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Libertarians Nominate Candidates at Convention
January 18, 2004

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Hopefuls for the presidential and vice-presidential nominations of the Libertarian Party addressed the state convention Saturday. Convention-goers endorsed candidates for U.S. Senate, Congress, and state legislature, and selected delegates to the national convention.

Richard Campagna of Iowa City is hoping to gain the vice-presidential nod at the national convention in Atlanta, Georgia, over Memorial Day weekend. He said that his campaign would reach beyond the Libertarian Party and its supporters and would find resonance with the many Americans who are dissatisfied with the major parties and who may be so disenchanted with politics that they no longer vote.

"I have hundreds of professional, institutional, and personal contacts across the country and around the world," Campagna told approximately 35 convention attendees. "These contacts are as politically active as regular people, which is to say they mostly want to be left alone. They want lower taxes, less regulation, and smaller government, and they want to hear about realistic ways to achieve these."

Strong home-state support gave vice-presidential hopeful Mr. Campagna 100% of the votes in a straw poll of attendees after his speech. He currently has four competitors, including NOTA, or None Of The Above, a feature of every official Libertarian ballot. Presidential hopeful Michael Badnarik got 60% in the straw poll with three competitors including NOTA.

Michael Badnarik of Austin, Texas, is running for the presidential nomination. In his address to the convention, he noted that in a recent debate with an opponent, Gary Nolan of Virginia, each agreed with the other on platform issues. Badnarik said, "Every time I responded, I said, 'I agree with everything my opponent said, and I have this to add....'"

With substantial agreement on the platform among contenders, delegates are left to decide who would be the best carrier of the message of liberty to the nation. "My campaign slogan is 'Lighting the fires of liberty... one heart at a time," said Badnarik.

The featured speaker at lunch was Joe Seehusen, formerly of Fairfield, Iowa. He was hired in May 2003 as Executive Director of the Libertarian National Committee with an office in the Watergate building in Washington, D.C.

Endorsed for U.S. Senate was Christy Ann Welty of Fairfield, Iowa. She currently holds a seat on the Fairfield City Council.

For the second district Congressional race, Kevin Litten of Cedar Rapids was endorsed. Mr. Litten, a pharmacist in Cedar Rapids, campaigned for the seat in 2002.

For the fifth district Congressional race, the convention endorsed Jeremy Oehlert of Osceola, a 28-year-old student at Iowa State University and former army specialist.

Zach Smith, a student at Iowa State University in Ames and a graduate of Solon High School, was endorsed to campaign for State House District 45.

The state chair, Mark Nelson of Davenport, and thirteen delegates selected at the state convention plan to attend the national convention in Atlanta during Memorial Day weekend.