Libertarian Party Convention in Denver

As well as amending the party's platform and bylaws, convention delegates also selected the top candidates for the LP nomination for president. Candidates receiving enough delegate support took part in a C-SPAN broadcast debate; those candidates were Bob Barr, Mike Gravel, George Phillies, Mike Jingozian, Mary Ruwart, Steve Kubby, and Wayne Allyn Root.

Update: Election results
In a suspenseful election process taking six rounds of voting to complete, the majority of the delegates eventually selected former Congressman Bob Barr over the competition for the Libertarian Party nomination for president.

Long-time libertarian activist, Dr. Mary Ruwart, had a narrow lead on the fifth ballot, with Wayne Allyn Root eliminated in third place. In Root's concession speech, he expressed support for a Bob Barr candidacy and a desire to run as the vice-presidential candidate. The final vote on the sixth ballot was 324 for Barr and 276 for Ruwart.

Wayne Root and Steve Kubby received the strongest support in the vice-presidential nomination, with the majority of the delegates selecting Wayne Allyn Root as the vice-presidential nominee. The vote on the second and final ballot was 287 for Root and 257 for Kubby.

C-SPAN coverage available as online videos
Presidential candidates debate (~ 2 hours)
Presidential candidate nomination (~ 7 hours)
Keynote address by Richard Viguerie (~ 20 minutes)

LNC news releases:
LP selects Bob Barr as 2008 presidential nominee
Wayne Allyn Root selected as vice-presidential candidate

Barr Announces; Root and Gravel Debate

Bob Barr Announcement (1 min)


Root and Gravel Debate on Fox Business Channel
(in 6 parts, 3 to 5 minutes each)


Continue with part 2 of the Root and Gravel debate

A Plan to End Federal Income Taxes Forever

On April 15, Wayne Allyn Root, a candidate seeking the Libertarian Party's nomination for President, announced a plan to end Federal income taxes forever. This plan proposes "eliminating the income tax and all other sources of federal tax revenues, including payroll taxes, excise taxes and import duties, and replacing it with only one tax: a tax on each state in proportion to its population, with each state deciding for itself how to raise its share of the money."

"Our vision for dramatic change in U.S. tax policy is as simple as it is revolutionary in scope. With our plan there will be only 50 taxpayers in our country writing checks to the U.S. Treasury each year. With no other source of revenue to the U.S. Government, the balance of power would be forever dramatically reversed back to the states (just as our Founding Fathers envisioned)."

The entire 2-part plan to stop un-Constitutional spending and end Federal income taxes is available on Root's blog.

Highlights of the LPNC Convention

The primary items of business of North Carolina Libertarians attending the annual LPNC convention last weekend were to nominate candidates for state and local offices, consider amendments to the party platform, and select delegates to the national Libertarian Party Convention in Denver.

Michael Munger was nominated as the Libertarian candidate for governor of North Carolina. Chair of the Political Science department at Duke, Mike Munger is running as a reformer who, if elected as governor, would use that office to counter the waste and corruption in state government. In addition, three Wake County Libertarians were nominated for the North Carolina General Assembly:

Susan Hogarth for NC House District 38;
Brian Irving for NC Senate District 17;
Stephanie Watson* for NC Senate District 16;

and Mark McMains was nominated for Commissioner of Insurance.

In other business, convention delegates amended their platform. They added a plank calling on the state to refuse to implement national identification programs like Real ID. Additional new platform planks address state and local issues including water rights, local sign ordinances, and fluoridation of public water supplies.

Convention attendees heard from several candidates for the Libertarian nomination for President, including former Senator Mike Gravel and Wayne Allyn Root. Former Congressman Bob Barr also spoke to the convention as our regional represenative to the Libertarian National Committee. Having recently launched a presidential exploratory committee, Barr is another possible Libertarian nominee for President.

Of the possible presidential nominees attending, Dr. Mary Ruwart was the favorite of this convention. A libertarian activist since 1982 and the author of Healing Our World in an Age of Aggression, she won the straw poll, receiving a whopping 68% of the vote.

* The Watson campaign has been postponed till 2010.

Pictures from the LPNC Convention in Burlington

LPNC Convention this Weekend

Root for Ruwart, Barr, Gravel

Libertarian Party of North Carolina
Brian Irving, Communications Director
Contact: 919.538.4548

RALEIGH (April 9) -- Former Democratic Senator Mike Gravel, who recently joined the Libertarian Party and is seeking its nomination for president, will attend the State Libertarian Convention this weekend in Burlington. Sen. Gravel will arrive Friday evening and attend most of the convention session Saturday.

Another defector from the so-called major parties, former Republican Rep. Bob Barr, will also attend the Saturday sessions. Barr recently formed a exploratory committee to gauge support for seeking the Libertarian presidential nod.

The convention will open Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. in the La Quinta Inn, Burlington.

The primary order of business will be nomination of candidates for Governor, Council of State seats and the General Assembly, especially in the unopposed districts. The party is on the verge of completing its petition drive to regain its spot on the ballot.

Nominations for the gubernatorial candidate will take place Sunday morning. There will also be a Presidential Candidates Forum and Straw Vote.

In addition to nominating candidates, delegates will also consider changes to the LPNC Platform on Saturday, including a proposal to oppose "Real ID," a scheme for a national ID card.

In addition to Gravel and Barr, three announced presidential candidates also will attend. They are Dr. George Phillies of Massachusetts, a physics professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Dr. Mary Ruwart of Texas, a biochemist, nutraceutical company consultant and author of the best-selling "Healing Our World in an Age of Aggression," and Wayne Allyn Root, a TV sports commnentator know as "America's Oddsmaker."