# Libertarian Party of California

The Libertarian Party of California (LPC) is the California affiliate of the national Libertarian Party (LP). The party chairman is Adrian Malagon, and is based in Sacramento, California, in Sacramento County. As of 2016, Libertarians represent approximately 0.7% of the state's registered voters.

## History

In 1972, the party considered suing county clerks in Placer and Butte counties for refusing to allow voters to register as Libertarians. In 1978, Ed Clark, who had been the affiliate's chairman from 1973 to 1974 and later the national presidential candidate in 1980, ran as an independent for governor of California to gain party recognition and received over five percent. However, the Secretary of State ruled that the two percent requirement was for retaining party recognition and not gaining party recognition and that since Clark had run as an independent and not a Libertarian it would not count either way. The party filed a lawsuit against the decision, but it was first dismissed then ruled against on appeal. The Libertarian Party of California has hosted the Libertarian National Convention in 1977, 1979, 1980, and in 2000.

### Participation of "independent" voters

Since January 2001, California has had a "modified" closed primary system in which political parties can determine whether or not to allow voters who are not affiliated with any party (i.e. "independent") to participate in the party's primary. The passage of Proposition 14 limited this "modified" closed primary system to primaries for President of the United States, starting with the 2012 primaries. For the first 15 years of the "modified" closed primary system, the California Libertarian Party did not allow "independent" voters to vote in Libertarian primaries. However, beginning with the 2016 Libertarian Party presidential primaries, the California Libertarian Party has allowed "independent" voters to vote in its presidential primaries.

## Current elected officials

All current Libertarian Party elected officials are in "nonpartisan" elected offices, meaning that the candidates' partisan affiliation is not listed on the ballot.
* Bob Karwin – Menifee City Council District 1.
* Brian Holtz – Purisima Hills Water District board member
* John Harrington – San Gabriel city councilor
* Kate O'Brien – Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District board member
* Nils Nehrenheim – Redondo Beach City Council District 1.
* Ryan Kelley – Imperial County Supervisor, District 4.

## Notable former elected officials

* Jeff Hewitt – District 5 Riverside County Supervisor board member (2019–2023) and former Calimesa city councilmember and Mayor
* Art Olivier – Bellflower city councilor and mayor (1994–1997; 1998–1999)

## Electoral performance

| Year | Presidential nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1972 | John Hospers (write-in) | 980 (0.1%) | |
| 1976 | Roger MacBride | 56,388 (0.7%) | 0.7% |
| 1980 | Ed Clark | 148,434 (1.7%) | 1.0% |
| 1984 | David Bergland | 49,951 (0.5%) | 1.2% |
| 1988 | Ron Paul | 70,105 (0.7%) | 0.2% |
| 1992 | Andre Marrou | 48,139 (0.4%) | 0.3% |
| 1996 | Harry Browne | 73,600 (0.7%) | 0.3% |
| 2000 | Harry Browne | 45,520 (0.4%) | 0.3% |
| 2004 | Michael Badnarik | 50,165 (0.4%) | 0.0% |
| 2008 | Bob Barr | 67,582 (0.5%) | 0.1% |
| 2012 | Gary Johnson | 143,221 (1.1%) | 0.6% |
| 2016 | Gary Johnson | 478,500 (3.4%) | 2.3% |
| 2020 | Jo Jorgensen | 187,895 (1.1%) | 2.3% |
| 2024 | Chase Oliver | 65,296 (0.4%) | 0.6% |

### Senate Class I

| Year | Senate nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1982 | Joseph Fuhrig | 107,720 (1.4%) | |
| 1988 | Jack Dean | 79,997 (0.8%) | 0.6% |
| 1992 | Richard Benjamin Boddie | 247,799 (2.3%) | 1.5% |
| 1994 | Richard Benjamin Boddie | 179,100 (2.1%) | 0.2% |
| 2000 | Gail Lightfoot | 187,718 (1.8%) | 0.3% |
| 2006 | Michael S. Metti | 133,851 (1.6%) | 0.2% |
| 2012 | Gail Lightfoot | 101,648 (2.1%) | 0.5% |
| 2018 | Derrick Michael Reid | 59,999 (0.9%) | 1.2% |

### Senate Class III

| Year | Senate nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1980 | David Bergland | 202,481 (2.4%) | |
| 1986 | Breck McKinley | 66,261 (0.9%) | 1.5% |
| 1992 | June R. Genis | 235,919 (2.2%) | 1.3% |
| 1998 | Ted Brown | 93,926 (1.1%) | 1.1% |
| 2004 | Jim Gray | 216,522 (1.8%) | 0.7% |
| 2010 | Gail Lightfoot | 175,235 (1.8%) | 0.1% |
| 2016 | Gail Lightfoot Mark Matthew Herd | 141,105 (1.9%) | 0.1% |

### Gubernatorial

| Year | Gubernatorial nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1978 | Ed Clark | 377,960 (5.5%) | 0.6% |
| 1982 | Dan P. Dougherty | 81,076 (1.0%) | 4.4% |
| 1986 | Joseph Fuhrig | 52,628 (0.7%) | 0.3% |
| 1990 | Dennis Thompson | 145,628 (1.9%) | 1.2% |
| 1994 | Richard Rider | 149,281 (1.7%) | 0.2% |
| 1998 | Steve Kubby | 73,845 (0.9%) | 0.8% |
| 2002 | Gary David Copeland | 161,203 (2.2%) | 1.3% |
| 2003 | Ned Roscoe Ken Hamidi John Hickey | 5,887 (0.1%) | 2.1% |
| 2006 | Art Olivier | 114,329 (1.3%) | 1.3% |
| 2010 | Dale Ogden | 150,898 (1.5%) | 0.2% |
| 2014 | None | None | 1.5% |
| 2018 | Zoltan Istvan Nickolas Wildstar | 26,028 (0.4%) | 0.4% |
| 2021 | Jeff Hewitt | 50,028 (0.7%) | 0.3% |

### Lieutenant Gubernatorial

| Year | Lieutenant nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1994 | Bob New | 180,896 (2.1%) | |
| 1998 | Thomas Tryon | 109,888 (1.4%) | 0.8% |
| 2002 | Pat Wright | 104,920 (1.4%) | 0.1% |
| 2006 | Lynnette Shaw | 142,851 (1.7%) | 0.2% |
| 2010 | Pamela Brown | 574,640 (5.9%) | 4.2% |
| 2014 | None | None | 5.9% |
| 2018 | Tim Ferreira | 99,949 (1.5%) | 1.5% |

### Attorney General

| Year | Attorney General nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1994 | Richard N. Burns | 274,335 (3.3%) | |
| 1998 | Joseph S. Farina | 149,430 (1.9%) | 1.5% |
| 2002 | Ed Kuwatch | 127,152 (1.8%) | 0.1% |
| 2006 | Kenneth Weissman | 177,469 (2.1%) | 0.3% |
| 2010 | Timothy J. Hannan | 246,583 (2.6%) | 0.5% |
| 2014 | Jonathan Jaech | 99,056 (2.4%) | 0.1% |
| 2018 | None | None | 2.4% |

### Secretary of State

| Year | Secretary of State nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1994 | Peggy Christensen | 248,748 (3.0%) | |
| 1998 | Gail Lightfoot | 216,853 (2.7%) | 0.3% |
| 2002 | Gail Lightfoot | 204,527 (2.8%) | 0.1% |
| 2006 | Gail Lightfoot | 171,393 (2.0%) | 0.8% |
| 2010 | Christina Tobin | 157,974 (2.2%) | 0.2% |
| 2014 | None | None | 2.2% |
| 2018 | Gail Lightfoot | 155,879 (2.4%) | 2.4% |

### State Treasurer

| Year | State Treasurer nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1994 | John Petersen | 335,452 (4.1%) | |
| 1998 | John Petersen | 183,436 (2.3%) | 1.8% |
| 2002 | Marian Smithson | 168,401 (2.3%) | 0.0% |
| 2006 | Marian Smithson | 334,056 (4.%) | 1.7% |
| 2010 | Edward Teyssier | 217,818 (2.3%) | 1.7% |
| 2014 | None | None | 2.3% |
| 2018 | None | None | |

### State Controller

| Year | State Controller nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1994 | Cullene Marie Lang | 128,378 (1.6%) | |
| 1998 | Pamela Pescosolido | 147,397 (1.8%) | 0.3% |
| 2002 | None | None | 1.8% |
| 2006 | Donna Tello | 188,934 (2.7%) | 2.7% |
| 2010 | Andrew Favor | 291,657 (3.0%) | 0.77% |
| 2014 | None | None | 3.0% |
| 2018 | None | None | |

### Insurance Commissioner

| Year | Insurance Commissioner nominee | Votes | Change |
| 1994 | Ted Brown | 346,007 (4.2%) | |
| 1998 | Dale Ogden | 169,922 (2.1%) | 2.1% |
| 2002 | Dale Ogden | 236,688 (3.3%) | 1.2% |
| 2006 | Dale Ogden | 305,772 (3.7%) | 0.4% |
| 2010 | Richard Bronstein | 362,037 (4.0%) | 0.3% |
| 2014 | None | None | 4.0% |
| 2018 | None | None | |

### State Assembly

| Year | Number of candidates | Votes | Change |
| 1992 | 46 | 343,366 (3.3%) | |
| 1994 | 35 | 166,510 (2.1%) | 1.2% |
| 1996 | 26 | 142,577 (1.5%) | 0.5% |
| 1998 | 38 | 144,427 (1.9%) | 0.3% |
| 2000 | 52 | 316,668 (2.8%) | 1.0% |
| 2002 | 36 | 162,472 (2.4%) | 0.48% |
| 2004 | 34 | 324,414 (2.9%) | 0.3% |
| 2006 | 21 | 122,036 (1.5%) | 1.3% |
| 2008 | 15 | 171,324 (1.4%) | 0.1% |
| 2010 | 18 | 115,714 (1.2%) | 0.2% |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 (0.0%) | 1.2% |
| 2014 | 1 | 30,735 (0.4%) | 0.4% |
| 2016 | 4 | 130,798 (1.0%) | 0.6% |
| 2018 | 5 | 145,514 (1.2%) | 0.2% |

## Voter registration

Libertarian voter registration in the state of California has experienced significant growth.
| Year | Registered voters | Voter gain or loss from previous year |
| 2021 | 204,345 | 8,237 |
| 2020 | 196,108 | 42,760 |
| 2019 | 153,348 | 11,980 |
| 2018 | 141,368 | 93 |
| 2017 | 141,461 | 1,656 |
| 2016 | 139,805 | 17,929 |
| 2015 | 121,876 | 1,072 |
| 2014 | 120,804 | 11,168 |
| 2013 | 109,636 | 900 |
| 2012 | 108,736 | 16,490 |
| 2011 | 92,246 | 1,135 |
| 2010 | 91,111 | 7,748 |
| 2009 | 83,363 | 211 |
| 2008 | 83,574 | 154 |
| 2007 | 83,420 | 45 |
| 2006 | 83,465 | 503 |
| 2005 | 83,968 | 5,649 |
| 2004 | 89,617 | 77 |
| 2003 | 89,540 | 955 |
| 2002 | 90,495 | 2,865 |
| 2001 | 93,360 | 1,540 |
| 2000 | 94,900 | 12,561 |
| 1999 | 82,339 | |

## Governance

The Libertarian Party of California is a "political party that has detailed statutory provisions applicable to its operation", which are in division 7, part 3 of the California Elections Code. The Libertarian State Central Committee, the governing body of the Libertarian Party of California, functions pursuant to its standing rules and bylaws. The regular officers of the Central Committee are the chairman, two regional vice chairmen, secretary, and treasurer.

### County central committees

There are semi-autonomous county central committees for many of California's 58 counties. The counties which currently have active affiliates are as follows:
* Alameda
* Contra Costa
* El Dorado
* Kern
* Kings
* Los Angeles
* Monterey
* Nevada
* Orange
* Placer
* Riverside
* Sacramento
* San Bernardino
* San Diego
* San Francisco
* San Mateo
* Santa Clara
* Ventura
* Yolo