# Libertarian Party of Florida

The Libertarian Party of Florida (LPF) is the state affiliate of the Libertarian National Committee in Florida. Founded in 1987, it is committed to the principles of limited government, individual freedom, and personal responsibility.
The current executive committee was elected during the annual convention on January 21, 2024, in Jacksonville, Florida.
Officers
* Chair: Matthew Johnson
* Vice-Chair: Edward Appler
* Secretary: Lisa Gansky
* Treasurer: Joe Sokol
At-Large Directors
* David Moscrip (Director-at-Large 1)
* Scott Nicholson (Director-at-Large 2)
* Lee Korotzer (Director-at-Large 3)
Regional Representatives
* Joseph Hannoush (Region 1)
* Joey Ferguson (Region 2)
* Robert Vinson (Region 3)
* Leon Armstrong (Region 4)
* Daniel Cummings (Region 5)
* Andrew Parrott (Region 6)
* Beth Johnson (Region 7)
* Eric Cordova (Region 8)
* Eric Montgomery (Region 9)
* James Leggett (Region 10)
* James Pinkosky (Region 11)
* John Paff (Region 12)
* Diona Kozma (Region 13)
* Jessica Stowe (Region 14)

## Voter Registration

Libertarian voter registration in the state of Florida has experienced significant growth.
| Year | Registered Voters | Voter gain/loss from previous year |
| 1994 | 3,585 | |
| 1996 | 5,509 | 1,924 |
| 1998 | 7,037 | 1,528 |
| 2000 | 9,462 | 2,425 |
| 2002 | 11,852 | 2,390 |
| 2004 | 13,806 | 1,954 |
| 2006 | 15,533 | 1,727 |
| 2007 | 14,860 | 673 |
| 2008 | 16,883 | 2,023 |
| 2010 | 17,888 | 1,005 |
| 2012 | 19,892 | 2,004 |
| 2014 | 23,665 | 3,773 |
| 2016 | 25,030 | 1,365 |
| 2017 | 31,449 | 6,469 |

## Local Chapters and Affiliates

County affiliates:
* Alachua County
* Bay County
* Brevard County
* Broward County
* Clay County
* Charlotte County
* Duval County
* Escambia County
* Hillsborough County
* Lake County
* Lee County
* Manatee County
* Miami-Dade County
* Monroe County
* Okaloosa County
* Orange County
* Osceola County
* Palm Beach County
* Pinellas County
* Polk County
* Santa Rosa County
* Seminole County
* Saint Lucie
* Volusia County

## Elections
### 2016 elections

In 2016, the Libertarians held their first statewide primary for the US Senate. The primary featured two main candidates: attorney Augustus Sol Invictus and veteran Paul Stanton. This election gained significant attention due to notable controversies and developments:
- **Augustus Sol Invictus**: Invictus garnered attention for his controversial cultural views associated with the alt-right. Additionally, reports surfaced alleging that he had been involved in a ritualistic act of sacrificing a goat and consuming its blood. These allegations led to significant controversy within the party and contributed to the resignation of then-chairman Adrian Wyllie.
- **Paul Stanton**: Stanton, a veteran, emerged as the other candidate in the primary. He ultimately secured victory with a substantial margin of nearly 50%.
This primary marked a significant moment in the history of the Libertarian Party, demonstrating its growth and evolving influence in statewide elections.
Libertarian Senate primary, 2016 results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Libertarian | Paul Stanton | 2,945 | 73.5 |
| | Libertarian | Augustus Sol Invictus | 1,063 | 26.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,008 | 100 |

### 2014 elections

In 2014, the Libertarian Party ran their first state executive ticket, with Adrian Wyllie for governor, Greg Roe for lieutenant governor, and Bill Wohlsifer for attorney general. The Wyllie/Roe ticket garnered 3.8% of the vote, a record for the Libertarians in Florida. Wohlsifer got under that, with 2.9% of the vote. The highest percentage that the Wyllie/Roe ticket got in a county was in Citrus County, where they received 7% of the vote.
Down ballot, Lucas Overby got the second highest percentage a Libertarian has ever gotten in a house election, with 24.7% of the vote. Many people at the time attributed it to the lack of a Democrat on the ballot.

### Statewide and Congressional Election Results

| Year | Office | Candidate | Popular votes | Percentage |
| 2000 | 11th Congressional District | Charlie Westlake | 27,197 | 15.4% |
| 2004 | 11th Congressional District | Robert Johnson | 31,579 | 14.1% |
| 2004 | 21st Congressional District | Frank Gonzalez | 54,736 | 27.2% |
| 2010 | United States Senate Class 3 | Alexander Snitker | 24,850 | 0.5% |
| 2012 | 1st Congressional District | Calen Fretts | 11,176 | 3.3% |
| 2014 | 19th Congressional District Special Election | Ray Netherwood | 3,729 | 3.7% |
| 2014 | 13th Congressional District Special Election | Lucas Overby | 8,893 | 4.8% |
| 2014 | Governor | Adrian Wyllie | 223,356 | 3.8% |
| 2014 | Lieutenant Governor | Greg Roe | 223,356 | 3.8% |
| 2014 | Attorney General | Bill Wohlsifer | 169,394 | 2.9% |
| 2014 | 13th Congressional District | Lucas Overby | 55,318 | 24.7% |
| 2014 | 19th Congressional District | Ray Netherwood | 6,671 | 2.7% |

### 2010–2012 Elections

In 2010, the Libertarian Party of Florida (LPF) made significant strides by fielding a statewide candidate for the first time, namely Alexander Snitker, who ran for U.S. Senate.
In the subsequent 2012 election, the Libertarian Party of Florida fielded multiple candidates for various positions: Calen Fretts for Florida's 1st congressional district. Peter Richter. Franklin Perez. Jonathan Loesche for the Florida House of Representatives. Additionally, the LPF fielded several candidates for various county and municipal races across the state.
In 2012, the Libertarian Party of Florida faced legal action when Franklin Perez, the 2012 Libertarian candidate for the Florida State House of Representatives (District 28), sued the party. The lawsuit arose from the LPF's failure to refund a candidate filing fee after de-vetting Perez and removing him from the party's state website. The courts ultimately awarded Perez $620.

### Presidential nominee results

Since 1972, the Libertarian Party has run a candidate for President of the United States. The candidate who has received the highest vote total in Florida was Gary Johnson in 2016. In every election year after 1984 the Libertarian Party has gained ballot access in Florida.
| Year | Nominee | Votes |
| 1976 | Roger MacBride (write-in) | 103 (nil %) |
| 1980 | Ed Clark | 30,524 (0.8%) |
| 1984 | David Bergland (write-in) | 754 (nil %) |
| 1988 | Ron Paul | 19,796 (0.5%) |
| 1992 | Andre Marrou | 15,079 (0.3%) |
| 1996 | Harry Browne | 23,965 (0.5%) |
| 2000 | Harry Browne | 16,415 (0.3%) |
| 2004 | Michael Badnarik | 3,502 (0.2%) |
| 2008 | Bob Barr | 17,220 (0.2%) |
| 2012 | Gary Johnson | 44,726 (0.5%) |
| 2016 | Gary Johnson | 207,043 (2.2%) |
| 2020 | Jo Jorgensen | 70,324 (0.6%) |

## Elected public officials

Past and present public officials from the Libertarian Party of Florida include:
* Randall Holcombe, Governor's Council of Economic Advisors, 2000–2006
* Scott McPherson, mayor, New Port Richey, 2008–2011
* Thomas W. Glaser, Governor's Holocaust Education Commission, 2004–
* Jared Grifoni, city council, Marco Island, 2016–
* Martin Sullivan, city council, Frostproof, 2015–
* Crystal Turner, city council, Hampton, 2014–
* Jamie Beckett, city commission, Winter Haven Seat 4, 2009–2013
* Dennis Lipp, town council, Loxahatchee Groves Seat 5, 2009–2011
* Gary Gerstein, community council, Fischer Island Seat 161-B, 2014–
* Keon A. Grayson, community council, North Central Seat 83, 2016–
* Marialexandra Garcia, Supervisor Community Development District, Islands at Doral III Seat 4, 2016–
* Marco Alvarez, Jr., Supervisor Community Development District, Century Gardens Village Seat 1, 2016–
* Kenneth Mertz, Port Authority Board, Fernandina Beach, 2002–2010
* Janet Hawkins, Port Authority Board, Seminole County, 1997–200
* Bob Rettie, Zoning Board Vice Chair, Fort Walton Beach, 2002–2006
* Steven A. Reid, Board of Adjustment Chairman, Gainesville, 2004–2010
* Michael Ferber, Board of Adjustment, Fort Lauderdale, 2002–2010
* Mark Clifford, Parks and Recreation Board, Seminole County, 2002–2004
* Matthew Bymaster, Soil and Water Board, Palm Beach County Soil and Water Group 2, 2016–
* Bruce Reichert, Soil and Water Board, Collier County Soil and Water Seat 1, 2015–
* Marc Tancer, Supervisor Soil and Water Board, Palm Beach Seat 1, 2015–
* Larry Frego, Soil and Water Conservation District, St. Johns County Group 2, 2010–2014
* Greg Gimbert, Soil and Water Board, Volusia County District 2, 2014–
* Ron Skrutski, Soil and Water Board, Lee County Seat 2, 2010–2014
* J. Adam Mitchell, Soil and Water Board, Collier County Seat 4, 2008–2012
* Adam Mitchell, Soil and Water Board, Collier County Seat 4, 2008–2012
* Howard Horowitz, Soil and Water Board, Palm Beach County Seat 4, 2008–2012
* Jeff Hunt, Soil and Water Board, Duval County Seat 2, 2008–2012
* Jack Tanner, Soil and Water Board, Lee County Seat 4, 2008–2012
* Kim Hawk, Soil and Water Board, Lee County Seat 5, 2006–2010
* Tom Clark, Soil and Water Board, Lee County Seat 3, 2006–2010
* Bob Waterhouse, Soil and Water Board, Charlotte County, 2006–2014
* Frank Longo, Soil and Water Conservation Board Vice Chair, Palm Beach County Group 2, 2002–2008
* Phil Blumel, Soil and Water Board, Palm Beach County Seat 4, 2002–2008
* Michael Barr, Soil and Water Conservation District Chairman, Seminole County, 2002–2006
* Brad Cline, Soil and Water Board Secretary, Palm Beach County Seat 4, 2002–2008
* Leslee Berryman, Soil and Water Conservation District Secretary, Seminole County, 2002–2006
* Dean Concannon, Soil and Water Conservation District, Seminole County, 2002–2006
* Carol Morris, Fire District Board, Fort Myers Seat 3, 2014–
* Jim Culberson, Taxing District, Sebastian Inlet Area 5, 2004–2014
* Richard D. Paul, Mosquito Control District, Lee County Area 4, 2014–
* Tracy Lundquist, Hospital Authority, West Volusia County Group A Seat 1, 2008–2012

## State Conventions
### 2015

In 2015, the LPF convention was held in New Port Richey, Florida.

### 2016

The 2016 state convention was held in West Palm Beach in April. During convention, state delegates voted in James Morris as treasurer, Suzanne Gilmore as secretary, and Russ Wood as director at Large (2) to their respective offices. State delegates also voted on individuals to send as delegates and alternate delegates to the Libertarian National Convention the following month in Orlando.

### 2017

The LPF's 2017 convention was held May 5–7 in Cocoa Beach.

### 2018

The Libertarian Party of Florida's 2018 state convention was held in Fort Walton Beach, Fla, February 24–26.

### 2019

The Libertarian Party of Florida's 2019 state convention was held in Tampa, May 3–5, 2019.

### 2020

The Libertarian Party of Florida held its Annual Business Meeting and Convention in Orlando, Feb 21 to Feb. 23.

### 2021

The Libertarian Party of Florida held its Annual Business Meeting and Convention in Lakeland, June 11 to Feb. 13.

### 2022

The Libertarian Party of Florida held its Annual Business Meeting and Convention in Melbourne, Feb 25 to Feb. 27.

### 2023

The Libertarian Party of Florida held its Annual Business Meeting and Convention in Kissimmee, April 21 to April 23.

### 2024

The Libertarian Party of Florida held its Annual Business Meeting and Convention in Jacksonville, January 19 to January 21.