Libertarian presidential candidate Lars Mapstead announced on Sunday that businessman and New York Libertarian activist Larry Sharpe will be his vice-presidential choice in the lead-up to the Libertarian National Convention. Sharpe previously sought the position in the 2016 election cycle.
In a post made on X on Sunday, Mapstead stated, “I am thrilled to announce today that New York businessman, veteran, and former candidate for NY governor Larry Sharpe will be joining the campaign as my vice-presidential candidate.” Mapstead praised Sharpe as a survivor who carved his path in life, business, and entrepreneurship. He additionally highlighted Sharpe’s role in securing ballot access for the Libertarian Party in New York in 2018, as well as his 2016 campaign where he came within 35 votes of defeating former Massachusetts Governor William Weld at the convention.
“As I’ve traveled the country, delegates have repeatedly asked me who I would prefer for my vice-presidential candidate. There is no better VP than Larry Sharpe,” Mapstead stated in his announcement. “Though final selection is up the the Libertarian Party’s delegates, Larry is a fighter and I cannot think of a better partner to have with me in the trenches as we fight to deal a blow to both Trump and Biden by denying them of a win on election day.”
Regarding his selection, Sharpe called Mapstead the only strategy that can move the Libertarian Party forward, adding that he views his campaign as a chance to “unrig the system by breaking a hole in it, so that hundreds of local Libertarians can charge through in the coming years.”
The Mapstead-Sharpe campaign will now kick off a campaign tour together in six states. The ticket will be visiting Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York ahead of the Libertarian National Convention.
In order for Sharpe to be nominated, either the Bylaws must be amended by 2/3 vote, or the convention disintegrates into total chaos where the Bylaws mean nothing and one or more of the resulting splinter factions nominates Sharpe in the parking lot. I’d bet on the latter as likelier.
In order for Larry Sharpe to be nominated, 2/3 of the delegates at convention would have to vote to change the bylaws to allow stand-in candidates on state petitions to be eligible to be nominated.
Larry Sharpe would be an excellent Vice Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party. He is articulate, energetic and smart.
Unless I missed something either by reading OP above insufficiently carefully or by additional facts not included therein, Mr. Mapstead merely expressed a preference for the delegates choice of VP nominee. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s unaware that the delegates can choose otherwise if so inclined. In fact, a direct quote from him which actually is included in this same blog post directly above indicates he is aware that is actually possible.
If I’m not mistaken, it’s not an unprecedented thing for candidates for that party’s presidential and vp nominees who prefer each other to be those nominees to run as a ticket for the nomination. In the immediate preceding election, the eventual vp nominee was originally part of such a ticket with an unsuccessful aspirant for the presidential nomination. I don’t remember whether the eventual presidential nominee had a different ticket mate she publicly preferred at some point or not. The time before that, the eventual nominees successfully ran as a ticket for the nomination, albeit barely – the lower half of the tandem came close to being rejected by the assembled voters.
The matter of ineligibility due to serving as a stand in on a ballot is potentially far more serious. Several small nations might sink into the ocean if this isn’t resolved correctly. I forgot, what typically gets voted on first, bylaws amendments or the presidential nomination? I want to say bylaws amendments, but I don’t care enough to look it up, and I think the convention delegates also have the right to change their order of business in any case.
Of marginally more interest , perhaps – how is the NY petition going? Do the numbers collected indicate a nontrivial likelihood of successful completion in the allotted time? Is my recollection correct that the national LP has no role in funding a ballot access drive in that state this year, due to the assessment that current state laws would make such expenditures futile given the level of difficulty in jumping the hurdles and not faceplanting? Has some other source of funding of requisite scale for decent chance of such success materialized, or is LPNY engaged in a quixotic, almost certainly doomed effort on their own?
Mr. Mapstead better consult the Bylaws and Convention Rules because the say of his running mate (assuming he wins the nomination) lies with the Delegates and not him. Rule 7, to be specific.
Note that is no commentary about his choice in Mr. Sharpe. It merely comments on the process.
I heard that Larry Sharpe is a stand-in candidate on the NY petition. If this is accurate, he would be ineligible per Article 14.2 of the Bylaws: “No candidate may be nominated for President or Vice-President who … served as a stand-in candidate during the current election cycle,.. A stand-in is an individual who has agreed to be placed on a state affiliate’s nomination petition prior to the selection of nominees by the Libertarian Party at convention.”