By E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma has its first Independent candidate for Governor for the 2014 election. Yesterday, Richard Prawdzienski announced his intent to run for governor.
Richard is a former chair of the Oklahoma Libertarian Party and has been active member of the effort to reform Oklahoma’s ballot access laws.
He has been a candidate for office before, in 2010 as an Independent candidate for Lt. Governor and in 2012 as an Independent for the State Senate seat for Edmond.
Along with his campaign for Governor, Richard is looking for others to run along side him this year.
Richard Prawdzienski, a former OKLP Chair, recently announced he will file for Governor and is building a Liberty Caucus of Republicans, Democrats and Independents to file for their Senate or House District.
Read the full article here.
I could be wrong though.
In the past we have had more states where we were on as independents, so it might be.
Americans Elect probably would have had a candidate for President on the ballot in all 50 states plus DC under the Americans Elect label had they not dropped out of the race.
“paulie February 22, 2014 at 7:30 pm
46 plus DC with LP label plus 2 as independent for Johnson, I think that may have been a record for LP label? If not, very close.”
I doubt that was a record.
46 plus DC with LP label plus 2 as independent for Johnson, I think that may have been a record for LP label? If not, very close.
In the entire history of government-printed ballots in the U.S., there has never been a third party candidate for President who had his or her party’s name on the ballot next to the candidate’s name, if that candidate was on the ballot in at least half the states. Even the strongest third parties, like Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive Party of 1912, and Ross Perot’s Reform Party in 1996, had to settle for having “independent” on the ballot in some states.
He is a leader of the state party for many years. The convention is March 8.
I wouldn’t call someone a Libertarian Party candidate unless they receive the nomination and/or endorsement of the party. If someone can find evidence that the state LP has nominated or endorsed Mr. Prawdzienski, then I’ll call him an LP candidate.
He is.
“Matt Cholko February 22, 2014 at 2:30 am
That may well be so, I’m not familiar with the OK ballot access situation. But, I’m asking a serious question. If the guy is an Independent on the ballot, is it fair to call him a Libertarian candidate for Governor?”
If he is a Libertarian Party member, then yes, I’d call him the Libertarian Party of Oklahoma’s candidate for Governor even if he is on the ballot as an independent. Sometimes it can be more difficult for Libertarian Party members to get on the ballot with the Libertarian Party label next to their names than it is to get on the ballot as an independent.
Richard Prawdzienski is a long time LP activist. Okilahoma makes it insane difficult to get on the ballot as an alt party but independent access for non-presidential candidates is much easier.
Libertarians often nominate candidates who get on the ballot with a label other than Libertarian, especially in Tennessee. These are Libertarian candidates. If he receives the nomination of the OKLP, then he’s a Libertarian candidate.
That may well be so, I’m not familiar with the OK ballot access situation. But, I’m asking a serious question. If the guy is an Independent on the ballot, is it fair to call him a Libertarian candidate for Governor? If he gets 5% of the vote, or 1%, or 55%, or whatever, is it reasonable to say that a Libertarian got __% of the vote?
He may be running as an independent because the LP doesn’t have ballot access.
The article says that he is running as an Independent. I’m not sure that qualifies him as a capital L Libertarian candidate for Governor.
Richard is the first Libertarian candidate for Governor of Oklahoma in the history of the party.