Wes Benedict and George Phillies forwarded the following letters to the LP state chairs list as examples for other state LPs to follow. Other alt parties could use similar templates with a few additional modifications.
On Tue, Jan 6, 2015 at 2:06 PM, Wes Benedict Here’s a nice email sent by the LP Virginia for recruiting candidates. I’m forwarding it in case other states would like to use it as a template for their own state. If you don’t have a candidate form for your state, you could point them to the national one: http://www.lp.org/run-for-office From: Marc Montoni Hello fellow Libertarian! Wouldn’t you like to see a Libertarian candidate in every spot on your ballot next election? Don’t you want the chance to vote for your ideal candidate: * Who truly understands the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? * Who believes that freedom works and freedom is right? * Whose stand on the issues matches your own: Pro-freedom — on every issue — all the time? That ideal candidate is you! Yes, we are seriously asking you to run for office as a Libertarian candidate. If you want to run for office or are seriously considering a run, please fill out our candidate form at: Since the Libertarian Party was formed, Libertarians have served between 1,000 and 2,000 elective office terms. As a result, those dedicated Libertarians have saved taxpayers millions of dollars and helped to incrementally roll back government interference in everyone’s right to do as they please. Now, it’s up to you. The only way we can continue building on our past efforts is to relentlessly challenge the parties of fat government at the ballot box. Wouldn’t a Libertarian voice be important in your local or state government? That voice can be *your* voice! If you want to be a candidate, the Libertarian Party of Virginia can help with petitioning information, finding volunteers in your own area, and can point you to some of the best grassroots political training available. At the local level, we often have the most impact. Almost all of the Libertarian Party’s elected public officials are working on the local level, helping to enact real changes in their communities and building the stature and reputation of the Libertarian Party. In 2015, there will be one election in May (in the town of Vienna), and of course all of the other offices on November 3rd. That’s why we’re asking you now — running a good race requires planning well in advance! Here is what will be on your ballot in 2015: ******************************************* Town Council (1 town – Vienna (2-year term) ******************************************* State-level offices: Virginia Senate (40) (4-year term) Counties: 8-year term: *Clerk of Court Towns: Town Council (11 Towns) (terms vary – set by Charter) The deadline to enter these races is Primary Day, June 9! Let us know: Do the odds of winning seem daunting? Well, winning isn’t always the only reason to run. Time after time, we see that the more candidates the party runs, the more media coverage they receive, the better their average vote, and most importantly, the more of them win their races. You will greatly help our effort even if your campaign activities are limited to little more than getting your name on the ballot. In addition, working towards the ballot box year after year tends to help us “grow” on the voters and paves the way for better market share in the next election. Most Americans get their first exposure to Libertarian ideas through our campaigns. Without candidates and campaigns, we are invisible. Running for office is the single most effective way to promote the freedom philosophy. It’s not too early to start organizing your run — your campaign will be healthier with an early start! What is the minimum we need of a candidate? * If the media calls, return their call promptly. Just think, they may write news articles on you and your Libertarian views! * Answer the questionnaires that you’ll receive from various political and community groups. Won’t you enjoy the opportunity to tell everyone what you really think? * Attend any candidate forums you are invited to, or at least respond with regrets if you cannot attend. * Have several high-quality photos taken to provide to any media who may call. * Finally, comply with the contribution filing requirements and campaign ethics rules. If you will do just the above, you will be a great asset to our efforts over the next year. If you are willing to do even more, you’ll advance the cause of Liberty even further. And there is help available every step of the way. If you want to run for office or are seriously considering a run, please fill out our candidate form at: From there we’ll send you more information about running for office and put you in contact with your district or local chair. They can aid in finding volunteers to assist you. With your help, we will bring more people into the Libertarian Party, enhance our legitimacy, and give voters a real choice when they go to the polls. The fight for our Liberty is here and now — you can help make a difference! I hope to hear from you soon. Yours in Freedom, — Marc Montoni, Secretary P.S. I know that not everyone can make the decision to run. But if you can’t do so this year, will you please step forward with a contribution to help support those who do run this year? Your best contribution today will help us recruit a bigger slate of candidates to represent YOUR views on the ballot, and it will help us fund credible races around the state. Please visit: … and make your best donation today. Thank you. P.P.S. I’m putting my money where my mouth is. I have a $1,000 donation waiting for the right candidate at the local level. It’s not offered to just anyone — the eventual recipient is going to have to be a very hard worker who has recruited a serious campaign volunteer team, and who is promoting a consistent libertarian stance on all issues. If you’re serious about running for local office and going for a win, let’s talk. Here is more information on this offer: http://freevirginia.blogspot.com/2012/11/1000-challenge-2012.html P.P.P.S. The 5-year Calendar of Elections is available here: http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/files/media/calendar/2013_2017_calendar.pdf From: George Phillies We also did a letter to people who said that they would or might be willing to be a candidate. Here is that letter. Dear (NAME HERE) I’m George Phillies, newly elected State Chair of the Massachusetts But first, some good news! Last month, we ran a recent-record number of candidates for state legislature, and for the first time ever a candidate for County Sheriff. Their vote percentages were outstanding. Line them up against the full historical record. We had the best vote percentage ever for a Libertarian State Rep candidate. Three of our candidates were in the top-6 ever. We did well last year, and we’d like your help as a volunteer to do better in 2015! When you volunteered, you said that you might be willing to run for office. This year are local-office elections: Selectmen, City Council, school board, town meeting member, and all the rest. Would you please run? Running for office is really the most important one thing you could do for us! Those are small-scale local elections. They are often nonpartisan. Running in your own town is a lot easier than running for State Legislature. Libertarians have been elected to School Boards, Select Boards, and Town Meetings. Please join them as an elected Libertarian. Please let me know that you are going to run. And Joyous Yule! Subject: Call for Libertarian Candidates Considering a Run for Libertarian Office? The Filing deadline in Ohio is coming up and we’d love to see some Libertarian candidates in the race. A recent article released by Breitbart reports that 30% of current GOP politicians and voters are looking for a third party solution. The time to introduce yourself as a Libertarian candidate has never been better. For information on the Libertarian Party of Ohio platform, information on how to start and campaign, and the steps for Party endorsement, please contact [email protected] right away! As always, feel free to reach out to our Communications team for additional information. Sarah Bevins
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
May Elections, Tuesday, May 5, 2015
*******************************************
November Elections, Tuesday, November 03, 2015
*******************************************
House of Delegates (100) (2-year term)
Soil and Water Directors (4-year term)
4-year terms: *Commonwealth’s Attorney, *Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, *Treasurer
Boards of Supervisors (95 counties)
School Boards (88 counties)
City Council (4 cities) (terms vary – set by Charter)
City School Board (4 cities) (terms vary – set by Charter)
Libertarian Pary of Virginia
Subject: [Statechairs] Candidate Recruitment
To: “statechairs >> State Chairs Libertarian”
Libertarians. I’m writing you because you contacted us. You offered to be a volunteer for our state organization.
George Phillies
Chair, Massachusetts Libertarians
508 754 1859
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2015 20:26:39 +0000
From: Libertarian Party of Ohio 
Vice Chair, Executive Committee
Communications Director
Libertarian Party of Ohio
[email protected]
614-560-4678
I hope to see a lot of states do this, this year and every year.
Excellent effort. Kudos to Marc Montoni, George Phillies and Sarah Bevins.