# Angela McArdle

Angela Elise McArdle (born June 7, 1983) is an American politician who was the 22nd chair of the Libertarian National Committee from May 2022 until her resignation in February 2025. She previously served as secretary of the Libertarian Party of California from April 2018 to April 2019. A former board member of the Mises Caucus, McArdle played a key role in leveraging the Libertarian Party's spoiler effect into securing a pardon for Ross Ulbricht by Donald Trump.

## Early life and education

McArdle has worked as a paralegal and legal aide for over eleven years. She currently works in litigation and also has a private practice where she provides self-help legal services to low-income clients. The bulk of McArdle's practices focus on real estate and constitutional law.
McArdle received her Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Leadership from Biola University in 2009 and a Paralegal Certificate from UCLA Extension in 2013. She is also trained as a craniosacral therapist through the Upledger Institute.

## Career

McArdle was the Libertarian nominee in the 2017 California's 34th congressional district special election. She finished the primary in 17th place out of a field of 22 candidates with 0.8%. McArdle ran again for the seat in 2018 and finished in 3rd place in a field of 3 candidates with 8.4%.
In 2021 and 2022, McArdle was a candidate for Chair of the Libertarian National Committee. She was endorsed by the Mises Caucus, of which she was also a board member. She was elected to the position at the 2022 Libertarian National Convention on May 28.
At Porcfest 2021, an annual libertarian festival held in New Hampshire, Executive Director of the Free State Project, Jeremy Kauffman and McArdle debated which strategy is more effective, the libertarian party strategy or the free state movement strategy. Kauffman argued that, "There are more people in this room that are elected members to the NH House of Representatives and former members of the Libertarian Party than there are Libertarian Party members nationwide." McArdle then counter-argued that while she wants to see the Free State Project succeed, it is her contention that the Free State Project could not have existed without the political infrastructure provided by the LP developed over the course of five decades.

### LNC Chair

On December 3, 2022, McArdle became the first known National Chair in the United States who has given birth during her tenure.
McArdle was openly critical of Joe Exotic's short-lived campaign in the 2024 Libertarian Party presidential primaries.
In February 2023, McArdle spoke at the Rage Against the War Machine Rally, co-hosted with the People's Party, where she called on a cut to all aid to Ukraine, and for Ukraine to surrender all of its Russian-occupied territories. In June, McArdle also wrote an op-ed for Newsweek arguing that Russian forces were not committing a genocide in Ukraine.
McArdle notably endorsed Libertarian nominee Chase Oliver in the 2024 United States presidential election as a vehicle for Donald Trump's victory. She said that Oliver would take more votes from the Democratic nominee, and that it would be challenging to get libertarians and right of center independents to vote for him, so it would make the most sense to make Oliver a spoiler candidate for the Democrats.

#### "Joint fundraiser" dispute

In mid-July 2024, McArdle entered a heated dispute with Caryn Ann Harlos, the National Secretary of the Libertarian Party, due to McArdle approving a "joint fundraiser" with RFK Jr.'s campaign. Harlos argued that the vote to approve the joint fundraiser did not pass the threshold specified in LP bylaws, and that by forcing it through regardless McArdle violated even more bylaws and exceeded her power as chairwoman. Harlos then petitioned the Libertarian Party's judicial committee, with the signatures of 188 of the 2024 delegates, arguing that McArdle violated bylaws Articles 2, 3.1, 14.1, 14.3, and 14.4. Harlos additionally argued that efforts by the Colorado Libertarian Party to name RFK Jr. as their nominee instead of the nominated Libertarian candidate, Chase Oliver, as proof McArdle is working with the RFK campaign against the libertarian party's own candidate. Todd Hagopian, the former party treasurer, also filed an amicus brief in support of Harlos arguing that McArdle's cooperation with the RFK campaign is sabotaging Chase Oliver's campaign. Hagopian also argued that McArdle illegally made the meeting to approve the RFK fundraiser as an "emergency" meeting to bypass receiving the required number of votes of libertarian delegates.
Harlos would then move to put the fundraiser on hold until the Judicial Committee reaches a verdict, with McArdle quickly blocking the motion, stating that Harlos was "dilatory and out of order." Harlos responded saying that her motion wasn't dilatory, since it would only hold the fundraiser's approval if the vote passes, to which McArdle again called Harlos as "dilatory and unprofessional" and asked her to rescind her judicial case and her motion to delay. On July 20 the LNC executive met for a vote on blocking the fundraiser with the Executive Committee voted 6 in favor and 11 against, meaning that the joint fundraiser would go through. Later that day, RFK Jr. announced on twitter that his campaign has signed the joint fundraiser, and that it was now in effect. On July 27, Harlos sued the Colorado affiliate, and their chairwoman Hannah Goodman, for their support of RFK Jr. in response McArdle called an emergency session of the Executive Committee on July 30. This meeting opened with McArdle attempting to transition the meeting to an executive session, so that McArdle would have more power over votes, in a 3-3 tie this motion failed. McArdle began by arguing that the LNC cannot indemnify Harlos due to her lawsuit and for acting outside "your bylaws-mandated duties" due to being in conflict with the LNC as such she should be removed from her position. In response Harlos stated she was not in conflict with the LNC, only the Colorado affiliate, and as such the executive committee had no means to remove her and as such no motion to remove was put forward.
On July 31 Harlos' appeal to the judicial committee took place reviewing if McArdle violated the aforementioned by-laws. During which committee chairman, Blay Tarnoff, ruled that article 2 was "a preparation, not a strict bylaw", however, also stated that the joint fundraiser was improper and asked why the LNC rushed to vote through a motion they had never seen, to which McArdle responded "We were in a hurry." Tarnoff closed the meeting by stating that the LNC should withdraw from the agreement.

#### Resignation

On January 25, 2025, McArdle announced her intention to resign as LNC Chair, citing new opportunities in the Second Trump Administration, likely under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Department of Health and Human Services. She continued as Chair until her successor was elected in a special election on February 2.
Her resignation came in midst of allegations of misconduct in her duties as Chair, specifically funneling party money to her own household.

## Electoral history

California's 34th congressional district special primary, 2017 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jimmy Gomez | 10,728 | 25.5 |
| | Democratic | Robert Lee Ahn | 9,415 | 22.2 |
| | Democratic | Maria Cabildo | 4,259 | 10.1 |
| | Democratic | Sara Hernandez | 2,358 | 5.6 |
| | Democratic | Arturo Carmona | 2,205 | 5.2 |
| | Democratic | Wendy Carrillo | 2,195 | 5.2 |
| | Green | Kenneth Mejia | 1,964 | 4.6 |
| | Democratic | Yolie Flores | 1,368 | 3.2 |
| | Republican | William Morrison | 1,360 | 3.2 |
| | Democratic | Tracy Van Houten | 1,042 | 2.5 |
| | Democratic | Alejandra Campoverdi | 1,001 | 2.4 |
| | Democratic | Vanessa Aramayo | 853 | 2.0 |
| | Democratic | Sandra Mendoza | 674 | 1.6 |
| | Democratic | Steven Mac | 663 | 1.6 |
| | Democratic | Raymond Meza | 509 | 1.2 |
| | No party preference | Mark Edward Padilla | 427 | 1.0 |
| | Democratic | Ricardo De La Fuente | 331 | 0.8 |
| | Libertarian | Angela McArdle | 319 | 0.7 |
| | Democratic | Adrienne Nicole Edwards | 182 | 0.4 |
| | Democratic | Richard Joseph Sullivan | 155 | 0.4 |
| | Democratic | Armando Sotomayor | 118 | 0.3 |
| | Democratic | Tenaya Wallace | 103 | 0.2 |
| | Democratic | Melissa "Sharkie" Garza | 79 | 0.2 |
| | Democratic | Michelle Walker (write-in) | 0 | nil |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 42,308 | 100 |
California's 34th congressional district election, 2018 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jimmy Gomez (incumbent) | 54,661 | 78.7 |
| | Green | Kenneth Mejia | 8,987 | 12.9 |
| | Libertarian | Angela Elise McArdle | 5,804 | 8.4 |
2022 Libertarian National Committee chair election :
| Candidate | First Ballot | % |
| Angela McArdle | 692 | 69.6 |
| Steve Dasbach | 151 | 15.2 |
| Tony D'Orazio | 103 | 10.4 |
| NOTA | 47 | 4.7 |
| Adam Kokesh (write-in) | 1 | nil |
| Tiffany Deleon (write-in) | 1 | nil |
| Totals | 995 | 100% |