Libertarian Party US Presidential Election Results

History

Since 1972, there have been 10 different Libertarian Presidential nominees, in 12 elections. (Two candidates were nominated twice.) In 1972, the LP's first Presidential candidate John Hospers received the first and only electoral vote in the party's history when one "faithless elector" voted for him. The first candidate to break the one percent mark was Ed Clark in 1980. This remained the best showing both as a percentage and in raw number of votes until 2012, when Gary Johnson became the first candidate to receive more than one million votes (but just shy of one percent). Running again in 2016, Gary Johnson then beat the previous record by both measures by a wide margin, receiving more than three percent and more than four million votes.

1972 Presidential Election

In 1972, the Libertarian Party was barely organized and was still in its infant stage. The Presidential Nominee was John Hospers. The Vice Presidential Nominee was Tonie Nathan. The ticket was only on the ballot in 2 states and received one electoral vote from a faithless elector in Virginia.

1976 Presidential Election

By 1976, the party had started to organize and was able to mount a more solid campaign for president. The nominee was Roger MacBride, the same faithless elector who voted for John Hospers in the last election. The Vice Presidential Nominee was David Bergland. The pair managed to gain ballot access in 32 states and was able to gain more than 100,000 votes, a milestone for the relatively new political party.

1980 Presidential Election

The 1980 Presidential Election was another major milestone for the Libertarian Party. The Party nominated Ed Clark for President and David Koch for Vice President. The campaign was largely self financed and was able to run several national television advertisements. The ticket gained ballot access in all 50 states. In Alaska, the ticket gained 11.66% of the vote.

1984 Presidential Election

At the 1984 National Convention, many Libertarians walked out, leading many to suspect the end of the party was near. As a result of the walkout, David Bergland was nominated for President and Jim Lewis was nominated for Vice President. The ticket had ballot access in 36 states.

1988 Presidential Election

Former Congressman Ron Paul was the Presidential Nominee for 1988 and Andre Marrou was the Vice Presidential Nominee. The campaign raised over $2,000,000 and was on the ballot in 46 states.

1992 Presidential Election

For the 1992 Election, Andre Marrou was nominated as the Presidential Candidate. Marrou was known for being one of the few libertarian elected to a state legislature and as the Vice Presidential Candidate in 1988. Nancy Lord was nominated as the Vice Presidential Candidate. The ticket gained ballot access in all 50 states.

1996 Presidential Election

Harry Browne was the Presidential Nominee in 1996 and his running mate was Jo Jorgensen. Due to the personal wealth of both men, the campaign was able to get on the ballot in all 50 states.

2000 Presidential Election

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Harry Browne was re-nominated as the Presidential Nominee in 2000 but chose Art Olivier as his running mate. The campaign had some controversy surrounding it after the National Director was found to have worked on the campaign in 1996 before Harry Browne's candidacy had been decided. The campaign nearly got on the ballot in all 50 states again but a split with the Arizona Chapter caused Harry Browne to be replaced on the ticket with another Libertarian.

2004 Presidential Election

At the 2004 Convention, the Presidential Nomination Election was very close. The race was between Michael Badnarik, Gary Nolan, and Aaron Russo. All three candidates were within 2% of each other for the first two ballots. However, Michael Badnarik made a surprising comeback and won the nomination. In a separate nomination, Richard Campagna was chosen as the vice presidential nominee. During the election cycle, Badnarik raised over $1,000,000 and ran national television ads on CNN and Fox news. The ticket gained ballot access in 48 states but didn't gain access in New Hampshire or Oklahoma.

2008 Presidential Election

Bob Barr was nominated as the Presidential Nominee in 2008 with Wayne Allyn Root nominated as the Vice Presidential Candidate. The Barr campaign was expected to do very well but due to several factors such as Sarah Palin's nomination as McCain's VP, Ron Paul's dropping of his endorsement of Barr, and the campaign's lack of advertising. The campaign still raised nearly $1.4 million dollars but didn't get as many votes as many Libertarian Leaders felt it could have. The ticket was on the ballot in 44 states.

2012 Presidential Election

Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, was nominated in 2012, with Jim Gray as his running mate. The ticket was on the ballot in all but two states, and became the first to receive more than one million votes, and the first to break the record for that measure set 32 years earlier by Ed Clark.

2016 Presidential Election

Gary Johnson was nominated again in 2016, this time with William Weld as his running mate. This was seen by some as the LP's most "credible" national ticket ever, with both candidates being former governors, but others saw the inclusion of Weld as a dilution of the party's brand. For the first time since 2000, the LP had a presidential ticket on the ballot in all 50 states. In an election that was very close between front-runners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but with many voters unhappy about that choice, the LP's team achieved a record-breaking three percent of the national vote, receiving the votes of almost 4.5 million people.

Results by state and candidate

	1972 John Hospers / Theodora Nathan	1976 Roger MacBride / David Bergland	1980 Ed Clark / David Koch	1984 David Bergland / James Lewis	1988 Ron Paul / Andre Marrou	1992 Andre Marrou / Nancy Lord	1996 Harry Browne / Jo Jorgensen	2000 Harry Browne / Art Olivier	2004 Michael Badnarik / Richard Campagna	2008 Bob Barr / Wayne Allyn Root	2012 Gary Johnson / Jim Gray	2016 Gary Johnson / William Weld
Alabama		1,481 0.13%	13,318 0.99%	9,504 0.66%	8,460 0.61%	5,737 0.34%	5,290 0.34%	5,893 0.35%	3,529 0.19%	4,991 0.24%	12,328 0.59%	44,467 2.09%
Alaska	68 0.07%	6,785 5.49%	18,479 11.66%	6,378 3.07%	5,484 2.74%	1,378 0.53%	2,276 0.94%	2,636 0.92%	1,675 0.54%	1,589 0.49%	7,392 2.46%	18,725 5.88%
Arizona		7,647 1.03%	18,784 2.15%	10,585 1.03%	13,351 1.14%	6,759 0.46%	14,358 1.02%	*5,775 0.38%	11,856 0.59%	12,555 0.55%	32,100 1.39%	106,327 4.13%
Arkansas			8,970 1.07%	2,221 0.25%	3,297 0.40%	1,261 0.13%	3,076 0.35%	2,781 0.30%	2,352 0.22%	4,776 0.44%	16,276 1.52%	29,949 2.65%
California	980 0.01%	56,388 0.72%	148,390 1.73%	49,951 0.53%	70,105 0.71%	48,139 0.43%	73,600 0.73%	45,520 0.42%	50,165 0.40%	67,582 0.50%	143,221 1.10%	478,500 3.37%
Colorado	1,111 0.12%	5,338 0.49%	25,744 2.17%	11,257 0.87%	15,482 1.13%	8,669 0.55%	12,392 0.82%	12,799 0.73%	7,664 0.36%	10,898 0.45%	35,545 1.38%	144,121 5.18%
Connecticut	10 0.00%	209 0.02%	8,570 0.61%	204 0.01%	14,071 0.97%	5,391 0.33%	5,788 0.42%	3,484 0.24%	3,367 0.21%		12,580 0.81%	48,676 2.96%
Delaware		34 0.01%	1,974 0.84%	268 0.11%	1,162 0.47%	935 0.32%	2,052 0.76%	774 0.24%	586 0.16%	1,109 0.27%	3,882 0.94%	14,757 3.34%
D. C.		274 0.16%	1,104 0.63%	279 0.13%	554 0.29%	467 0.21%	588 0.32%	669 0.33%	502 0.22%		2,083 0.71%	4,906 1.58%
Florida	39 0.00%	103 0.00%	30,524 0.83%	754 0.02%	19,796 0.46%	15,079 0.28%	23,965 0.45%	16,415 0.28%	11,996 0.16%	17,218 0.21%	44,726 0.53%	207,043 2.20%
Georgia	23 0.00%	175 0.01%	15,627 0.98%	159 0.01%	8,435 0.47%	7,110 0.31%	17,870 0.78%	36,332 1.40%	18,387 0.56%	28,731 0.73%	45,324 1.16%	125,306 3.05%
Hawaii		3,923 1.35%	3,269 1.08%	2,167 0.65%	1,999 0.56%	1,119 0.30%	2,493 0.69%	1,477 0.40%	1,377 0.32%	1,314 0.29%	3,840 0.88%	15,954 3.72%
Idaho		3,558 1.04%	8,425 1.93%	2,823 0.69%	5,313 1.30%	1,167 0.24%	3,325 0.68%	3,488 0.70%	3,844 0.64%	3,658 0.56%	9,453 1.45%	28,331 4.10%
Illinois	46 0.00%	8,057 0.17%	38,939 0.82%	10,086 0.21%	14,944 0.33%	9,218 0.18%	22,548 0.52%	11,623 0.25%	32,442 0.62%	19,642 0.36%	56,229 1.07%	209,596 3.79%
Indiana			19,627 0.88%	6,741 0.30%		7,936 0.34%	15,632 0.73%	15,530 0.71%	18,058 0.73%	29,257 1.06%	50,111 1.91%	133,993 4.90%
Iowa		1,454 0.11%	13,123 1.00%	1,844 0.14%	2,494 0.20%	1,076 0.08%	2,315 0.19%	3,209 0.24%	2,992 0.20%	4,590 0.30%	12,926 0.82%	59,186 3.78%
Kansas		3,242 0.34%	14,470 1.48%	3,329 0.33%	12,553 1.26%	4,314 0.37%	4,557 0.42%	4,525 0.42%	4,013 0.34%	6,706 0.54%	20,456 1.76%	55,406 4.68%
Kentucky		814 0.07%	5,531 0.43%	3 0.00%	2,118 0.16%	4,513 0.30%	4,009 0.29%	2,896 0.19%	2,619 0.15%	5,989 0.33%	17,063 0.95%	53,752 2.79%
Louisiana		3,134 0.25%	8,240 0.53%	1,876 0.11%	4,115 0.25%	3,155 0.18%	7,499 0.42%	2,951 0.17%	2,781 0.14%		18,157 0.91%	37,978 1.87%
Maine	1 0.00%	12 0.00%	5,119 0.98%	3 0.00%	2,700 0.49%	1,681 0.25%	2,996 0.49%	3,074 0.47%	1,965 0.27%	251 0.03%	9,352 1.31%	38,105 5.09%
Maryland		255 0.02%	14,192 0.92%	5,721 0.34%	6,748 0.39%	4,715 0.24%	8,765 0.49%	5,310 0.26%	6,094 0.26%	9,842 0.37%	30,195 1.12%	79,605 2.86%
Massachusetts	43 0.00%	135 0.01%	22,038 0.87%		24,251 0.92%	9,021 0.32%	20,426 0.80%	16,366 0.61%	15,022 0.52%	13,189 0.43%	30,920 0.98%	138,018 4.15%
Michigan	54 0.00%	5,407 0.15%	41,597 1.06%	10,055 0.26%	18,336 0.50%	10,175 0.24%	27,670 0.72%	16,711 0.39%	10,552 0.22%	23,716 0.47%	7,774 0.16%	172,136 3.59%
Minnesota	35 0.00%	3,529 0.18%	31,593 1.54%	2,996 0.14%	5,109 0.24%	3,374 0.14%	8,271 0.38%	5,282 0.22%	4,639 0.16%	9,174 0.32%	35,098 1.20%	112,972 3.84%
Mississippi		2,606 0.34%	4,702 0.53%	2,336 0.25%	3,329 0.36%	2,154 0.22%	2,809 0.31%	2,009 0.20%	1,793 0.16%	2,529 0.20%	6,676 0.52%	14,435 1.19%
Missouri	25 0.00%	179 0.01%	14,422 0.69%		434 0.02%	7,497 0.31%	10,522 0.49%	7,436 0.32%	9,831 0.36%	11,386 0.39%	43,151 1.56%	97,359 3.47%
Montana		40 0.01%	9,825 2.70%	5,185 1.35%	5,047 1.38%	986 0.24%	2,526 0.62%	1,718 0.42%	1,733 0.38%	1,355 0.28%	14,165 2.93%	28,037 5.67%
Nebraska		1,476 0.24%	9,041 1.41%	2,079 0.32%	2,534 0.38%	1,344 0.18%	2,792 0.41%	2,245 0.32%	2,041 0.26%	2,740 0.34%	11,109 1.40%	38,946 4.61%
Nevada		1,519 0.75%	4,358 1.79%	2,292 0.80%	3,520 1.01%	1,835 0.36%	4,460 0.96%	3,311 0.54%	3,176 0.38%	4,263 0.44%	10,968 1.08%	37,384 3.32%
New Hampshire	142 0.04%	936 0.28%	2,064 0.54%	735 0.19%	4,502 1.00%	3,548 0.66%	4,237 0.85%	2,757 0.48%	372 0.05%	2,217 0.31%	8,212 1.16%	30,777 4.20%
New Jersey	89 0.00%	9,449 0.31%	20,652 069%	6,416 0.20%	8,421 0.27%	6,822 0.20%	14,763 0.48%	6,312 0.20%	4,514 0.12%	8,441 0.22%	21,045 0.58%	72,477 1.87%
New Mexico		1,110 0.27%	4,365 0.96%	4,459 0.87%	3,268 0.63%	1,615 0.28%	2,996 0.54%	2,058 0.34%	2,382 0.31%	2,428 0.29%	27,788 3.55%	74,541 9.34%
New York	6 0.00%	12,197 0.19%	52,648 0.85%	11,949 0.18%	12,109 0.19%	13,451 0.19%	12,220 0.19%	7,649 0.11%	11,607 0.16%	19,596 0.26%	47,256 0.67%	176,598 2.29%
North Carolina		2,219 0.13%	9,677 0.52%	3,794 0.17%	1,263 0.06%	5,171 0.20%	8,740 0.35%	12,307 0.42%	11,731 0.34%	25,722 0.60%	44,515 0.99%	130,126 2.74%
North Dakota		256 0.09%	3,743 1.24%	703 0.23%	1,315 0.44%	416 0.14%	847 0.32%	660 0.23%	851 0.27%	1,354 0.43%	5,231 1.62%	21,434 6.22%
Ohio		8,952 0.22%	49,033 1.14%	5,886 0.13%	11,989 0.27%	7,252 0.15%	12,851 0.28%	13,475 0.29%	14,676 0.26%	19,917 0.35%	49,493 0.89%	174,498 3.17%
Oklahoma			13,828 1.20%	9,066 0.72%	6,261 0.53%	4,486 0.32%	5,505 0.46%	6,602 0.53%				83,481 5.75%
Oregon	85 0.01%	464 0.05%	25,838 2.19%	376 0.03%	14,811 1.23%	4,277 0.29%	8,903 0.65%	7,447 0.49%	7,260 0.40%	7,635 0.42%	24,089 1.35%	94,231 4.71%
Pennsylvania	8 0.00%	73 0.00%	33,263 0.73%	6,982 0.14%	12,051 0.27%	21,477 0.43%	28,000 0.62%	11,248 0.23%	21,185 0.37%	19,912 0.33%	49,991 0.87%	146,715 2.40%
Rhode Island	2 0.00%	715 0.17%	2,458 0.59%	277 0.07%	825 0.20%	571 0.13%	1,109 0.28%	742 0.18%	907 0.21%	1,382 0.29%	4,388 0.98%	14,746 3.18%
South Carolina		53 0.01%	4,807 0.54%	4,359 0.45%	4,935 0.50%	2,719 0.23%	4,271 0.37%	4,876 0.35%	3,608 0.22%	7,283 0.38%	16,321 0.83%	49,204 2.34%
South Dakota		1,619 0.54%	3,824 1.17%		1,060 0.34%	814 0.24%	1,472 0.45%	1,662 0.53%	964 0.25%	1,835 0.48%	5,795 1.59%	20,850 5.63%
Tennessee	1 0.00%	1,375 0.09%	7,116 0.44%	3,072 0.18%	2,041 0.12%	1,847 0.09%	5,020 0.27%	4,284 0.21%	4,866 0.20%	8,547 0.33%	18,623 0.76%	70,397 2.81%
Texas	394 0.01%	575 0.01%	37,643 0.83%		30,355 0.56%	19,699 0.32%	20,256 0.36%	23,160 0.36%	38,787 0.52%	56,116 0.69%	88,580 1.11%	283,492 3.16%
Utah	19 0.00%	2,438 0.45%	7,156 1.18%	2,447 0.39%	7,473 1.16%	1,900 0.26%	4,129 0.62%	3,616 0.47%	3,375 0.36%	6,966 0.73%	12,572 1.24%	39,608 3.50%
Vermont		4 0.00%	1,900 0.89%	1,002 0.43%	1,000 0.41%	501 0.17%	1,183 0.46%	784 0.27%	1,102 0.35%	1,067 0.33%	3,487 1.17%	10,078 3.20%
Virginia		4,648 0.27%	12,821 0.69%		8,336 0.38%	5,730 0.22%	9,174 0.38%	15,198 0.55%	11,032 0.34%	11,067 0.30%	31,216 0.81%	118,274 2.97%
Washington	1,537 0.10%	5,042 0.32%	29,213 1.68%	8,844 0.47%	17,240 0.92%	7,533 0.33%	12,522 0.56%	13,135 0.53%	11,955 0.42%	12,728 0.42%	42,202 1.35%	160,879 4.85%
West Virginia		17 0.00%	4,356 0.59%	6 0.00%	28 0.00%	1,873 0.27%	3,062 0.48%	1,912 0.30%	1,405 0.19%		6,302 0.94%	23,004 3.23%
Wisconsin	101 0.01%	3,814 0.18%	29,135 1.28%	4,884 0.22%	5,157 0.24%	2,877 0.11%	7,929 0.36%	6,640 0.26%	6,464 0.22%	8,858 0.30%	20,439 0.67%	106,674 3.58%
Wyoming		89 0.06%	4,514 2.55%	2,357 1.25%	2,026 1.15%	844 0.42%	1,739 0.82%	1,443 0.66%	1,171 0.48%	1,594 0.63%	5,326 2.14%	13,287 5.19%
Total	4,819 0.01%	173,819 0.21%	920,049 1.06%	228,710 0.25%	432,207 0.47%	291,627 0.28%	485,798 0.50%	*390,206 0.37%	397,265 0.32%	523,715 0.40%	1,275,971 0.99%	4,489,341 3.29%
	No Ballot Access	Write In

• L Neil Smith was listed as the Libertarian candidate on the ballot in Arizona in place of Harry Browne in 2000. The total includes votes for L Neil Smith.

Guam (Results don't count because Guam has no electoral votes)

	1972 John Hospers / Theodora Nathan	1976 Roger MacBride / David Bergland	1980 Ed Clark / David Koch	1984 David Bergland / James Lewis	1988 Ron Paul / Andre Marrou	1992 Andre Marrou / Nancy Lord	1996 Harry Browne / Jo Jorgensen	2000 Harry Browne / Art Olivier	2004 Michael Badnarik / Richard Campagna	2008 Bob Barr / Wayne Allyn Root	2012 Gary Johnson / Jim Gray	2016 Gary Johnson / William Weld
Guam	No election	No election	203 0.81%	137 0.51%	129 0.53%	116 0.67%	498 1.54%	420 1.20%	67 0.20%	214 0.66%	351 1.12%	Not on ballot