The 2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries and caucuses were a series of electoral contests to indicate non-binding preferences for the
Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in the
2020 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...
. These differed from the
Republican or
Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses in that they do not appoint delegates to represent a candidate at the party's convention to select the party's presidential nominee.
The party's nominee was subsequently chosen directly by registered delegates at the
2020 Libertarian National Convention
The 2020 Libertarian National Convention delegates selected the Libertarian Party nominees for president and vice president in the 2020 United States presidential election. Primaries were held, but were preferential in nature and did not dete ...
, held through an online convention from May 22 to May 24.
Jo Jorgensen
Jo Jorgensen (born May 1, 1957) is an American Libertarianism in the United States, libertarian political activist and academic. Jorgensen was the Libertarian Party (United States), Libertarian Party's nominee for president of the United States ...
was chosen as the party's presidential nominee, becoming the first woman to receive the Libertarian nomination, after four rounds of voting.
Spike Cohen was nominated for vice president.
Background
The
2020 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...
was the thirteenth contested presidential election in which the Libertarian Party participated. The
2016 election saw the highest vote total and percentage of votes for a Libertarian presidential ticket ever, with former
New Mexico governor Gary Johnson
Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 29th List of governors of New Mexico, governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republica ...
and his
running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pre ...
, former
Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, receiving over four million votes and 3.3% of the total vote.
Candidates
Major candidates have been invited to participate in at least two Libertarian Party-sponsored debates or have received substantial independent media coverage.
Nominee
Eliminated in convention balloting
Withdrew during the primaries
Withdrew before the primaries
Formed exploratory committee but did not run
Declined to be candidates
These individuals have been the subject of presidential speculation, but have publicly denied or recanted interest in running for president.
*
Patrick Byrne, CEO and founder of
Overstock.com from
Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
*
Tom Campbell, former
U.S. Representative from California (1989–1993, 1995–2001)
[ ''(endorsed Jim Gray)''][
* Kmele Foster, telecommunications entrepreneur and TV host from New York ''(endorsed Justin Amash)''][
* ]Gary Johnson
Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 29th List of governors of New Mexico, governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republica ...
, Republican Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
of New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
(1995–2003), nominee for president in 2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
and 2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
, nominee for U.S. senator from New Mexico in 2018
* Thomas Massie, Republican U.S. representative from Kentucky (2012–present)
* Darryl W. Perry, radio host and candidate for President in 2016 ''(endorsed Kim Ruff)''
* Austin Petersen, candidate for President in 2016, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Missouri in 2018
* Mary Ruwart, candidate for president in 1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
and 2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, candidate for vice president in 1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
, nominee for U.S. Senate from Texas in 2000
* Mark Sanford, Republican U.S. representative from South Carolina (2013–2019) ''(ran for the Republican Party nomination)''
* Nicholas Sarwark, attorney and chair of the Libertarian National Committee
The Libertarian National Committee (LNC) controls and manages the affairs, properties, and funds of the United States Libertarian Party. It is composed of the party officers, five at-large representatives elected every two years at the national co ...
(2014–2020), candidate for Mayor of Phoenix in 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
* Larry Sharpe, businessman, motivational speaker, and nominee for Governor of New York in 2018 ''(ran for Vice President
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
'')[
* ]Jesse Ventura
Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos; July 15, 1951) is an American politician, political commentator, actor, media personality, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), he ...
, Reform
Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
of Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
(1999–2003) (''considered running for Green Party nomination'')
* Bill Weld, Republican Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
(1991–1997) and nominee for Vice President
A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
in 2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
'' (ran for the Republican Party nomination)''
Timeline of the race
2017
* November 25: Zoltan Istvan
Zoltan Istvan Gyurko, professionally known as Zoltan Istvan (born March 30, 1973), is an American transhumanist, journalist, entrepreneur, political candidate, and futurist.
Formerly a reporter for the National Geographic Channel, Istvan now ...
announces his intention to run.
2018
* January 18: Adam Kokesh officially launches his campaign at an event in Texas, having already announced his intention to run for president during a jailhouse interview in 2013. On the day of his announcement, Kokesh was stopped twice by Texas state troopers, and placed under arrest and charged with possession of a controlled substance and tampering with evidence.
* May 28: Perennial candidate and performance artist Vermin Supreme files to run.
* June 3: Contrary to an assertion he made at the 2016 convention, John McAfee
John David McAfee ( ; 18 September 1945 – 23 June 2021) was a British and American computer programmer, businessman, and two-time presidential candidate who unsuccessfully sought the Libertarian Party (United States), Libertarian Party nominat ...
announces via Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
that he would run for president again in 2020, either with the Libertarian Party or under the banner of a party of his own creation.
* July 3: Former Vice Chair of the Libertarian National Committee
The Libertarian National Committee (LNC) controls and manages the affairs, properties, and funds of the United States Libertarian Party. It is composed of the party officers, five at-large representatives elected every two years at the national co ...
, Arvin Vohra announces his candidacy, after an unsuccessful bid for re-election to his position as vice chair.
* August 26: Chair of the Horry County Libertarian party and 2016 presidential candidate Keenan Dunham files to run.
* October 19: After having been asked during a Q&A session a few days prior if he would be interested in running for president as a Libertarian, Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne indicates that he "almost definitely" was not going to run for president in 2020.
* December 12: Vice chair of the L.P. Radical Caucus Kim Ruff expresses interest in a run.
2019
* January 3: Biomedical researcher and candidate for the party's 2008 presidential nomination Mary Ruwart confirmed on Twitter that she was not planning on seeking the nomination on 2020 in order to focus on writing.
* January 11: Zoltan Istvan announced via his website that he had left the Libertarian Party some time before this date, and was no longer seeking its presidential nomination in 2020.
* January 20: At-the-time Republican representative Justin Amash warns the Libertarian Party against nominating a "squishy Republican" at LibertyCon, a comment widely seen as directed at 2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
vice-presidential nominee and presumptive frontrunner Bill Weld.
* January 21: Former Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...
CEO Howard Schultz
Howard D. Schultz (born July 19, 1953) is an American businessman and author who was the chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks from 1986 to 2000, from 2008 to 2017, and interim CEO from 2022 to 2023. Schultz owned the Seattle SuperS ...
, who had been suggested as a Libertarian candidate, makes clear that any presidential run by him would be as an independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
.
* January 22: McAfee announces via Twitter that he would be continuing his campaign "in exile", following reports that he, his wife, and four of his campaign staff were being indicted for tax-related felonies by the Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
(IRS). McAfee indicated that he was in "international waters", and had previously tweeted that he was on his way to Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
. The IRS has not commented on the alleged indictments.
* January 23: McAfee confirmed on Twitter that he had docked in the Bahamas
The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of its population. ...
, where he would remain for the foreseeable future.
* January 30: Podcaster and software engineer Dan Behrman files to run.
* February 5: Weld, who had served as Gary Johnson's running mate in 2016, is the subject of rumours that he had left the Libertarian Party and rejoined the Republican Party to challenge Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
in the Republican primary.
* February 15:
** Weld confirmed that he had left the Libertarian Party on February 15 by announcing the formation of an exploratory committee
In the election politics of the United States, an exploratory committee is an organization established to help determine whether a potential candidate should run for an elected office. They are most often cited in reference to candidates for pre ...
for the Republican nomination. Weld officially launched his campaign for the Republican nomination on April 15.
** Justin Amash declines to rule out running for the Libertarian nomination.
* April 1: Software engineer and former naval officer Sam Robb files to run.
* April 22: Larry Sharpe, who had been a candidate for vice president in 2016 and the nominee for Governor of New York in 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
, told '' The Niagara Gazette'' that he was unlikely to run for office in 2020, and was instead looking at running for Governor again in 2022.
* May 3: Souraya Faas files to run.
* May 10: Former U.S. Coast Guard officer Ken Armstrong announces his candidacy.
* May 18: Congressman Justin Amash broke ranks with the Republican Party and became the first Republican in all of Congress to call for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. In an interview with ''Salon'', Libertarian National Committee
The Libertarian National Committee (LNC) controls and manages the affairs, properties, and funds of the United States Libertarian Party. It is composed of the party officers, five at-large representatives elected every two years at the national co ...
chairman Nicholas Sarwark concurred with Amash's conclusions, saying, "of all the members of Congress, his mashpositions seem to most closely match those of the Libertarian Party.", fuelling speculations about a possible bid by Amash for the Libertarian nomination On May 22, Sharpe reported receiving two calls from "people close to Amash" inquiring about the Libertarian Party.
* May 23: Entrepreneur Erik Gerhardt files to run.
* June 30: New Hampshire state representative Max Abramson announces his candidacy for the Libertarian nomination.
* July 4: Amash announces via an op-ed
An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page," is a type of written prose commonly found in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. They usually represent a writer's strong and focused opinion on an issue of relevance to a targeted a ...
in ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' that he had left the Republican Party, becoming an independent.
* August 22: Former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee ( ; born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island, from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a ...
, who announced he had joined the Libertarian Party in a ''Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' op-ed published in July, expressed interest in making another bid for the presidency, this time as a Libertarian.
* October 29: Founder and president of the Future of Freedom Foundation Jacob Hornberger filed to seek the Libertarian nomination for president, announcing his candidacy days later.
* November 2: At the South Carolina Libertarian Party convention, 1996 vice presidential nominee Jo Jorgensen
Jo Jorgensen (born May 1, 1957) is an American Libertarianism in the United States, libertarian political activist and academic. Jorgensen was the Libertarian Party (United States), Libertarian Party's nominee for president of the United States ...
announces her candidacy seeking the nomination for president. Jorgensen participated in the subsequent presidential debate held off the convention site.
* December 20: Podcaster and satirist Mark Whitney announces his campaign.
2020
* January 5: Former Governor and Senator Lincoln Chafee
Lincoln Davenport Chafee ( ; born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island, from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a ...
files to run.
* January 11:
** Vermin Supreme wins the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire's internally-held and funded presidential preference primary.
** Kim Ruff suspends her campaign.
* January 27: 2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
Georgia gubernatorial nominee John Monds files to run.
* February 8: Jacob Hornberger wins the Libertarian Party of Iowa's internally-held and funded presidential preference caucus.
* February 25: Jacob Hornberger wins the Libertarian Party of Minnesota's internally-held presidential preference caucus.
* March 3;
** None of the above wins the North Carolina Libertarian presidential primary.[
** Jacob Hornberger wins the California Libertarian presidential primary.][
** Vermin Supreme wins the Massachusetts Libertarian presidential primary.][
** Max Abramson announces his departure from the Libertarian Party, ending his bid for the party's presidential nomination.
* March 4: John McAfee suspends his presidential campaign and announces his candidacy for the Libertarian vice-presidential nomination, endorsing Vermin Supreme for president.]
* March 5: McAfee resumes his presidential campaign.
* March 10: Jacob Hornberger wins the unopposed Missouri primary.
* April 5: Lincoln Chafee suspends his campaign.[
* April 11: Hornberger wins the Ohio caucus.]
* April 13: Judge Jim Gray announces his candidacy, with Larry Sharpe as his running mate.
* April 24: Mark Whitney suspends his campaign and endorses Gray.[
* April 26: In response to the ]COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the JW Marriott Downtown Austin cancels all reservations for the 2020 Libertarian National Convention.
* April 28;
** Hornberger wins the Connecticut primary.
** Justin Amash opens a presidential exploratory committee for the Libertarian nomination.[
* April 29: Ken Armstrong announces that he will withdraw from the presidential race and instead seek the nomination for vice president, following Amash's declaration for the Presidential nomination.][
* May 9: The Libertarian Party of Kentucky sponsors the 5th in a series of televised debates held by the state party, featuring the top four vote-getting candidates from previous debates, Hornberger, Supreme, Jorgensen, and Jim Gray, plus Justin Amash.][
* May 11: Ken Armstrong endorses Amash.][
* May 12: Jo Jorgensen wins the Nebraska primary with 28% of the vote.
* May 16: Despite forming an exploratory committee, Justin Amash announces that he will not seek the 2020 presidential nomination.][
* May 22: The ]2020 Libertarian National Convention
The 2020 Libertarian National Convention delegates selected the Libertarian Party nominees for president and vice president in the 2020 United States presidential election. Primaries were held, but were preferential in nature and did not dete ...
begins online, set to run digitally from May 22–24.
* May 23;
** In the nominating round, Blevins, Vohra, McAfee, Dunham, Gerhardt, Faas, Robb, and Behrman are eliminated. Vohra endorses Kokesh, Robb endorses Jorgensen, and Faas and Behrman endorse Supreme. (Behrman nevertheless announces he will continue his presidential run as an independent.)
** In subsequent rounds, Kokesh, Gray, Monds, Supreme, and Hornberger are eliminated. All of them subsequently endorse Jorgensen.
** The Libertarian Party officially nominates Jo Jorgensen as its presidential candidate, making her the party's first female presidential nominee.
* May 24: The Libertarian Party nominates Spike Cohen as its vice presidential nominee.
Overview
Endorsements
Primaries and caucuses
The Libertarian Party participated in presidential primaries in numerous states.
* January 11: The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire
The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire (LPNH) is the New Hampshire affiliate of the national Libertarian Party (LP). Active since its foundation in 1972, it is the third-largest political party in the state having had multiple members elected t ...
announced the results of its party-funded presidential preference primary, conducted by mail and in-person at the state convention through January 10.
* February 8: The Libertarian Party of Iowa conducted its own caucuses.
* February 25: The Libertarian Party of Minnesota conducted its own caucuses a week before that of the Democratic and Republican primaries in Minnesota.
* March 3: California, Massachusetts, and North Carolina primaries
* March 10: Missouri primary
* March 16–April 11: The Libertarian Party of Ohio conducted its own online caucuses.
* April 18-May 1: The Libertarian Party of Maine conducted its own online convention.
* April 25–28: The Libertarian Party of Connecticut conducted its own online primary.
* April 28: New York primary
* May 12: Nebraska primary
* May 22: 2020 Libertarian National Convention
The 2020 Libertarian National Convention delegates selected the Libertarian Party nominees for president and vice president in the 2020 United States presidential election. Primaries were held, but were preferential in nature and did not dete ...
* June 2: New Mexico primary
Other primaries and caucuses
* ''Cancellations'': Arizona
Ballot access
Candidates listed in ''italics'' have suspended their campaigns.
Results
Debates and forums
Schedule
Debates
Forums
Primary election polling
National polling of delegates to the Convention
Both of these polls were conducted using ranked choice voting, progression down the table indicates later rounds of voting as the candidate with the lowest total is eliminated.
Campaign finance
This is an overview of the money used by each campaign as it is reported to the Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent agency of the United States government that enforces U.S. campaign finance laws and oversees U.S. federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Campaign ...
(FEC) and released on October 15, 2019. Totals raised include loans from the candidate and transfers from other campaign committees. Some of the Libertarian candidates have not filed with the FEC, and financial data for those candidates are therefore not available.
See also
* 2020 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...
;National Conventions:
* 2020 Libertarian National Convention
The 2020 Libertarian National Convention delegates selected the Libertarian Party nominees for president and vice president in the 2020 United States presidential election. Primaries were held, but were preferential in nature and did not dete ...
* 2020 Republican National Convention
* 2020 Democratic National Convention
* 2020 Green National Convention
* 2020 Constitution Party National Convention
Presidential primaries
* 2020 Republican Party presidential primaries
* 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
* 2020 Green Party presidential primaries
* 2020 Constitution Party presidential primaries
Notes
References
External links
;Official campaign websites
Max Abramson for President
Sorinne Ardeleanu for President
Ken Armstrong for President
Dan "Taxation is Theft" Behrman for President
Lincoln Chafee for President
Keenan Wallace Dunham for President
*
Jacob Hornberger for President
Jo Jorgensen for President
*
John McAfee for President
John Monds for President
Sam Robb for President
Vermin Supreme for President
Mark Whitney for President
Arvin Vohra for President
{{Libertarian Party (United States)
2020 United States presidential primaries
Libertarian Party (United States) presidential primaries