This Wednesday evening, four Libertarian presidential hopefuls will meet virtually to explain why they should lead the party’s ticket in 2024. The forum, scheduled for 7:00 PM EST, is moderated by New York Libertarian activist Larry Sharpe and professional comic Chrissie Mayr.
The forum includes four declared candidates; Joshua Rodriguez of Colorado, Chase Oliver of Georgia, Dr. Mike ter Maat of Florida, and Lars Mapstead of California.
Lars Mapstead, an online business owner and a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party, was the first of the four to announce his candidacy in late 2021. Soon after, he was joined in the race by Florida congressional candidate and former law enforcement officer Mike ter Matt, in addition to Colorado nonprofit owner and computer scientist Joshua Rodriguez.
Chase Oliver, a long-time Libertarian activist whose electoral performance made national news after forcing the US Senate election in Georgia to a runoff, most recently announced his campaign late last year.
Since the beginning of the filing period, over a dozen candidates have technically filed with the Federal Elections Commission to run as Libertarians—including David Dunlap, Andre Nero, and Joe Exotic. However, it’s not uncommon for dozens of aspiring candidates to register with the FEC early in election season or to do so under an alias. All four candidates debating tonight have actively pursued campaigning in Libertarian circles and established an official campaign presence going into the event. It’s unknown whether Mr. Sharpe and Ms. Mayr approached any of the candidates, as mentioned earlier.
Former Michigan Congressman Justin Amash and comic Dave Smith are also frequently regarded as speculative candidates; however, neither has officially announced their 2024 intentions nor organized an exploratory committee to suggest as much.
The forum will air live on The Sharpe Way, Larry Sharpe’s official YouTube channel, and audience members can submit questions ahead of time through the event’s official social media account.
Is there a recording of this forum that we can see?
Glad to see candidates starting to campaign for the Presidential nomination.