Members of the Libertarian National Committee will soon vote on a new At-Large Representative, filling a vacancy created earlier in the month when then-member Bryan Elliott stepped down for medical reasons.
Elliott, who until recently served as an At-Large Representative on the Libertarian National Committee and member of the LNC Executive Committee, announced his resignation in early April. “I am sorry to announce that a recent diagnosis means my health has reached a point where I can no longer be confident of carrying out the duties of an At-Large LNC member,” Bryan Elliott wrote. “I therefore, regretfully, must resign from my positions within the Libertarian Party.”
Elliott was first elected at the Libertarian National Convention in Nevada last year.
Shortly after his resignation, the Libertarian National Committee began accepting nominations to fill the vacancy. While several names were briefly mentioned and considered, the LNC ultimately nominated two individuals; Kathy Yeniscavich and Susan Hogarth. It is worth noting that members of the Libertarian National Committee can still vote for someone else not nominated or None of The Above.
Voting can commence as soon as both candidates can submit their nomination speeches. If one candidate doesn’t, voting will begin on Thursday morning.
Yeniscavich, who was elected LNC Region Alternate at the 2022 Libertarian National Convention and chaired the Audit Committee of the Libertarian Party of Arizona State Board, made the following statement:
“Many of you are familiar with my background but those of you who are not I will recap. I have a BA in International Relations from American University and an MA in International Relations and Economics from George Washington University, earned what seems a lifetime ago. My early career was working in politics in the Death Star on the Potomac, seeing at an early age how the sausage is made. Over the following 35 years I served as a Project Manager of multimillion dollar grants projects including a defense-related downsizing at the Nevada Test Site, Yucca Mountain remediation, and a commuter rail bridge improvement project in Quantico, Virginia. The bulk of my career was as an employee and consultant for the Legal Services Corporation, a quasi-federal agency. I conducted on-site reviews to assess compliance of recipients of tax-payer funds with Federal Law, implemented corrective action, and recommended enforcement action if necessary. I was fortunate to escape bureaucratic hell and retire in 2019.
With respect to the Libertarian Party, I officially became a Libertarian in 2006 after attending a local fundraiser for David Nolan who was running for US Congress, in Tucson where I reside. He had just returned from a National Convention and I was fortunate to hear him speak with great passion, frustration, and hope for the Libertarian Party. I was hooked and am now a Lifetime Member. In the years since I have been involved to varying degrees with my local and State Party, including currently serving on the AZLP Audit Committee. Following being elected as Region 1 Alternate, I have been committed to supporting Miguel with his duties, and serve on the Employment Policy and Compensation Committee and Ad Hoc Policy Manual Committee. Regardless of whether I am elected, I will look forward to additional opportunities to serve the LP as needed. Philosophically Ron Paul was a big influence and I am fully committed to the cause of freeing Tucson’s unwilling resident, Ross Ulbricht.
Given my background, my approach as an At-Large Officer would be the same as it is as an alternate, to read thoroughly, analyze critically, and speak thoughtfully. Despite suggestions to the contrary, I have my own mind, am not afraid to disagree and am committed to independent thought and consideration of all perspectives. You will not see me involved in social media controversies and I will not be supporting a Presidential candidate in the run up to the National Convention. I commit to putting in the work wherever needed and serving as an active LNC member. I believe the top priorities over the next months are fundraising, fundraising, and fundraising to increase revenue. While not my forte, I commit to making membership and donor calls, and have been doing so periodically since elected.
It has been an absolute pleasure to serve as the Region 1 Alternate and work with Miguel. I am confident that if elected, Region 1 (the best region), will have no problem selecting a well-qualified and enthusiastic replacement. If I am not elected, I still win because I will continue to serve Region 1.”
Susan Hogarth, who currently serves as Volunteer Coordinator for the Libertarian Party of North Carolina, and who previously served as the LNC Region 5 alternate from 2018 to 2020, has not yet provided a nomination speech or statement.
Independent Political Report will update this article with Hogarth’s nomination speech when available. Conversation can be found and followed in the Libertarian National Committee’s internal list.