For Immediate Release. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Libertarians qualify two statewide candidates for November ballot in Tuesday primary COLUMBUS—While the Republican challenge to its candidate for governor still tied up in the federal courts, the Libertarian Party of Ohio enjoyed a successful primary election Tuesday by qualifying for the November ballot two write-in candidates for statewide office. Secretary of State candidate Kevin Knedler and Auditor candidate Bob Bridges each needed 500 write-in votes from voters who pulled a Libertarian ballot Tuesday. Knedler received 716 votes; Bridges received 731, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office. “Our political, field development, and communications divisions did an outstanding job making Libertarian voters aware of the opportunity to vote, and of how to cast their write-in votes,” said Knedler, who is also the LPO Executive Committee Chair. “In particular, targeted emails and social media campaigns made this election a great success for us.” Bridges, who also serves as the LPO Political Director, said Tuesday’s results mean the Libertarian Party will be a factor in the 2014 Ohio election. “I think the Ohio GOP efforts to knock us out of the race with SB 193 and their legal challenges to the successful petition drives of Charlie Earl and Steven Linnabary [the Libertarian attorney General candidate] will backfire on them as more voters than ever are disgusted with what they’ve done to the state budget and to voter freedom,” Bridges said. Also, 13 Libertarian candidates for Congress, the Ohio Senate, and the Ohio House will be on the November ballot. Other Libertarians won races for judge, county commission, state central committee, and county central committees. The LPO appeal of John Husted’s improper decision to remove Earl and Linnabary from the ballot after they had been certified is still pending in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, who could instruct Husted to place the two Libertarians on the November ballot. Data on how many Ohio voters chose the Libertarian ballot Tuesday, as well as information about local races that involved Libertarian candidates, has not yet been made available by Husted. If SB 193, which a federal judge blocked from being implemented in 2014, withstands pending challenges from the LPO, the ACLU, and the Green and Constitution parties, this Tuesday may have been the last in which parties other than Democrat or Republican are allowed to hold primary elections in Ohio. For more information: Aaron Keith Harris LPO Communications Director [email protected] 937-825-0
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 02:10:24 +0000