The United States Pirate Party announced new national leadership over the weekend, following the final vote tabulations from its 2025 Pirate National Conference. The party gathered in California last week for a hybrid convention.
The July 4 conference physically took place in San Francisco with a livestreaming component for members who couldn’t attend. It featured keynote speeches from Birgitta Jónsdóttir of the Pirate Party of Iceland and Sean Tobin, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. A recording of the full event is available on the party’s official YouTube channel.
In accordance with Pirate National Committee bylaws, the U.S. Pirate Party also held its annual officer elections that same afternoon, using a silent ballot in conjunction with the Schulze Method to determine results. Any U.S. resident who registered in advance of the conference with their name and contact information was eligible to vote.
According to results shared Sunday, Jolly Mitch Davilo was chosen to serve as the party’s next captain, a position functionally equivalent to national chair. Davilo defeated incumbent Capt. Drew Bingaman and will lead the organization through its next term.
In a statement released as part of the party’s announcement, Davilo thanked members for their support and expressed optimism for the party’s future. “I’m honored to be trusted with the keys to the ship,” he wrote. “Thank you everyone for the vote of confidence. May the next year and coming years of the United States Pirate Party be fruitful.”
Joining Davilo on the party’s new board are incumbent Vice Captain Ty Clifford, incumbent Quartermaster Darren McKeeman, Blase Henry as Scribe, Wanda Ward as Lookout, Eli McGee as Beancounter, Dustin Etts as Swarmcare Coordinator, Morgan Landry as Director of the On-line, and Ryan Codine as Director of Public Relations.
Context provided by the party affirms the vice captain role as the equivalent of a vice chair, while the quartermaster serves as treasurer and the scribe as secretary. The lookout is tasked with moderating and managing relations among state affiliates, and the beancounter acts as an auditor to ensure proper use of national party funds disbursed to state affiliates.
The swarmcare coordinator is responsible for welcoming and supporting new volunteers. The director of the on-line oversees the party’s digital infrastructure and web presence, and the director of public relations leads social media communications and outreach efforts.
In addition to selecting national positions, the party also held its first election for captain of the newly formed Young Pirates USA, a youth-focused chapter aimed at engaging younger and college-aged supporters. Rowan Tipping was elected to the position following a three-way race.
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