FW: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

[lnc-public_forward]

 

---

From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 8:07:36 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>
Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

I find the notion that we should pull a Libertarian from the ballot in order to aid our political opponents to be incredibly offensive. 

The Libertarian Party exists to both push libertarian ideas and to run Libertarian candidates - these are complimentary goals. 

We do not exist to help Democrats and Republicans.

Vivek may say he favors lowering property tax rates.

Mike Mains calls for an end to property taxes. 

Vivek calls for expanding ICE, ramping up mass deportations, and using the military as a police force.

The Libertarian Party has resolved multiple times to condemn such actions. We do not support the initiation of violence.

The Libertarian Party supports immigration reform and stands against the criminalization of crossing national borders - we do not support using the United States Military to go after folks for entering the country.

Vivek suggested treating drugs as an act of war, and supported sending troops Mexico without permission - essentially a military invasion of Mexico.

Libertarians call for an end to the war on drugs, not turning it into a literal war. How in the world can we claim to be the premiere anti-war Party if drop-out to help pro-war candidates? How could we condemn President Trump's illegal actions in Venezuela while swooning for a candidate that would do the same to Mexico?

I'm unaware of a specific resolution or plank regarding the Posse Comitatus Act, but I would hope that Libertarians oppose using the U.S. military as a domestic police force. We want to reduce or eliminate the power of the state, and demilitarize police, not deploy the military as a domestic police force.

I don't claim that Vivek is bad on every issue. There are many old party candidates with whom we have overlap.

Vivek has voiced support for deregulation and lower taxes. Those are good stances, but that does not justify betraying our Party.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called for an end to warrantless mass surveillance, has condemned the Patriot Act, and has called for an end to the war on drugs.  Zohran Mamdani has called for the full decriminalization of drugs, treating substance abuse as a health issue and not a criminal issue. Mamdani supports ending no-knock raids and ending qualified immunity. 

These are strong libertarian positions - so should we condemn affiliates if they field candidates against AOC or Mamdani? OF COURSE NOT.

We should absolutely run our candidates against the old parties - in every race, every time. We should not use excuses to support our political opponents.

We should aim to always give people the choice of voting Libertarian.

The only wasted vote is when you enter the voting booth and there's no candidate who shares your principles. 

Voting for the lesser evil is a truly wasted vote. "Overseer goodie" is a spook that keeps bad policy alive.

We are not Democrats and we are not Republicans. 

People should not have to choose between fiscal responsibility and a police state, between ending the war on drugs and lower taxes, between LGBT rights and gun rights — only the Libertarian Party gives people the option to vote for all of their freedoms all of the time.

Ballot access is a huge reason we have influence; it is not a waste of resources. It is both our ballot access and to our principles that give us prominence.

We should never suggest that a state should pull a candidate in order to help our political opponents and anyone who feels that way should resign.

In Liberty,

Keith Thompson

Region 3 South Rep

---

From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 10:31 AM
To: Dustin Nanna <dustin...@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Ben Weir <ben....@lp.org>; LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>
Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

 

Ballot access spending is stupid and counterproductive. 

The ballot access laws are meant to demonstrate party size and relevance, not to be spoofed with money to make up for a lack of popularity. 

If you don't have the bodies, you don't deserve to be on the ballot.

Join the fight and support the removal of Socialism from the LP by donating at the link below:

Lp.org/martindonor 

---

From: Dustin Nanna <dustin...@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 5:57:39 AM
To: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Ben Weir <ben....@lp.org>; LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>
Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

 

Depends on the jurisdiction. Yes, for anything countywide and above. Yes, for some places even hyperlocally depending on their local charters.

Dustin Nanna

Region 3 Representative

dustin...@lp.org

---

From: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 10:54:02 AM
To: Ben Weir <ben....@lp.org>; Dustin Nanna <dustin...@lp.org>; LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>
Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

 

Are local races partisan in Ohio?

Andrew Watkins

At Large | Libertarian National Committee

Get Outlook for iOS

---

From: Ben Weir <ben....@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 10:50:00 AM
To: Dustin Nanna <dustin...@lp.org>; LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>
Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

 

Do they have the volunteer base to sustain ballot access without spending a million dollars? 

Is it solely based on gubernatorial votes? Or can they go all in with another election that will help them retain it? 

Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device
Get Outlook for Android

---

From: Dustin Nanna <dustin...@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 10:48:06 AM
To: Ben Weir <ben....@lp.org>; LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>
Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

 

Ben Ohio has to get 3% in the gubernatorial election to retain ballot access that just cost over a million dollars.

Dustin Nanna

Region 3 Representative

dustin...@lp.org

---

From: Ben Weir <ben....@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 9:45:05 AM
To: LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>
Subject: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

 

To the Members of the Libertarian National Committee,

I am writing to formally call for the censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio for actions that obstruct real-world liberty in our lifetime.

By running a competing gubernatorial candidate against Vivek Ramaswamy... a former Libertarian Party National Member and the most significant opportunity for mass-scale deregulation and dismantling of the administrative state in modern politics... LP Ohio is choosing symbolism over impact.

This is not a typical partisan race. Vivek represents a rare convergence of public influence and an explicit commitment to tearing down the regulatory regime. Undermining that effort does not advance liberty in practice... it weakens it.

Whatever one’s views on party purity, the real-world effect of this decision is to increase the likelihood of an establishment, pro-regulation victory. If the Libertarian Party is serious about being a vehicle for actual freedom... not just protest... this kind of strategic obstruction cannot go unchecked.

Censure is necessary to set a clear boundary: affiliates cannot sabotage the most meaningful deregulation opportunity of this generation while operating under the LP banner.

Respectfully,

Ben Weir

Region 6 Alternate

---

Want me to make a more diplomatic or a sharper version too?

[lnc-public_forward]

 

---

From: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 8:11:02 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

It’s more often than not a waste, but there’s no sense in arguing anymore since no one will change their minds. Throw money at the same thing trying to play the rigged game the same way as the players who own the referee and expect something magical to happen one day. 

Andrew Watkins

At Large | Libertarian National Committee

Get Outlook for iOS

---

From: Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 3:07:36 PM

[lnc-public_forward]

 

---

From: Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 9:44:41 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

I don’t understand the argument being made here against ballot access. The Libertarian Party has the most substantial ballot access of any third party which allows us to run candidates in partisan elections and in some cases exist as a political party or gain minor/major party status in other states. Losing ballot access can mean spending 10x gaining it back, ala, New York.

Everyone who attended the LNC in-person meeting this past weekend would know that we are looking into working with Lars Mapsteads team which is focused on fighting for ballot access through the legislature rather than petitioning. Getting legislation passed which creates permanent ballot access is something we have the network, funds, and will to do.

Sincerely,

Steven Nekhaila

Chairman, LNC

---

From: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 3:11:02 PM

[lnc-public_forward]

 

---

From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 10:28:25 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

It's simple. 

LP Ohio corruptly sold out to the Democrats, apparently accepting millions of dollars to prostitute out the LP. 

This information is available at: https://thirdpartywatch.com/2025/02/28/democrats-gave-lp-ohio-full-party-ballot-access/

"Writing on Facebook, veteran Libertarian petitioner Andrew Jacobs reports that 2024 ballot access for the Libertarian Party of Ohio was created by a Democratic Party PAC. Jacobs writes “The Democrats hired paid petitioners and Libertarians did nothing except for turning in the signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State at the end.” We have good reason to believe that his claims are correct.

In order to succeed, petitions would need the signatures of at least 1% of the number of voters at the most recent statewide election. There is also a signature distribution requirement. We believe that petitioning costs would have been well over one million dollars, given the situation in 2024.

The motive was said to be vote siphoning. These Democrats believed that Libertarians draw more votes from Republicans than from Democrats, so that having Libertarian candidates on the ballot will on the average be advantageous to Democratic candidates."

Join the fight and support the removal of Socialism from the LP by donating at the link below:

Lp.org/martindonor 

Austin Martin 

R1

---

From: Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 11:44:41 AM

[lnc-public_forward]

 

---

From: Andrew Watkins <andrew....@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 10:31:48 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik
To: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>; Steven Nekhaila <steven....@lp.org>; Keith Thompson <keith.t...@lp.org>; LNC Board <lncb...@lp.org>; lnc-public_forward <lnc-publi...@lp.org>

Subject: Re: Call for Censure of the Libertarian Party of Ohio

It’s not rocket appliances. Water under the fridge.

Andrew Watkins

At Large | Libertarian National Committee

Get Outlook for iOS

---

From: Austin Martin <austin...@lp.org>
Sent: Monday, December 8, 2025 5:28:25 PM