Libertarian Party of North Carolina | |
Chairperson: | Ryan Brown[1] |
Leader1 Title: | Senate leader |
Leader1 Name: | None |
Leader2 Title: | House leader |
Leader2 Name: | None |
Foundation: | 1975 |
Colors: | Gold |
Headquarters: | Raleigh |
Ideology: | Libertarianism |
Membership: | 49,720[2] |
Membership Year: | 2024 |
National: | Libertarian Party (United States) |
Seats1 Title: | North Carolina Senate |
Seats2 Title: | North Carolina House of Representatives |
Seats3 Title: | U.S. Senate (North Carolina) |
Seats4 Title: | U.S. House of Representatives (North Carolina) |
Seats5 Title: | Other elected officials |
Seats5: | 0 [3] |
Country: | the United States |
The Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC) is the North Carolina affiliate of the Libertarian Party.
Members of the executive committee are elected biannually at conventions to carry out the essential functions of a political party.[1]
The party also maintains active local organizations in over two dozen counties and on half a dozen college campuses. LPNC may also be the only party in U.S. history that had an Indian Nation as an active local affiliate, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.[4]
The most recent platform of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina was adopted at the party's convention on March 6, 2022.[5]
The Libertarian Party of North Carolina follows the national party's platform with certain planks tailored to state-specific issues such as advocating for the abolition of the North Carolina ABC and the North Carolina Education Lottery along with a liberalization of laws to allow private actors to compete in these spaces. The party supports efforts to greatly expand ballot access in the state for both organized parties and individual independents and has partnered with the Green Party of North Carolina to sue both the Federal Election Commission and the State of North Carolina in efforts to improve access to debates and elections.[6]
In 1992, Libertarian candidate for Governor Scott Earle McLaughlin achieved 4.1 percent of the popular vote in a fully contested race, with 104,983 votes. This remains the highest percentage gained by a third party candidate for that office by any party in North Carolina since that year.
In the 2008 elections, Michael Munger running as the party's candidate for Governor of North Carolina, received 121,585 votes for 2.9% of the total vote.
Also in 2008, Chris Cole, running as the party's candidate for US Senate, received 133,430 votes for 3.1% of the total vote.