New Statewide Libertarian Party Announced in Massachusetts

A new statewide libertarian party in Massachusetts, formed explicitly to field candidates for office, was announced over the weekend. According to a release from the party, known as Massachusetts Libertarians, it is not affiliated with any of the currently existing statewide libertarian organizations.

In a statement shared to Facebook on Sunday, Prof. George Phillies, Chair of Massachusetts Libertarians, outlined the new organization’s primary goals. He emphasized the party’s focus on running candidates, stating, “That’s candidate recruitment, candidate support, and political fundraising. We produce and distribute materials to engage and interest more voters and more libertarians.” Phillies added that the party would also use “referenda to influence public policy” and work to establish a presence in local, city, and state governments.

“That’s what real political parties do,” he continued. “It’s a shame that we don’t have a Libertarian Party in Massachusetts that functions as a real political party. We’re here to create one.”

Phillies, a retired Worcester Polytechnic Institute professor of physics, noted that the party has already established a Facebook page and official logo. It is also in the process of developing a website, regular newsletter, associated State and Federal PACs, and completing training sessions with both the Federal Election Commission and the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance to meet compliance.

The Massachusetts Libertarians have also elected a full slate of officers, including Phillies as Chair, Paul Lynch as Treasurer, Charlie Larkin as Secretary, Janel Holmes as Political Director, and Justin Costa as Communications Director. Notably, several of these officers were previously—or, potentially in some cases, still are—associated with other statewide Libertarian groups. Phillies himself was Executive Director of the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts in the 1990s, among other roles. Holmes and Costa are still listed as the Political Director and Communications Director, respectively, for the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts as of this article’s publication. Larkin, meanwhile, was elected Chair of the Unified Libertarians of Massachusetts last year but no longer holds that position.

Despite these connections, Phillies stressed that the new party is a distinct and independent organization. “Writing as Chairman, I emphasize that we are not affiliated with any of the other statewide libertarian groups in Massachusetts,” he said in the announcement. While Phillies did not specifically mention national affiliations, the other two groups operating in the state—the Libertarian Association of Massachusetts and the Unified Libertarians of Massachusetts—are already the current state affiliates of the Liberal Party USA and the Libertarian National Committee, respectively.

Currently, no Libertarian party in Massachusetts holds state party recognition. The Massachusetts Libertarian Party and its associated State Committee—established by statewide candidates running on the Libertarian political designation in 2022—officially lost recognition and ballot access following the 2024 election. Its presidential ticket of Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat failed to garner more than the required three percent of the total vote. Oliver, whose presidential run made him the only statewide Libertarian candidate last cycle, received 17,735 votes, accounting for just 0.5% of the total.

Editorial note: Prof. George Phillies is a member of the Independent Political Report editorial team, as well as a member of the Outsider Media Foundation Board of Directors. He did not contribute to nor was he consulted for this article.