Libertarian Party of Illinois explained

Libertarian Party of Illinois
Chairperson:	Bill Redpath
Leader1 Title:	Senate leader
Leader1 Name:	None
Leader2 Title:	House leader
Leader2 Name:	None
Foundation:	1971
Colors:	Blue Yellow
Ideology:	Libertarianism
National:	Libertarian Party
Seats1 Title:	Illinois Senate
Seats2 Title:	Illinois House of Representatives
Seats3 Title:	U.S. Senate (Illinois)
Seats4 Title:	U.S. House of Representatives (Illinois)
Seats5 Title:	Other elected officials
Seats5:	9 ^[1]
Website:	www.lpillinois.org
Country:	the United States

The Libertarian Party of Illinois is the Illinois affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The current state chair is Bill Redpath. There are nine Libertarian officeholders in Illinois.

Mission statement

Libertarian Party of Illinois mission is: To elect Libertarians to office and move public policy in a libertarian direction.^[2]

Key tenets

Key tenets of the Libertarian Party platform include the following:^[3]

• Adoption of laissez-faire principles to reduce the state's role in economic government. This would include, among other things, markedly reduced taxation, privatization of Social Security and welfare (for individuals, as well as elimination of "corporate welfare"), markedly reduced regulation of business, rollbacks of labor regulations, and reduction of government interference in foreign trade.
• Protection of property rights.
• Minimal government bureaucracy. The Libertarian Party states that the government's responsibilities should be limited to the protection of individual rights from the initiation of force and fraud.
• Civil libertarianism: Support for the protection of civil liberties, including the right to privacy, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and sexual freedom.
• Opposition to laws such as affirmative action and some non-discrimination laws in the private sector.
• Support for the unrestricted right to the means of self-defense (such as gun rights, the right to carry mace, pepper spray, or tasers etc.).
• Abolition of laws against "victimless crimes" (such as prostitution, seat belt laws, use of controlled substances, fraternization, etc.).
• Opposition to regulations on how businesses should run themselves (e.g. smoking bans)
• A foreign policy of free trade and non-interventionism.
• Support for a fiscally responsible government including a hard currency (commodity-based money supply as opposed to fiat currency).
• Abolition of all forms of taxpayer-funded assistance (welfare, food stamps, public housing, Health care, etc.)
• A pro-choice belief that abortion is a personal issue, and should not be part of government.^[4]

Established party status

As of January 17, 2024, the party has established party status in Cook, McLean, and Tazewell counties.^[5]

After the 1994 general election, the Libertarian Party achieved established party status for statewide offices in Illinois. This occurred after its candidates for the then-elected University of Illinois Board of Trustees cumulatively received 5.5% of all votes cast.^[6] After the party's success in the 1998 election for Ford County Sheriff and other countywide offices, it achieved established party status. Due to its second place showing over the then-dormant Democratic Party in that election, the Libertarians received the minority party's seat on the Board of Review and one of the five seats on the Sheriff's Merit Commission.^[7] This status was lost by 2002 after the Libertarian Party failed to field any candidates in the 2002 general election.^[8]

Other chapters

Other than its established party chapters, the Libertarian Party of Illinois also includes:^[9]

• DuPage Libertarians
• Bond County Libertarians
• Champaign County Libertarian Party
• Fox Valley Libertarian Party
• Libertarian Party of Chicago
• McLean County Libertarian Party
• Metro-East Libertarian Party
• Libertarian Party of Will County
• Southern Illinois Libertarian Party
• Libertarian Party of Greater Peoria
• Libertarian Party of Lake County
• Macoupin County Libertarian Party
• Illinois Valley Libertarians
• Western Illinois Libertarian Party
• Clinton County Libertarian Party
• Libertarian Party of Whiteside County
• Libertarian Party of Macon County
• Kankakee County Libertarian Party
• Libertarian Party of Northwestern Illinois
• Warren County Libertarian Party
• McHenry County Libertarians
• Libertarian Party of DeKalb County
• DeWitt County Libertarian Party

Elected officeholders

As of January 10, 2024, the United States Libertarian Party lists nine members holding office in Illinois.^[10]

• Brody Anderson, trustee of the River Valley Library District Board of Trustees (Port Byron)
• Sasha Cohen, City Clerk of Dekalb
• Justin Gerstner, Village President of Hamel
• Chris Laurent, City of Chicago 14th Police District Council
• Patrick Liapes, Trustee of the Poplar Creek Library Board (Streamwood).
• Kelly Liebmann, Township Trustee of Greenwood Township
• Aisha Pickett, City Treasurer of Harvey
• Jonathan Russell, member of the Harrisburg Community Unit School District #3 Board of Education (Harrisburg)
• Brandon Wisenburg, Village Trustee of Peoria Heights

Electoral history 1998–2020

2020 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
President	Jo Jorgensen	66,544	1.10%^[11]
Vice President	Spike Cohen
US Senate	Danny Malouf	75,673	1.27%
US House 6	Bill Redpath	7,079	1.75%
US House 8	Preston Gabriel Nelson	68,327	26.84%
IL House 19	Joseph Schreiner	1,544	3.24%
IL House 55	Glenn Olofson	12,000	27.42%
IL House 78	Joshua Flynn	8.559	16.67%
IL House 80	Clayton Cleveland	9,940	20.19%
IL House 88	Kenneth Allison	2,549	4.46%
IL House 92	Chad Grimm	9,890	25.49%
IL House 103	Brad Bielert	8,452	21.35%
IL House 113	Mark Elmore	5,799	13.27%
IL House 115	Ian Peak	3,655	8.27%
Cook County State's Attorney	Brian Dennehy	147,769	6.71%^[12]
DeKalb County Board Dist. 5	Sasha Cohen	566	24.07%^[13]
DeWitt County Circuit Clerk	Nathan Florey	1,194	16.11%^[14]
Kankakee County Auditor	Kyle Evans	9,477	21.59%^[15]
Kankakee County Circuit Clerk	Nicole Scott	2,675	5.53%
Kankakee County Board Dist. 13	Jacob Collins ✅	677	100%^[16]
Kankakee County Board Dist. 23	Jim Byrne (inc.)	537	40.99%
McLean County Auditor	Kevin Woodard
McLean County Board Dist. 3	Derek Evans
McLean County Board Dist. 5	Jo Anne Litwiller
McLean County Board Dist. 6	David Scarpelli
McLean County Board Dist. 7	Darin George Kaeb
McHenry County Auditor	James Young
McHenry County Coroner	Kelly Liebmann
Montgomery County Board Dist. 2	Jake Leonard	162	5.56%^[17]
Peoria County Auditor	Joe Rusch	4,701	17.33%^[18]
Peoria County County Clerk	Ann Agama	4,519	16.45%
Peoria County Coroner	K. Eric Schaffer	3,148	11.21%
Peoria County Board Dist. 11	Chris Buckely	533	27.10%
Peoria County Board Dist. 17	Tom Inman	281	18.86%
Tazewell County Auditor	Kaden Nelms	12,140	19.51%
Tazewell County Board Chairman	Eric Stahl	13,291	21.27%^[19]

2018 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
Governor	Kash Jackson	109,518	2.4%
Lieutenant Governor	Sanj Mohip^[20] ^[21]
Attorney General	Bubba Harsy^[22]	115,941	2.6%
Secretary of State	Steve Dutner	114,556	2.5%
Treasurer	Mike Leheney^[23]	155,256	3.5%
Comptroller	Claire Ball^[24]	140,543	3.1%

2016 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
President	Gary Johnson	206,351^[25]	3.8%
Vice President	William Weld
US Senate	Kent McMillen	175,988	3.2%^[26]
Comptroller	Claire Ball	187,017	3.5%

2014 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
US Senate	Sharon Hansen	135,316	3.8%
Governor	Chad Grimm	121,534	3.4%
Lieutenant Governor	A. J. Cummings
Attorney General	Ben Koyl	99,903	2.8%
Secretary of State	Christopher Michel	104,498	2.9%
Comptroller	Julie Fox	170,534	4.8%
Treasurer	Matthew Skopek	146,654	4.2%

2012 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
President	Gary Johnson	56,229	1.1%
Vice President	Jim Gray	56,229	1.1%

2010 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
US Senate	Mike Labno	87,247	2.4%
Governor	Lex Green	34,681	0.9%
Lieutenant Governor	Ed Rutledge	34,681	0.9%
Attorney General	Bill Malan	54,532	1.5%
Secretary of State	Josh Hanson	115,458	3.1%
Comptroller	Julie Fox	121,068	3.3%
Treasurer	James Pauly	68,803	1.9%

2008 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
President	Bob Barr	19,645	0.4%
Vice President	Wayne Root	19,645	0.4%
US Senate	Larry Stafford	50,228	0.9%

2004 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
President	Michael Badnarik	32,442	0.6%
Vice President	Richard Campagna	32,442	0.6%
US Senate	Jerry Kohn	69,253	1.4%
Congress 2	Stephanie Sailor	26,990	11.5%
Congress 4	Jake Witmer	4,845	3.9%
Congress 12	Walter Steele	4,794	1.7%
State Rep 11	Jason Briggeman	1,770	4.0%
State Rep 53	Scott Bludorn	3,673	8.2%
State Rep 64	Jim Young	2,022	4.0%
State Rep 85	Austin Hough	7,945	25.1%
State Rep 95	Steve Dubovik	1,317	2.9%

2002 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
Governor	Cal Skinner	73,794	2.1%
Lieutenant Governor	Jim Tobin	73,794	2.1%
Secretary of State	Matt Beauchamp	78,830	2.2%
Attorney General	Gary Shilts	87,949	2.5%
Treasurer	Rhys Read	66,593	1.9%
Comptroller	Julie Fox	144,066	4.2%
US Senate	Steven Burgauer	57,382	1.7%
Congress 1	Dorothy Tsatsos	4,741	2.6%
Congress 4	Maggie Kohls	4,328	5.2%
Congress 5	Frank Gonzalez	6,638	4.3%
Congress 7	Martin Pankau	2,436	1.5%
Congress 9	Stephanie Sailor	4,779	2.9%
State Rep 11	John Yackley	3,371	12.8%
State Rep 28	Jerome Kohn	1,241	4.2%
State Rep 41	John Tepley	1,034	2.8%
State Rep 42	Michael Mandel	1,123	3.3%
State Rep 48	Chandler Hadraba	3,440	11.2%
State Rep 52	Matthew Paul Burns	1,190	3.9%
State Rep 64	Jim Young	2,214	7.4%
State Rep 85	Eric Ferguson	4,922	20.3%
State Rep 95	Steve Dubovik	4,191	14.6%

2000 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
President	Harry Browne	11,623	0.3%
Vice President	Art Olivier	11,623	0.3%
Congress 4	Stephanie Sailor	11,476	11.3%
Congress 5	Matt Beauchamp	20,728	12.7%
State Rep 34	R. Brian Poynton	1,230	4.0%
State Rep 39	Elizabeth Quaintance	10,103	26.2%

1998 campaigns

Office	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
Congress 1	Marjorie Kohls	4,046	2.3%
Congress 2	Matt Beauchamp	1,608	1.0%
Congress 4	William Passmore	1,583	2.4%
Congress 6	George Meyers	4,199	2.5%
Congress 7	Dorn Van Cleave	9,984	7.1%
Congress 9	Michael Ray	3,284	2.3%

See also

• List of state Libertarian Parties in the United States

External links

• • Libertarian Party (United States)
• Libertarian Party of Chicago

Notes and References

1. Web site: Elected Officials. June 1, 2024.
2. Web site: Mission. lpillinois.com.
3. http://www.lp.org/issues/platform_all.shtml National Platform of the Libertarian Party
4. Web site: Platform. July 11, 2018.
5. Web site: Leonard. Jake. 47 days until Petitioning Begins For 2024 Primaries. July 20, 2023. Libertarian Party of Illinois. January 15, 2024.
6. News: Anything Goes in Endorsements for City Elections. December 22, 1994. The State Journal-Register. 7. NewsBank.
7. News: Stahly. Jim. Libertarians Make History in Ford County. June 3, 1999. The Pantagraph. A1. NewsBank.
8. News: . . Election 2002. November 7, 2002. The Pantagraph. A1. NewsBank.
9. http://www.il.lp.org/about/local_chapters.php Illinois Local Chapters
10. Web site: Elected Officials. United States Libertarian Party. May 1, 2023. July 16, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230705203807/https://my.lp.org/elected-officials/. July 5, 2023.
11. Book: Sandvoss. Steve. Official Canvass of the 2020 Illinois General Election. December 4, 2020. Illinois State Board of Elections. Springfield, Illinois. July 25, 2023.
12. Web site: Cook County and The City of Chicago General Election November 3, 2020 Combined Summary . Cook County Clerk . 1 December 2020 . 16 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210116211923/https://www.cookcountyclerk.com/sites/default/files/CombinedSummary_110320_v1.pdf . dead .
13. Web site: Cumulative Report of DeKalb County 2020 General Election. November 3, 2020. July 25, 2023. DeKalb County Clerk.
14. Web site: Statement of Votes Cast DeWitt County, Illinois November 3, 2020. November 3, 2020. July 25, 2023. DeWitt County Clerk.
15. Web site: Cumulative Report of Kankakee County 2020 General Election. November 3, 2020. Kankakee County Clerk. July 25, 2023.
16. News: Winger. Richard. Libertarian Party Won Four Partisan Races Earlier This Month. November 22, 2020. Ballot Access News. October 6, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20201122185822/https://ballot-access.org/2020/11/22/libertarian-party-won-four-partisan-races-earlier-this-month/. November 22, 2020.
17. Web site: Cumulative Report of Montgomery County 2020 General Election. November 3, 2020. Montgomery County Clerk. July 25, 2023.
18. Web site: Cumulative Report of Peoria County 2020 General Election. November 3, 2020. July 25, 2023. Peoria County Clerk.
19. Web site: Statement of Votes Cast Tazewell County, Illinois November 3, 2020. November 3, 2020. July 25, 2023. Tazewell County Clerk.
20. Web site: Candidates of the Libertarian Party of Illinois . 2018-04-05 . 2018-04-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180406040813/https://lpillinois.org/campaigns/candidates.php . dead .
21. Web site: Home | Sanj Mohip for Illinois Lt. Governor . 2018-04-05 . 2018-04-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180406040806/https://www.votemohip.com/ . dead .
22. Web site: Vote Bubba Harsy | Change We Can Trust . 2018-04-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180520123945/https://bubbaharsyforillinois.com/ . 2018-05-20 . dead .
23. Web site: Mike Leheney for Illinois Treasurer. www.facebook.com.
24. Web site: Claire Ball - Libertarian CPA for Illinois Comptroller . 2018-04-05 . 2018-04-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180406163423/http://claireballforillinois.com/ . dead .
25. News: Leip . David . November 16, 2016 . 2016 Presidential General Election Results . Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. . November 17, 2016.
26. Web site: Final 2016 LP candidate vote results. January 12, 2017.