The Libertarian Party of Mississippi announced on Thursday its plans to establish more county affiliates across the state, offering support to party members interested in organizing new groups within their communities.
“We are calling ALL LIBERTARIANS to step up and help form County Affiliates across our great state. By organizing locally, we can amplify our voice, support candidates, and truly impact our communities,” the party said in a statement.
A map of active county-level Libertarian affiliates in Mississippi maintained by the party, as well as CiviCRM data, shows that it currently has a single affiliate in Clay County. Mississippi has a total of 82 counties.
In the release, the party explained that additional county-level affiliates would enable it to field candidates under the Libertarian label instead of running as independents. This, it stated, would give the party a “real chance to influence local governance directly.” During the most recent election, the party did not field candidates for statewide or congressional offices; however, its presidential ticket of Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat successfully appeared on the ballot as Libertarians.
The party added that more county affiliates would improve its ability to lobby and promote ballot initiatives. Additionally, it assured members interested that it would handle all necessary paperwork for establishing new affiliates once local officers for those groups are identified.
I’m all for decentralization, but what – besides lack of manpower or ignorance of local affairs – is stopping the state party from running candidates in local elections, or from endorsing independents in those races? Or to put it another way, would adding an extra layer of party really add that much functionality per se? Because this sounds kind of like a pyramid scheme.
Hey, LP Mississippi, howsabout running some candidates?