The Libertarian Party of Ohio filed more than twice the necessary number of signatures needed to become a qualified minor party in the state on Tuesday. If successful, this will mark the first time in four years that the party has had party status.
According to an article on the website of the Cleveland-based newspaper The Plain Dealer, the party submitted 88,000 signatures from all 88 of Ohio’s counties in an effort to be recognized as a minor party. The party initially needed to submit signatures equaling at least one percent of the total vote cast in the state’s 2022 gubernatorial election.
In a party press release announcing the filing, Libertarian Party of Ohio Chair Dustin Nanna said the next step the organization plans to take is fielding a full slate of candidates on the state ballot.
“We’re here today to send a message to the majority of ignored and pissed-off Ohio voters that see their freedoms trampled daily, you have another option,” Nanna said. “In the coming days, Libertarians will be filing a full slate of ‘Freedom’ candidates up and down the ballot.”
In addition to candidates being able to appear on the ballot under the Libertarian Party line, the party will also be able to hold its own primaries and need to file fewer signatures for candidates to qualify for the ballot in the future. Additionally, the party will keep its ballot access line through the 2026 election cycle. However, if either presidential nominees Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat fail to secure 3% of the total vote later this year or the party’s gubernatorial nominee fails to do the same in 2026, the party will need to re-petition in 2028.
With thanks to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News for reaching out to Independent Political Report about the news in Ohio.
Nuña: Moreno won the primary this cycle, which I understand was a MAGA-aligned versus establishment-type situation. It’s strange because there’s nothing notably more or less libertarian about him compared to other typical Republican candidates. They could be hoping the establishment breaks for a Libertarian candidate, but I just don’t see that happening as much in 2024. Maybe Democrats see something in a future cycle worth worrying about that isn’t obvious yet.
Walter: I think it’s possible. I don’t know what the Republicans are doing, but the Democratic Party has not been quiet about its interest in third parties and independent candidates lately. Depending on the context, they might see the Libertarian schism as a potentially useful tool.
It seems more and more that the internal squabbles inside the Libertarian Party are being driven by forces outside the party.
Has the Libertarian party become the battleground third party, whose votes may swing the battleground states?
I understand from anecdotal comments on social media and within Libertarian circles that this entire operation was allegedly conducted out of the public eye. If the Democrats did assist, that could explain why it wasn’t publicly known about until the Libertarians made a formal announcement.
Sorry, I’m not sure I follow. Does that mean the Libertarian candidate for US senate is expected to draw more votes away from Republicans than from Democrats? Do we even know who they are running yet (their site doesn’t list candidates for any office, and Ballotpedia only lists Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno for senate this year)? Or are the Democrats hoping Brown will get the Libertarian endorsement if they help the Libertarians gain ballot access?
The Ohio Democratic Party is probably motivated by the US Senate race this year. They would have known that it was extremely likely that Chase Oliver was going to be on the November ballot anyway, because he could easily surmount the 5,000-signature requirement for independent statewide candidates.
The Ohio LP is definitely nominating Oliver and ter Maat then? That makes it even stranger that the Ohio Democrats helped them, as Richard Winger pointed out*, because that ticket is much more likely to split their vote than the Republican vote.
* https://ballot-access.org/2024/07/03/ohio-libertarian-party-completes-petition-for-party-status-and-files-the-petition/#comment-1233580