New York Libertarians to Take Straw Poll for Temporary Presidential Candidate

Members of the Libertarian Party of New York Executive Committee will meet early next month for their regular business meeting. As part of their meeting, the Committee will conduct a straw poll to determine the level of support from its members for a Libertarian Party presidential placeholder candidate in time for the upcoming 2024 election cycle.

With the 2024 Libertarian National Convention scheduled for late May and the independent petitioning window in New York between March and May, the Libertarian Party of New York Executive State Committee must choose a placeholder candidate to secure a space on the general election ballot. When the Libertarian National Convention selects a nominee later that May, the placeholder candidate will withdraw their name and be replaced.

While the actual vote for a placeholder isn’t until the convention in early 2024, members of the Committee have been holding occasional non-binding straw polls. In March, members primarily selected Duane Whitmer, the 1st Vice-Chair of the Libertarian Party of New York, followed by Larry Sharpe and None of the Above.

The following straw poll in June saw a collapse in support for None of the Above as a choice. Several member preferences also spread among figures associated with the broader liberty movement. As a result, Whitmer and Sharpe tied among members as the first choice. Grace Galactica Merrell, a Member-At-Large of the Chemung County Libertarian Party previously unlisted, became the third highest choice.

The next straw poll will occur at the September 11, 2023, Executive Committee meeting.