The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania - Forum

The national LP website lists the Pennsylvania election winners as follows:

Bill Beeman, Waterford Township Auditor
David Owens, Landenberg Township Supervisor
Erik Viker, Selinsgrove Borough Council
Ray Onrusek, Eastern Lebanon County School Board
Myron Dietrick, Mayor of Avis, PA
Mary Lea Lucas, Strattanville Borough Council

Not bad for a so-called "third party."

Erik

I'd say it is an excellent year for L.P. candidates.  I hope it signals a change in the mood of voters.

David Jahn

Thanks, David.  Can we get these election wins on our LPPA.org front page?  I hesitate to ask because I know everyone involved in the state party website is a volunteer.

As I'm one of the "winners," my request may seem suspect, but I encourage anything we can do locally to build LP momentum in this time when many non-LP members are seeking an alternative to scary Republicans and spineless Democrats.  As the newly elected officials take office this month, perhaps an announcement is especially timely. 

sometimes prodding works! ;D  I updated the list and posted a news flash.

David Jahn

Perhaps I am overstepping my bounds, but I am not impressed. We're not going to change a darn thing by electing a few libertarians to some extremely local offices. Political power in this country is stacked from the top-down. Winning local elections helps, but we've got to find a way to compete for some state offices or we will never be able to end the amassing and centralization of power that the Federal Government has been involved in for over 150 years. We might have gained an inch, but we've lost about a hundred miles.

John,

I really appreciate your enthusiasm.

People are reluctant to elect us to higher offices until they are comfortable with us at lower offices.  These elected officials at the lower levels set the stage for our success at higher levels.  They build acceptance for our ideals and candidates.

Have you ever been elected or run for office before?

Last year was municipal elections.  This year we get to run people for higher offices.  I hope to run for state rep if I can gather sufficient signatures.  I'm still deciding.


David Jahn

I think that the problem is that there are lot of things that we would like to do at the local level that get/would be blocked by those at the higher levels. I also think that for the most part, people vote in local elections based on state and national events. In reality, the Republican County Commissioners in Schuylkill County weren't doing that bad of a job, but the growing discontentment with Republicans at the federal level seemed to spell the end for them for that fact alone.



I have not, though I have thought about it many, many times. Ultimately, I am unelectable in this country due to my lack of religious beliefs. It is terribly hard to get elected unless you pretend to be a devoted Christian. I wouldn't worry about it so much at the local level, but I would have far more ambition than that.



Good luck with that. It is tough decision to make, especially for a person who is not apart of the two-party dictatorship in this country.