The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire met for its annual state convention over the weekend in Manchester. Delegates elected a new executive committee, which included several members of the existing leadership team.
The convention took place Saturday at the VFW Jutras Post #43. The party has not publicly released specific figures or convention minutes; however, several delegates who participated estimated to Independent Political Report that just over 130 people attended.
Following the adoption of a revised agenda, convention business opened with reports from party officers and standing committees before breaking for lunch. The keynote speech was delivered during the recess by state Rep. Travis Corcoran, a Republican representing nearby Hillsborough District 38 in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
The afternoon session included elections for officers and several standing committee seats. While the party did not stream the proceedings, it announced online the following day that delegates elected Jeremy Kauffman as chair, Josh Elbahrawy as vice chair, Daniel Koenig as secretary, and Brandon Stevens as treasurer. Nate Dwyer and Bill Barger were also elected to the party’s two at-large executive committee seats.
Several of those elected were already holding leadership roles within the organization. Kauffman, Elbahrawy, and Barger had been elected previously to executive committee positions during the party’s 2025 state convention, though Kauffman was selected to serve as its secretary at the time.
The new team rebuked a challenge from an organized slate of candidates who had been critical of the party’s messaging and outreach strategy in recent years. Several individuals involved in that effort were connected to a challenging slate from the previous convention that said it aimed to “take back” the party over similar concerns.
The newest effort consisted of Kevin Wilk for chair, Rachel “Blackfyre” Danner for vice chair, Stephen Villee for treasurer, Adam Cahoon for secretary, and Angela Pence and Conrad Nelson for the party’s two at-large seats. Notable among the slate was Nelson, who chaired the state party in 2023, and Villee, who was its endorsed gubernatorial candidate during the 2024 election cycle.
The party has not shared any details on the individuals selected to serve on its standing committees or the full list of delegates and alternates chosen to attend the 2026 Libertarian National Convention in Grand Rapids. LPNH was allocated 13 delegates and 50 alternates, based on calculations published last year by the national organization. According to accounts from some attendees, the delegation is largely comprised of members supportive of the party’s current leadership.
IPR was later told by one convention participant that some members are weighing a potential credentials challenge to the state’s national convention delegation. Concerns shared among them relate to the New Hampshire convention’s credentialing process, including questions pertaining to the ages of certain individuals who were permitted to vote. No additional details were shared.
The party also declined to make any formal endorsements for statewide candidates in New Hampshire’s upcoming general election. Villee pursued its endorsement this year for his second gubernatorial campaign, while Aaron Day, who previously ran for U.S. Senate in 2016, sought it for an independent bid he is running in response to current federal policy surrounding cryptocurrency. In both cases, delegates instead opted to back “None of the Above.”
Following the convention, Villee said online that he would consider seeking the support of another organization. “On March 14, 2026, the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire voted not to endorse anyone for governor,” he wrote. “I’m reviewing my options for running under some other 3rd party.”
Independent Political Report will revisit this article if additional convention details, such as official vote totals or convention minutes, become available.
Richard Winger: I’m personally curious what Villee will do. As you know, that same allowance also led to Kelly Halldorson and Karlyn Borysenko both using the “Libertarian” line in our 2022 gubernatorial election. By that logic, nothing is stopping Villee from simply using the label; however, he has already stated on his website that he wants to pursue support from another third party.
I don’t know whether he or the Green Party would be comfortable with him using that line as a vehicle, and the Constitution Party is already fielding its state chair for U.S. Senate this year. The NH Classic Liberal Party does exist, but to my knowledge, it has never openly expressed interest in fielding candidates.
Regarding Day, he had already announced he would be running as an independent before the convention, so I doubt anything about this weekend disrupts his plans.
Anonymous Observer: I have since personally seen photos from the convention showing the presence of young attendees casting votes; however, I’m unsure if party bylaws treat that as an issue. Based on the language of the 2023 bylaws, which includes specific stipulations for who qualifies as a convention delegate depending on whether it’s a year in which the party is state-recognized, nothing appears to explicitly disqualify minors from serving as convention delegates.
The last time LPNH failed to place a candidate in the ballot for Governor or US Senate was 2014. The convention that year was ~6 people sitting around a single table. Candidates were nominated, but petitioning was not successful.
Reports are coming out that the convention was not properly noticed or run, and that toddlers were voting. Stay tuned.
New Hampshire election law gives no name protection for unqualified parties. So even though this convention decided to run no one for Governor or US Senator, anyone is still free to petition as a “Libertarian” for any partisan office, including Governor, and if that person gets 3,000 valid signatures, to appear on the November ballot with the Libertarian label. This was shown in 2008 when both Bob Barr and George Phillies appeared on the November ballot as “Libertarian” presidential candidates.