| Committee: | Chase Oliver 2024 presidential campaign |
| Affiliation: | Libertarian Party |
| Candidate: | Chase Oliver Mike ter Maat |
| Campaign: | 2024 Libertarian Party presidential primaries 2024 United States presidential election |
| Website: | https://www.votechaseoliver.com/ |
| Receipts: | 268,981.07[1] |
| Formed: | December 2, 2022 |
| Status: | Announced: April 4, 2023 Official nominee: May 26, 2024 |
| Slogan: | Empower Your Future |
The 2024 presidential campaign of Chase Oliver formally began on April 4, 2023, following the formation of an exploratory committee in December 2022. He officially received the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party on May 26, 2024. Oliver is a libertarian political activist, as well as a sales account executive, and HR representative.[2] He was the Libertarian nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia and the 2020 Georgia's 5th congressional district special election.[3]
Oliver's first campaign for public office was in 2020, as the Libertarian nominee for the 2020 Georgia's 5th congressional district special election to replace John Lewis, who had died earlier that year. Oliver won 2% of the vote in that race and was eliminated during the blanket primary.[4]
He then became Libertarian nominee for the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Georgia, where he faced off against the incumbent Democratic Raphael Warnock and Republican Party challenger Herschel Walker.[2] [5] Oliver participated in an October 2022 debate hosted by Georgia Public Broadcasting and debated against Warnock, as well as an empty podium representing Walker, who had declined to take part in the debate.[6] Oliver received over 2% of the popular vote in that race. Opponents contended that he was a spoiler candidate and that his votes forced the race, which was ultimately won by Warnock, into a run-off.[7]
On December 2, 2022, Oliver formed an exploratory committee to inquire into a possible run for the Libertarian presidential nomination in the 2024 United States presidential election.[8]
On April 4, 2023, Oliver formally declared his candidacy for the Libertarian presidential nomination.[9] [10]
Throughout the summer of 2023, Oliver campaigned extensively in Iowa.[11] [12] The Gazette described him as a "pro-gun, pro-police reform, pro-choice Libertarian" who is "armed and gay."[13] On August 19, 2023, he spoke at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox, becoming the first-ever third-party presidential candidate to speak at the event.[14]
Oliver was described by The Christian Science Monitor as a potential "opening in the middle" that may deliver a reprieve to "voters unhappy with both major-party front-runners" looking for representation from a younger generation.[15]
Oliver filed to run in Oklahoma's "first Libertarian presidential primary election since the party was formally recognized in 2016". Alongside fellow Libertarian primary candidate Jacob Hornberger, Oliver achieved ballot access by collecting signatures from voters in each Congressional district.[16] [17] He won the Oklahoma primary, which was held on Super Tuesday, on March 5, 2024, with 61% of the vote.[18]
In January 2024, Oliver and fellow Libertarian presidential primary candidate Lars Mapstead successfully collaborated to secure major party status and ballot access for the Libertarian Party of Maine.[19] Afterwards, Oliver went to Iowa in order to campaign ahead of the 2024 Iowa Libertarian presidential caucuses.[20] [21] He won the Iowa caucus with 42.7% of the vote.[22]
On February 29, 2024, Oliver participated in a presidential candidates debate hosted by the Free & Equal Elections Foundation, alongside Party for Socialism and Liberation nominee Claudia De la Cruz, Green Party candidates Jill Stein and Jasmine Sherman, and fellow Libertarian candidate Lars Mapstead.[23] [24]
On May 26, 2024, Oliver officially received the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination at the party's National Convention.[25] That same day, Mike ter Maat was selected as the Libertarian party's vice-presidential nominee and Oliver's running mate.[26]
Four state Libertarian parties have publicly "denounced" Oliver's nomination: Colorado, Montana, New Hampshire, and Idaho.[27] In the weeks following Oliver's nomination, the state Libertarian parties of Colorado and Montana formally rejected the LNC ticket, with the Colorado affiliate refusing to place him on the ballot.[28] [29] In July 2024, it was announced the Libertarian Party of Colorado would place Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as its presidential nominee, rather than Oliver, whom they reportedly said was "insufficiently aligned with their principles."[30] However, the press secretary of the national party submitted the required paperwork recognizing the Oliver/ter Maat slate, which the Colorado Secretary of State accepted. Kennedy will be listed on the ballot there as "Independent."[31]
On July 12, 2024, Oliver participated in another presidential debate hosted by the Free & Equal Elections Foundation alongside Green Party presumptive nominee Jill Stein and Constitution Party nominee Randall Terry at Freedom Fest[32] The debate was moderated by the foundation's chair Christina Tobin, alongside congressman Thomas Massie.
Oliver self-identifies as pro-choice but is opposed to taxpayer funding for abortion clinics. He has supported the Hyde Amendment in his 2022 senate campaign[33] and would support legislation to make it available nationwide.
Oliver supports letting the free market find the solution to climate change. He contends that if businesses are left alone, they will be incentivized to develop technologies that will eventually replace current carbon-based fuels.[34]
Oliver is a strong supporter of ranked-choice voting in the United States, which he has said would have prevented the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Georgia from going to a run-off by allowing voters to rank their preferred candidates when they voted the first time. He has also stated that ranked-choice voting would save millions of taxpayer dollars by allowing run-offs to be instant, while ensuring that winning candidates always get above 50% of the vote.[35] Rolling Stone called him the most influential Libertarian of the year.[36]
Oliver supports free trade and opposes tariffs. He supports a balanced federal budget and reducing inflation, and has supported the idea of returning to the gold standard. He also supports ending the Federal Reserve.[37] [38]
Oliver promotes a non-interventionist foreign policy, stating that "It's just not a great combination when you're exporting our weapons to autocrats around the world".[39] He has criticized both Presidents Biden and Trump for their foreign policy, believing that the both of them are "authoritarians" in nature. He supports the closure of all military bases and opposes foreign aid.[40]
Oliver has condemned the October 7 attacks. Still, he has also been critical of the Israeli government on multiple occasions and has labeled the Israel-Hamas war as a "genocide", and has called for a ceasefire.[41]
Oliver has additionally stated he would end all support to Israel and Ukraine, stating "While we offer moral support to our friends currently engaged with the enemy, we should not be contributing to extending the fight."[42]
Oliver supports an "Ellis Island-style immigration" system, stating: "If you're coming here to work and be peaceful, it's not my business."[12]
Oliver has achieved certified ballot access in at least 35 states as of July 2024.
As of May 2024, Oliver has been included in two national presidential polls
| Poll source | Date | Sample size | Margin of error | Joe Biden | Donald Trump | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Cornel West | Chase Oliver | Jill Stein | Other/ Undecided | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data for Progress (D)/Zeteo | May 1–2, 2024 | 1,240 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 40% | 41% | 12% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 5% | ||
| Data for Progress (D) | March 27–29, 2024 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 41% | 42% | 8% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 6% |
Oliver has been criticized by some conservative pundits as being "woke".[43] His nomination has been considered polarizing within the Libertarian Party, particularly those within the Mises Caucus. It has led to state parties to refuse to add him to the ballot, such as the Libertarian Party of Colorado which opted instead for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.[44] [45]