Libertarian Party of West Virginia

The Libertarian Party of West Virginia is the West Virginia affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The state chair is Michael S. Wilson, J.D.. The LP of West Virginia resolved in 2008 to join Libertarian National Committee Region 5, and at the 2008 National Convention in Denver became a member of LNC Region 5S, represented by Jim Lark.

History and candidates

• 1972 Harold Harvey of Beckley first promotes the Libertarian Party in West Virginia.
• 1980 Jack Kelley of Parkersburg runs for governor.
• 1994 John K. Brown, Wallace Johnson, Roger Fritz, John Sturgeon and David Wolfe establish the Libertarian Party of West Virginia.
• 1996 Wallace Johnson ran for WV Governor and received 2.7% of the popular vote. This earned the Libertarian Party Major Party Status in West Virginia -- the first non-Democratic/Republican party to be recognized, as such, since 1924.
• 1998 William Clem is elected surveyor in Jefferson County.
• 2000 Bob Myers ran for WV Governor and received less than 1% of the popular vote. The Libertarian Party selects its candidates by primary election, where Richard Kerr, Bob Myers, John Brown, Joy Johnson, Joseph Whelan and Wallace Johnson are elected as delegates to the Libertarian National Convention. Poochie Myers ran for Secretary of State and received 55,000 total votes. Joseph Whelan runs for U.S. Senate, while Richard Kerr, John K. Brown and Jeff Robinson run for congress.
• 2003 Simon McClure successfully challenged the state election law in court, leading to a judgement striking down the effects on registered voters who signed petitions to get third party candidates on the ballot. Before the W.V. Supreme Court handed down its order, persons signing petitions for "third-party" candidates ballot access lost their right to vote in the Primary Election.
• 2004 Simon McClure ran for WV Governor. John Leysorek ran for County Commission in Pocahontas County, and came in only 500 votes behind the winner.
• 2007 Kirsten Milligan launched an effort to resurrect the party after several years of downtime.
• 2008 The LPWV 2008 convention was held on May 11th. Several executive committee members were elected, the delegation to the Denver convention was selected, and several resolutions passed.
• 2009 The LPWV successfully lobbied for state legislation cutting the number of valid signatures for minor party general election ballot access in half.

Executive Committee

• Chairman Michael S. Wilson, J.D.
• Vice Chair David Moran
• Secretary John Buckley
• Treasurer E. Karl Swisher
• At-large Member Brent West
• At-large Member David Jones
• At-large Member Ed Olesh

Past chairs

• 2011-2012: Tom Thacker
• 2010-2011: Tad Britch
• 2008-2010: Matt D. Harris
• 2007-2008: Kirsten Milligan
• 2004-2005: Michael Wilson
• 2002-2004: Richard Kerr
• 1994-2002: John K. Brown

External links

• Libertarian Party of West Virginia
• Party bylaws