# List of American libertarians

This is a list of notable libertarians in the United States. It includes people who have identified themselves as members of the Libertarian Party or with Libertarianism in their political or social philosophy.
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z
* See also
* References

## A

* Max Abramson, State Representative from New Hampshire
* Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Palestinian-American scholar and the president of the Minaret of Freedom Institute; 2012 Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maryland
* Norma Jean Almodovar, 1986 Libertarian Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of California
* Justin Amash, former U.S. Representative from Michigan
* Michael Arrington, founder of TechCrunch
* Cliff Asness, hedge fund manager

## B

* Jim Babka, president of the Downsize DC Foundation; former chair of the Libertarian Party of Ohio
* Michael Badnarik, 2004 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
* Peter Bagge, cartoonist
* Radley Balko, journalist, blogger, and author
* Doug Bandow, blogger, columnist, writer, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute
* John Perry Barlow, lyricist and co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
* Randy Barnett, legal scholar and law professor
* Bob Barr, former U.S. Representative from Georgia and 2008 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
* Christopher R. Barron, founder of GOProud
* Dave Barry, humor columnist
* Jim Bell, entrepreneur and author of an essay describing a method of killing government officials
* Bruce L. Benson, academic
* David Bergland, 1984 Libertarian Party presidential nominee, and two-time chair of the Libertarian National Committee
* David Bernstein, law professor
* David Boaz, political writer and one-time executive vice president of the Cato Institute.
* Big Boi, rapper
* Clint Bolick, Associate Justice, Arizona Supreme Court; lawyer and founder of the litigation division of the Goldwater Institute
* Scott Boman, 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan
* Rupert Boneham, Survivor contestant and 2012 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of Indiana
* Murray Bookchin, writer
* Neal Boortz, radio host
* Andy Borsa, member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
* James Bovard, author
* R. W. Bradford, founder of Liberty
* Barbara Branden, Canadian-American writer, editor, and lecturer
* Nathaniel Branden, Canadian–American psychotherapist and writer
* Arthur C. Brooks, author
* Harry Browne, 1996 and 2000 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
* David Brudnoy, talk radio host
* Scott Bullock, civil rights attorney
* Gene Burns, talk show host and candidate for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination in 1984
* Marshall Burt, member of the Wyoming House of Representatives

## C

* Richard Campagna, 2004 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
* Bryan Caplan, economist, writer, and academic
* Drew Carey, comedian and actor
* Dale Carpenter, law professor
* Doug Casey, investor, writer, founder and chairman of Casey Research
* Dixie Carter, actress
* Graydon Carter, former editor of Vanity Fair
* Rodney Caston, cybersecurity expert, open-source intelligence investigator, writer, and 2012 Libertarian Party nominee for the Texas House of Representatives
* John Chamberlain, journalist
* Marilyn Chambers, 2004 Personal Choice Party vice-presidential nominee and pornographic actress
* Gary Chartier, legal scholar, philosopher, political theorist, and theologian
* Roy Childs, essayist and critic
* Frank Chodorov, writer
* Ed Clark, 1980 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
* Spike Cohen, entrepreneur, podcaster, and 2020 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
* Chris Cole, 2008 Libertarian nominee for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina
* Michael Colley, U.S. Navy vice admiral and member of the board of directors of the Libertarian Party
* Barry Cooper, drug policy reform activist, filmmaker, Libertarian candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Texas in 2008 and for Texas Attorney General in 2010
* Stephen D. Cox, author, academic, and editor-in-chief of Liberty (2005-2024)
* Richard Cornuelle, activist, political theorist, and author
* Tyler Cowen, economist, columnist, author, and blogger
* Ed Crane, co-founder of the Cato Institute

## D

* Aubrey Dunn, Jr., former New Mexico commissioner of public lands and Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018
* Caleb Q. Dyer, former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives

## E

* Charlie Earl, former member of the Ohio House of Representatives, Libertarian Party candidate in the 2014 Ohio gubernatorial election
* Clint Eastwood, actor
* Richard Epstein, legal scholar, academic, and writer

## F

* Ken Fanning, member of the Alaska House of Representatives
* Arthur Farnsworth, Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives convicted of tax evasion in 2006
* Fred Foldvary, academic, economist, and writer
* Kmele Foster, political commentator and telecommunications entrepreneur
* Conor Friedersdorf, journalist, staff writer at The Atlantic
* David D. Friedman, economist, physicist, legal scholar, political theorist, and author
* Milton Friedman, economist, statistician, and writer
* Patri Friedman, activist, political theorist; founder of The Seasteading Institute
* Rose Friedman, economist

## G

* Eric Garris, founder of Antiwar.com
* John T. Georgopoulos, founder of SportsGrumblings.com, fantasy sports journalist for various publications, former SiriusXM show host, podcast producer and host
* Nick Gillespie, journalist who has served as a writer, contributor, and editor for Reason magazine, Reason.com, and ReasonTV
* Dan Gookin, author, 2004 Libertarian Party nominee for the Idaho Senate and 2007 Libertarian nominee for the Coeur d'Alene city council
* Daniel P. Gordon, former member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013, who changed his party affiliation from Republican to Libertarian; at the time, he was the only Libertarian serving in any state legislative house in the country
* Don Gorman, former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
* Jim Gray, former presiding judge of the Superior Court of Orange County, California; 2012 Libertarian vice-presidential nominee and candidate for the 2020 Libertarian presidential nomination
* Greg Gutfeld, host of The Greg Gutfeld Show and one of five co-hosts and panelists on the political talk show The Five, both on the Fox News Channel

## H

* F. A. Harper, academic, economist, and writer; founder of the Institute for Humane Studies
* Phil Harvey, entrepreneur and philanthropist, President of Adam & Eve
* Henry Hazlitt, journalist, editor, economist, and author
* Gene Healy, political pundit, journalist, editor, and author; Vice President at the Cato Institute and contributing editor to Liberty magazine
* Karl Hess, activist, speechwriter, journalist, editor, and political philosopher
* Jeff Hewitt, Riverside County, California Supervisor, and Libertarian gubernatorial candidate in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election
* Robert Higgs, economist, historian, and writer
* John Holt, author and educator, a proponent of unschooling, and a pioneer in youth rights theory
* John Hospers, philosophy professor and 1972 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
* Carla Howell, activist and 2002 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of Massachusetts
* Michael Huemer, academic, philosopher, and writer

## J

* Paul Jacob, activist and commentator
* Glenn Jacobs, wrestler known as Kane
* Penn Jillette, magician (renounced libertarianism in 2020).
* Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico and 2012 and 2016 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
* Stan Jones, 2002 Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Montana
* Alex Joseph, mayor of Big Water, Utah
* Jo Jorgensen, 1996 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee and 2020 presidential nominee
* Eric July, musician, YouTuber, comic book writer, and political commentator

## K

* Rob Kampia, activist, 2000 Libertarian Party nominee for delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives in the District of Columbia
* Chris Kluwe, former punter for the Minnesota Vikings
* Charles G. Koch, businessman
* David H. Koch, businessman and 1980 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
* Adam Kokesh, activist, author, and 2020 candidate for the Libertarian presidential nomination
* Bart Kosko, writer, academic, researcher; contributing editor to Liberty
* Alex Kozinski, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
* Steve Kubby, activist, writer, and 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of California and 2000 candidate for the Libertarian vice-presidential nomination

## L

* Philip Labonte, musician, singer for heavy metal band All That Remains
* Suzanne La Follette, individualist feminist, political theorist, journalist, and editor
* Sonny Landham, actor and 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky, with whom the party cut ties in July of that year
* Rose Wilder Lane, journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist
* James A. Lewis, 1984 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
* Kurt Loder, entertainment critic, author, columnist, and media personality
* Dan Loeb, hedge fund manager
* Nancy Lord, attorney, medical researcher, and 1992 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee

## M

* Roger MacBride, lawyer and 1976 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
* Spencer MacCallum, anthropologist, business consultant and author
* John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods Market
* Michael Malice, Ukrainian-American author, podcaster, columnist, and media personality
* Andre Marrou, former member of the Alaska House of Representatives and 1992 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
* John McAfee, computer programmer, businessman, and presidential candidate
* Peter McWilliams, self-help author and activist
* Angela McArdle, Chair of the Libertarian National Committee
* Russell Means, Sioux rights activist, actor and 1988 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
* Jeffrey Miron, economist and academic
* John Monds, 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for the Georgia Public Service Commission and 2010 Libertarian nominee for Governor of Georgia
* Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, American political commentator, radio personality, author, former MTV VJ, and the current host of Kennedy on the Fox Business Network
* Kary Mullis, 1993 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry for the invention of the polymerase chain reaction technique
* Michael Munger, 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of North Carolina
* Rupert Murdoch, media mogul and founder of global media holding company News Corporation

## N

* Loretta Nall, 2006 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of Alabama
* Andrew Napolitano, former New Jersey Superior Court Judge and host of Freedom Watch
* Tonie Nathan, 1972 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
* David Nolan, principal founder of the Libertarian Party and candidate for office in Arizona
* Gary Nolan, talk radio personality and 2004 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
* Robert Nozick, philosopher

## O

* Gary Oldman, actor
* Chase Oliver, activist, business executive; Libertarian Party candidate for the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia, and 2024 Libertarian presidential nominee
* Art Olivier, 2000 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee

## P

* Tom G. Palmer, writer and political theorist
* Trey Parker, actor, animator and screenwriter. Parker described himself in 2001 as "a registered Libertarian"
* Isabel Paterson, Canadian-American journalist, novelist, and political philosopher
* Ron Paul, former U.S. Representative from Texas and 1988 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
* Carl Person, attorney and 2012 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
* Austin Petersen, activist, commentator, broadcaster, candidate for the 2016 Libertarian presidential nomination
* John Popper, frontman of the rock band Blues Traveler
* Virginia Postrel, columnist, blogger, author, former editor-in-chief of Reason magazine
* Sharon Presley, writer, activist, academic; co-founder of Laissez Faire Books, and executive director of the Association of Libertarian Feminists

## R

* Ralph Raico, historian, academic, and writer
* Justin Raimondo, founder of Antiwar.com
* Dick Randolph, former member of the Alaska House of Representatives
* Earl Ravenal, Georgetown University professor and 1984 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
* Leonard Read, writer, economist; founder of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)
* Michael Rectenwald, academic, author, and candidate for the 2024 Libertarian presidential nomination
* Warren Redlich, member of the Guilderland town council and 2010 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of New York
* Wayne Allyn Root, radio host, businessperson, author; 2008 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
* Murray Rothbard, economist and political philosopher
* Finlay Rothhaus, member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
* Kurt Russell, actor
* Aaron Russo, film producer and 2004 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
* Mary Ruwart, biophysicist and 2008 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination

## S

* Murray Sabrin, 1997 Libertarian nominee for Governor of New Jersey
* Julian Sanchez, journalist, blogger, and editor
* Robert Sarvis, attorney, 2013 Libertarian nominee for Governor of Virginia, and 2014 Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate in Virginia
* Nicholas Sarwark, attorney and businessperson; former chair of Libertarian National Committee
* Peter Schiff, financial analyst, stockbroker, author, one-time Senate candidate, president and CEO of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.
* Larry Sharpe, entrepreneur, podcaster, and 2018 Libertarian nominee for Governor of New York
* Michael Shermer, science writer and founder of The Skeptics Society
* Julian Simon, economist, academic, and writer
* Paul Singer, founder and CEO of Elliott Management Corporation and founder of the Paul E. Singer Family Foundation
* Sam Sloan, 2010 candidate for the Libertarian nomination for Governor of New York
* Dave Smith, comedian, podcaster.
* Robby Soave, journalist, author, senior editor for Reason
* Ilya Somin, academic, blogger, author, adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute
* John Sophocleus, economics instructor and 2002 Libertarian nominee for Governor of Alabama
* Thomas Sowell, academic, economist, commentator, and social theorist
* Joseph Stallcop, former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
* Doug Stanhope, stand-up comedian
* Starchild, political activist, perennial candidate, and sex worker
* Matt Stone, actor, animator and screenwriter
* John Stossel, consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author, columnist
* Jacob Sullum, syndicated columnist, journalist, and senior editor at Reason magazine
* Vermin Supreme, performance artist, candidate for the 2020 Libertarian Party presidential nomination
* Thomas Szasz, intellectual, author, opponent of medical coercion, advocate of medical freedom

## T

* Kristin Tate, political commentator, columnist & author
* Joan Kennedy Taylor, journalist, author, editor, and activist
* Mike ter Maat, businessperson, professional economist, retired police officer, and 2024 Libertarian vice presidential nominee
* Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal
* Ed Thompson, mayor of Tomah, Wisconsin and 2002 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
* Katherine Timpf, columnist, television personality, reporter, and comedian
* Christina Tobin, founder of the Free and Equal Elections Foundation and 2010 Libertarian Party nominee for California Secretary of State
* Maj Toure, political activist and rapper; founder of Black Guns Matter
* Jeffrey Tucker, political theorist, editor, writer, and internet entrepreneur

## V

* Jimmie Vaughan, musician
* Vince Vaughn, actor

## W

* Rufus Wainwright, singer-songwriter
* Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia
* Calvin Warburton, member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and 1992 candidate for the Libertarian Party vice-presidential nomination
* David Weigel, journalist, blogger, contributing editor for Reason magazine
* Matt Welch, blogger and journalist; writer and editor for Reason magazine
* Bill Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts and 2016 Libertarian vice-presidential nominee
* Walter E. Williams, economist, commentator, and academic
* Richard Winger, editor of Ballot Access News
* Tom Woods, author and radio host
* Lily Wu, mayor-elect of Wichita, Kansas.
* Adrian Wyllie, 2014 candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination for Governor of Florida