty Viral - both libertarian news and commentary websites. He is also running for the 2018 U.S. Senate election in Missouri.[16]

2016 presidential campaign

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By 2015, Petersen was living in Kansas City, Missouri "behind a midtown QuikTrip" when he announced his candidacy in the 2016 Libertarian Party nominating convention for President of the United States.[3][6][7] Writing in the Los Angeles Times, he was described by Reason editor Matt Welch as "an eager libertarian dudebro on the make".[8]

Petersen called himself the Bernie Sanders of the Libertarian Party due to his grassroots fundraising strategy.[9][10] After Ted Cruz terminated his campaign for the Republican Party's nomination for president, Petersen received the backing of Mary Matalin and Erick Erickson.[11][12] In many polls, he placed in the top three presidential choices for his party, along with opponents John McAfee and Gary Johnson. On May 29, 2016, at the Libertarian National Convention, Petersen lost the nomination to Johnson, getting second place on the second ballot.[13] Petersen congratulated Johnson on the win and gave him a replica of George Washington's pistol. Petersen then criticized Johnson's vice presidential pick Bill Weld, in response to which Johnson placed the replica into a garbage can.[14][15]

Petersen, thereafter, endorsed Johnson for president.[16]

2018 Senate campaign

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Campaign logo

In late June 2017, Petersen filed an exploratory committee to consider running for the 2018 U.S. Senate election in Missouri.[17] On July 4, 2017, Petersen formally announced his bid for the Republican nomination in the 2018 Missouri Senate race.[18]

In September 2017 Petersen was banned from Facebook during his senate campaign for giving away an AR-15 style rifle as a promotion and criticizing his Democratic opponent Claire McCaskill's positions on gun rights.[19] The ban was lifted after Fox News[20] and the New York Post[21] reported that Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg had made max donations to McCaskill's campaign. The raffle drew renewed controversy in February 2018 when the school shooting in Parkland, Florida caused the Springfield News-Leader to investigate.[22] KMOV in St. Louis scrutinized Petersen over his Second Amendment views in light of the shooting.[23]

Petersen also reportedly received the national record for the largest Bitcoin donation in American campaign history.[24] Fox News reported in January 2018 that Petersen is one of two "potential general election challengers" in the election.[25] In February, Fox News continued to place Petersen in its power rankings in Missouri's senate race.[26]

Petersen officially filed with the Missouri Secretary of State for the US Senate seat as a Republican on February 28, 2018.[27]

On March 6, Petersen announced a new AR-15 raffle on Facebook. His personal page was banned for 30 days less than two hours after the livestream was recorded.[28]

Endorsements
U.S. Representatives
State legislators
State judges
Military Officals
  • Rik Combs, retired U.S. Air Force officer and command pilot[35]
  • Shane Hazel, marine corps veteran, candidate for GA-07[36]
  • Kash Jackson, Navy veteran and activist, Libertarian nominee for Governor of Illinois in 2018[37]
  • Rob Maness, retired United States Air Force colonel and candidate for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana in 2014, 2016
Individuals
Organizations

Political positions

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Petersen has voiced and published his rejection of the non-aggression principle.[68][69][70][71] Petersen describes himself as a minarchist.[72] During his presidential campaign, he maintained that he had a "consistent pro-life ethic," meaning he is both pro-life and anti-death penalty.[7] He opposes the War on Drugs.[9] He is a non-interventionist on most matters of foreign policy[73] and applies a free-market capitalist approach to economics. Petersen advocates for an Ellis Island styled immigration policy with a strict disease check, strict security check, with no quotas. He has expressed he has no fear of open borders, but believes the problems of the welfare state must be addressed first.[74] He is an advocate for the Second Amendment and the right to freedom of association.[citation needed]

Personal life

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On social media and in interviews, Petersen has described himself as an agnostic and an atheist.[75][76][77] He grew up as a Christian, though in a 2016 interview with Glenn Beck, Petersen spoke about how the death of his mother changed his religious views: "When I was a young man my mother died, and she was victimized by a pharmacist who diluted her chemotherapy drugs. I lost my faith and I never went back."[78]

Petersen resides in Kansas City, Missouri.[3][4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Jake Porter to run for governor as Libertarian". Des Moines Register. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  2. ^ "Jake Porter wins Libertarian Iowa governor primary, will face Fred Hubbell and Kim Reynolds". Des Moines Register. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e Montgomery, Rick (June 20, 2016). "Kansas Citian lost Libertarian Party race, but likely ran campaign of the future". Kansas City Star. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Petersen at a glance". austinpetersen2016.com. Petersen for President. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  5. ^ "Thom Hartmann Explodes at Libertarian over Life-Saving Healthcare". YouTube. January 25, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  6. ^ Zeoli, Rich. "The Libertarian Candidate For President Wants Voters To Join A 'Generational Movement'". KYW-TV. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Rogers, Brooke (May 19, 2016). "Can Jake Porter Unite Disenfranchsied Republicans?". National Review. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  8. ^ Welch, Matt. "Op-Ed Meet the libertarians — the #NeverTrump movement's last hope". Los Angeles Times.
  9. ^ a b Watkins, Eli (June 22, 2016). "What is Libertarianism?". CNN. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  10. ^ Welch, Matt (May 28, 2016). "Presidential Candidate Jake Porter Says He's the "Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama" of the Libertarian Party". Reason. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  11. ^ Nelson, Steven (May 4, 2016). "Libertarians Say 'Brave' Ted Cruz Should Endorse Them, Not Trump". U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  12. ^ Doherty, Brian (May 25, 2016). "Jake Porter Catches More Endorsements from the Media Right for His Presidential Campaign". Reason.com. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  13. ^ Libertarian Party National Convention (Live Video). Orlando, Florida: C-SPAN. May 29, 2016. Event occurs at 03:12:00. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  14. ^ Chakraborty, Barnini. "Libertarian nominee accepts rival's gift of Washington replica pistol – then trashes it". Fox News. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
  15. ^ Chasmar, Jessica (June 2, 2016). "Gary Johnson tossed rival Jake Porter's gift of George Washington's replica pistol in trash". Washington Times. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  16. ^ Weigel, David (August 7, 2016). "Is Libertarian Gary Johnson a factor in Clinton-Trump matchup?". Washington Post. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  17. ^ Bentley, Robert (June 29, 2017). "Jake Porter Forms Exploratory Committee For U.S. Senate". The Libertarian Vindicator. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  18. ^ Gillespie, Nick; Keyser, Ian (July 4, 2017). "Exclusive: Libertarian Activist Austin Peterson Is Running for U.S. Senate...as a Republican! [Reason Podcast]". Reason. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  19. ^ "This U.S. Senate candidate accepts donations in bitcoin — and gives away AR-15 rifles".
  20. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/09/28/republican-senate-candidate-in-missouri-says-facebook-banned-him-over-ar-15-giveaway.html Fox
  21. ^ "GOP candidate banned from Facebook for trying to give away a gun". September 29, 2017.
  22. ^ "Republican Senate candidate says AR-15 raffle involved 'a lot of due diligence'".
  23. ^ Jake Porter (February 16, 2018). "Petersen Under Scrutiny After "AR-15 Giveaway" Raffle" – via YouTube.
  24. ^ Fenske, Sarah. "Missouri Candidate Garners Largest Bitcoin Donation in U.S. History".
  25. ^ Stirewalt, Chris (January 5, 2018). "Presenting your 2018 Senate power rankings". Fox News.
  26. ^ "Power Rankings: New recruits, new ratings". 590kid.com.
  27. ^ writer, SUE STERLING Staff. "Candidates file for state, federal offices".
  28. ^ GOP Senate Candidate Gets 30 Day Facebook Ban For The Stupidest Reason The Daily Wire
  29. ^ "Former Congressman Bob Barr Endorses Jake Porter". Jake Porter for US Senate. July 11, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  30. ^ "Joe Walsh on Twitter". Twitter. September 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  31. ^ "Sen. Eric Brakey on Twitter". Twitter. July 4, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  32. ^ https://twitter.com/AP4Liberty/status/997272919205142528
  33. ^ https://twitter.com/AP4Liberty/status/999114752906465281
  34. ^ "Judge Napolitano discusses "Senator" Jake Porter and SCOTUS". YouTube. October 20, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  35. ^ "Jake Porter on Twitter".
  36. ^ https://twitter.com/ShaneTHazel/status/998569912191897601
  37. ^ "Kash Jackson for Gov on Twitter".
  38. ^ "A Conservative/Libertarian Alliance? Jake Porter on Glenn Beck". YouTube. February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  39. ^ "Ron Coleman on Twitter". Twitter. July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  40. ^ "Kassy Dillon". www.facebook.com.
  41. ^ "B. Wayne Hughes Jr. on Twitter". Twitter. July 6, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  42. ^ "Joshua Feuerstein". www.facebook.com.
  43. ^ [1][dead link] [failed verification]
  44. ^ https://twitter.com/KyleKashuv/status/1000112966132518912
  45. ^ https://twitter.com/KyleKashuv/status/1000133580952043520
  46. ^ Stritzel, Chris (September 4, 2017). "Election 2018: Endorsing Jake Porter for Senate". Building St. Louis.
  47. ^ https://twitter.com/SanjMohip/status/974056461667061761
  48. ^ "PROUD TO SUPPORT Jake Porter FOR SENATE". Capitalism.com. July 27, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  49. ^ https://twitter.com/PeteMundo/status/996443592129503239
  50. ^ "LIVE: Gary Nolan Endorses Jake Porter for US Senate". YouTube. January 8, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  51. ^ "Mark Pellegrino Endorses Jake Porter for Senate". Jake Porter for US Senate. July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  52. ^ "Dave Rubin Endorses Austin". Jake Porter for US Senate. July 19, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
  53. ^ "Kurt Schlichter on Twitter". Twitter. September 2, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  54. ^ https://twitter.com/DevinSenaUI/status/1000536377535197185
  55. ^ Ben Shapiro [@benshapiro] (August 29, 2017). "Good piece by @AP4Liberty -- happy to help however I can" (Tweet). Retrieved September 6, 2017 – via Twitter.
  56. ^ "LIVE: Ben Shapiro with Jake Porter Exclusive". YouTube. September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  57. ^ "US Senate Candidate Jake Porter on InfoWars". YouTube. September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
  58. ^ Nicholas Veser [@nicholas_veser] (May 1, 2018). "Yes! @AP4Liberty" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  59. ^ https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/1/#inbox/163459d2d8725c96
  60. ^ "Guided by the Constitution – an Interview with Jake Porter – Episode 302 - Blunt Force Truth". February 5, 2018.
  61. ^ "Tom Woods on Twitter". Twitter. July 6, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  62. ^ "Republican Liberty Caucus Endorses Jake Porter for US Senate in Missouri". RLC.org. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  63. ^ "Building St. Louis on Twitter". Twitter. September 4, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  64. ^ https://twitter.com/OfMissouri/status/993900502160232448
  65. ^ Minnesota Liberty Republicans [@MNLibertyGOP] (April 24, 2018). "ENDORSEMENT: @AP4Liberty for US Senate in Missouri, Currently, Democrat Claire McCaskill is Senator" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  66. ^ Jake Porter [@AP4Liberty] (April 24, 2018). "Another day, another Missouri Firearms manufacturer jumping on board the campaign thanks to Josh Hawley's gun control agenda. Thanks, Modern Weapons Systems, and thank you @HawleyMO! #MOSEN #2A" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  67. ^ https://twitter.com/rightsidenews/status/1000951361087901701
  68. ^ "The Jake Porter NAP Debate Is A Dream, And It Will All Be Over Soon". December 31, 2015.
  69. ^ "Jake Porter's Case Against Libertarianism - Matthew Reece - Liberty.me". May 24, 2015.
  70. ^ "6 Reasons Why the Non Aggression Principle is Stupid - The Libertarian Republic". September 29, 2015.
  71. ^ Cook, Joshua (March 8, 2016). "Exclusive: LP Candidate Jake Porter Responds to Colorado Debate Exclusion".
  72. ^ "Which Of These 11 Types Of Libertarian Are You?". YouTube. April 25, 2017.
  73. ^ https://alibertarianfuture.com/famous-libertarians/interviews/austin-petersen-constitutional-war-plan-for-isis-reasonable-budget-proposal/
  74. ^ "Libertarian Presidential Candidate Jake Porter Redeems Himself on the 'Glenn Beck Program'". PJ Media. May 25, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  75. ^ Doherty, Brian (May 11, 2016). "Jake Porter, the Conservative's Libertarian Presidential Candidate?". Reason. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  76. ^ "Jake Porter via The Libertarian Republic". Facebook. September 9, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  77. ^ Petersen, Austin (May 8, 2016). "Sure. It's a distinction, but the intellectually honest answer is agnostic. Technically everyone is an atheist in some way". Twitter. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  78. ^ Jake Porter in studio on the Glenn Beck Show. YouTube. 2016. Event occurs at 24:16. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
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Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century atheists Category:21st-century American male writers Category:American atheists Category:American former Christians Category:American gun rights advocates Category:American libertarians Category:American online publication editors Category:American political commentators Category:American political writers Category:Candidates in United States elections, 2018 Category:Missouri Libertarians Category:Missouri Republicans Category:Missouri State University alumni Category:People from Peculiar, Missouri Category:United States presidential candidates, 2016 Category:Writers from Kansas City, Missouri