South Carolina Libertarian Party

South Carolina Libertarian Party
General Information
Chartered:	28 September 1975
Region:	5
Officers
Chair:	Stewart F. Flood, Jr.
Vice-Chair:	Alex Thornton
2nd Vice Chair:	Shane Sweeny
Secretary:	Sean R. Thornton
Treasurer:	Jeff Dimit Victor Kocher (assistant)
Contact
Phone:	803-788-2226
Address:	10120 Two Notch Road, Suite 2-324 Columbia, South Carolina, 29223, US
Website:	Website
Social Media
Facebook:	Facebook
Twitter:	Twitter
Instagram:	Instagram
Meetup:	Meetup

The South Carolina Libertarian Party is the South Carolina affiliate of the Libertarian Party. It was founded on 28 September 1975 at 3:00PM at the Carolina Inn in Columbia, SC, by a meeting of 45 people. After failed attempts to gain ballot access for the 1976 and 1978 elections, the SCLP was certified as an official political party by the South Carolina State Election Commission in January of 1979, giving it permanent ballot access provided that it reorganizes properly every election cycle.

Elections

See: South Carolina Libertarian Party Historical Election Results

Publications

The South Carolina Libertarian Party and its members have produced a number of publications throughout its existence, the most notable being its official newsletter, the South Carolina Libertarian, published off and on since September of 1981. Other publications include Free State News, Palmetto Libertarian Forum, and Southern Libertarian Messenger.

Ballot Access

After its founding in September of 1975, the SCLP attempted to gain ballot access for the elections in 1976. Although volunteers collected 10,400 signatures, the South Carolina Election Commission declared most of them invalid, leaving the party with only about 4,000 out of the required 10,000 signatures required. The SCLP tried again for the elections in 1978 with a significantly higher goal for number of signatures in order to account for those that would be stricken. Volunteers were able to collect about 15,000 signatures, but they were not able to submit them in time to be counted before the deadline to certify candidates for that election. The Election Commission ultimately did accept enough of the 15,000 signatures and certified the SCLP as an official political party in January of 1979, giving it ballot access for the 1980 elections.

The official status of the SCLP entitles it to the same permanent ballot access as any other officially recognized party in the state. Such parties are not required to submit petitions each election cycle but rather have only to fulfill a handful of requirements in order to maintain their ballot access. Those requirements are as follows:

• Organization - Hold county and state conventions every two years, following the processes laid out in state law
• Nomination - Nominate and properly certify candidates at any level at least once every four years, following the processes in state law

Former Officers

The following is a list of all known past officers of the SCLP back to its founding in 1975.

Term	Chair	Vice Chair	Treasurer1	Secretary1
2015-2017	Stewart F. Flood, Jr.	Travis McCurry / C. James Brandmair	Jeff Dimit	Michael R. Carmany / Victor Kocher
2013-2015	Michael R. Carmany	Jeremy Walters / Stewart F. Flood, Jr.	Jeff Dimit	Victor Kocher
2011-2013	Victor Kocher	Michael R. Carmany	Jeff Dimit	Sharon Clark
2010-20112	Michael R. Carmany	Victor Kocher	Jeff Dimit	Sharon Clark
2008-2010	Michael R. Carmany	Victor Kocher	Jeff Dimit	Marge Wakefield
2006-2008	Timothy Moultrie	Stewart F. Flood, Jr.	Jeff Dimit	Elizabeth C. Moultrie
2004-2006	Chris Panos	Lee Ott	Lee Ott	Rebekah "Reb" Sutherland
2002-2004	Charles F. "Chuck" Williams	Mark Johnson	Victor Kocher	Marge Wakefield
2000-2002	Charles F. "Chuck" Williams	Bea Jones	Rodney G. "Rod" Severson	Marge Wakefield
1998-2000	Charles F. "Chuck" Williams	Bea Jones	Dr. David C. Morris	Elizabeth Cason
1996-1998	Rodney Travis	Tahirih Gelardi / Charles F. "Chuck" Williams	Dr. David C. Morris	Mary Lou Seymour
1994-1996	Steve Vandervelde	Rodney Travis	Dr. David C. Morris	Mary Lou Seymour
1992-1994	Steve Vandervelde	Jo Jorgensen	Dr. David C. Morris	Tim Moultrie
1990-1992	Steve Vandervelde	Bill Griffin	Dr. David C. Morris	Tim Moultrie
1988-1990	John B. Heaton	Bill Griffin	Dr. David C. Morris	Jan C. Morris
1986-1988	John B. Heaton	Bill Griffin	Dr. David C. Morris	Jan Chapman
1984-1986	Dr. Steven Kreisman / Ron Heaton	Arnold Hite	Dr. David C. Morris	John T. Harllee
1982-1984	Dr. Steven Kreisman	Steve Vandervelde	Dr. David C. Morris	John T. Harllee
1980-19823	Tom Waldenfels	Lee Bowie	Boyce Lee Muller	John T. Harllee
1979	Lee Bowie	William S. "Bill" Brooks, Jr.	Deborah Muller	John T. Harllee
1978	Marshall Danenburg	William S. "Bill" Brooks, Jr.	Deborah Muller	John T. Harllee
1977	Charles T. Blackwell	Dr. James Rinehart	Marhsall Danenberg	John T. Harllee
1976	Boyce Lee Muller	Dr. James Rinehart	Marhsall Danenberg	John T. Harllee
1975	Charles T. Blackwell	John T. Harllee	Ben Robinson	Dargan Clarkson

<sup>1. Non-voting positions until 2017
2. Conventions switched to odd years in 2011
3. Officers elected for two-year terms after ballot certification</sup>
At times of high membership participation, other non-voting officer positions were created and filled as follows (approximate dates shown):
Executive Director

• Robert Clarkson (1976-1977)
• Geb Sommer (1991-1996)

Membership

• Lee Bowie (1982)
• Dr. David C. Morris (1983)
• Julian Griffith (1996-2000)
• Victor Kocher (2000-2004)
• David Herndon (2004-2006)

Media Coordinator

• Tim Moultrie (1991-1996)

Recording Secretary

• Mary Lou Seymour (1993-1996)

Communications

• Charlie Comberrel (1998-2000)

Public Relations

• Tim Moultrie (1998-2000)
• John Bates (2001-2002)
• Joe Clarkson (2003)
• Bea Jones (2004-2006)

Newsletter Editor

• Daniel L. O'Neal (1998)
• Bea Jones (1999-2002)

Webmaster

• Laura Richardson (2000)
• Cheryl Bates (2001-2004)
• Joe Clarkson (2004-2006)

Campus Coordinator

• Mark Hocamp (2004-2006)

The position of Second Vice Chair was created in 2017.

Active County Affiliates

The SCLP currently has 22 out of South Carolina's 46 counties organized with two counties (Dorchester and York) remaining officially organized but declared dormant by the state's executive committee due to resignations of local officers. The SCLP reached a peak of 22 counties only once before, in the first few years of the 2000s.

• Aiken County
• Anderson County
• Beaufort County
• Berkeley County
• Calhoun County
• Charleston County
• Colleton County
• Dorchester County (dormant)
• Florence County
• Georgetown
• Greenville County
• Greenwood
• Horry County
• Jasper County
• Laurens County
• Lee County
• Lexington County
• Pickens County
• Richland County
• Spartanburg County
• Sumter County
• York County (dormant)

Size and Influence

Year	Minimum Unique Voters	Signature Members (Dec)	LNC Total Donors 2004 - 2016 Or Active Members 1972 - 2003 (Dec)
2017		1,915	236
2016	49,204	2,045	314
2015		1,726	137
2014	33,839	1,686	157
2013		1,620	174
2012	16,321	1,555	176
2011		1,458	170
2010	35,362	1,428	183
2009		1,385	174
2008	7,283	1,343	196
2007		(Nov) 1,238	(Nov) 163
2006	19,704	1,187	112
2005		1,071	167
2004	10,678		(Aug) 247
2003			225
2002	25,128		255
2001			313
2000	31,104		339
1999			322
1998	16,987		313
1997			205
1996	12,988		206
1995			139
1994	25,153		124
1993			103
1992	25,102		105
1991			70
1990	59,558		95
1989			71
1988	4,935		58
1987
1986	28,115
1985
1984	13,333
1983
1982	42,097
1981
1980	22,354
1979
1978	223
1977
1976	53
1975
1974
1973
1972