Libertarian Party of Minnesota

Libertarian Party of Minnesota
General Information
Chartered:	1972
Region:	6
Officers
Chair:	Chris Holbrook
Vice-Chair:	Ryan Waterbury
Secretary:	Cindy Hucks
Treasurer:	Mary O’Connor
Contact
Address:	1201 42½ Ave NE Columbia Heights, MN 55421
Website:	Website
Social Media

The Libertarian Party of Minnesota is the Minnesota affiliate of the Libertarian Party

Leadership

As of August 2017.

• Chris Holbrook, Chair
• Ryan Waterbury, Vice Chair
• Cindy Hucks, Secretary
• Mary O’Connor, Treasurer
• Shaun Atkielski, At-Large
• Chris Dock, At-Large
• S L Malleck, At-Large
• Bob Odden, At-Large
• Jake Severance, At-Large
• Michael Toman, At-Large
• Shane Wernsing, At-Large
• Stephen Baker, At-Large
• Vacant, Region 1 East
• Shane Wernsing, Region 1 West
• Dave Holsinger, Region 2
• Ryan Waterbury, Region 3
• Andrea Blalock, Region 4
• Heather Johnson, Region 5
• Vacant, Region 6
• Vacant, Region 7 North
• Joe Gjerde, Region 7 Central
• Vacant, Region 7 South
• Jennifer OsBorne, Region 8 North
• Vacant, Region 8 South
• Matt Kowalski, Executive Director

Judicial Committee

• Bob Odden, Chair (even year)
• Jim Rongstad (even year)
• Sheldon Christenson (even year)
• Heather Johnson (odd year)
• Hanns Weichman (odd year)

Former

• Bob Odden, Chair
• Mary O'Connor, Secretary

History

There are a number of steps involved in forming a new political party. The steps that created the Libertarian Party of Minnesota were not all done by a single group of people working together. After decades have passed, it is difficult to pull together those various steps, who did them, and to determine which steps actually constitute the founding of the LP of MN. Hopefully, this account will give credit to whom it is due without being overly-concerned about details.

It's clear that the impetus behind the start of our state party, in 1972, was that the Libertarian Party had just been started on the national level, and it was trying to run Dr. John Hospers, a philosophy professor from California and past close associate of Ayn Rand, for President of the United States. That news interested a number of Minnesotans, and caused several independent conversations about forming a State LP party branch.

Charles Brekke and Steve Richardson wrote a letter to the National Libertarian Party, in Colorado, requesting a charter for a Minnesota state party. Meanwhile, Frank Haws and Rich Kleinow were discussing the same idea from an organizational aspect, with an eye toward getting Hospers on the ballot in Minnesota. Soon, a plan was being developed by the combined group.

Frank Haws and some of the others who were interested in forming this party, knew Ed Contoski as one of the original sponsors of the early lectures on Objectivism and an author writing on libertarianism. All concurred that Ed would be best suited for the role of State Chairman. Charles Brekke volunteered to be secretary and do as much of the detail work as possible, and Ed graciously agreed to become the first LPMN Party Chair.

The first real meeting was held at the home of Charles and Georgiena Brekke, at 4821 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis, which became the first LPMN HQ.

At that meeting Ed Contoski was elected the first state chairman. Rich Kleinow was elected vice chairman, Charles Brekke secretary, and Claudia Jenson treasurer. Others at the meeting were Frank Haws, Jack and Jane Buxell, Marc and Arnette Putman, and Georgiena Brekke. Charles Brekke had contacted the Minnesota Secretary of State's office and learned that to be officially recognized as a political party in Minnesota it was necessary to have ten members. The eleven original signers of that charter, in alphabetic order, were:

Charles Brekke Georgiena Brekke Jack Buxell Jane Buxell Ed Contoski Rich Kleinow Franklin Haws Claudia Jensen Arnette Putman Marc Putman Stephen Richardson

These original eleven people were the founders of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota and comprised the original Executive Committee.

During the early years, those who decided to form the Libertarian Party, both nationally and in Minnesota, were criticized by others in the Objectivist movement, and by Ayn Rand herself. Clearly, these were people who wanted to put their beliefs into action. For that we are in debt to their courage and persistence.

In 1974, Rich Kleinow and Claudia Jensen were the first two candidates for the Libertarian Party of Minnesota, on the ballot for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively.

Dale Hemming, the twelfth member of the LPMN, worked vigorously on behalf of the party in the early years and ran for Congress in 1976 and 1978.

Many early members have moved to other places, and some have become inactive.

It should be noted that volunteer work in a young organization often creates "burnout" and "dropout." This is probably more true in a political party, trying to overcome the significant hurdles created by incumbent parties to stifle any new competition. Even so, many more individuals joined the LP of MN during the next few years, and at this time, there are still many active members with 20 years or more.

Elections

See: Libertarian Party of Minnesota Historical Election Results

Size and Influence

Year	Minimum Unique Voters	Signature Members (Dec)	LNC Total Donors 2004 - 2016 Or Active Members 1972 - 2003 (Dec)
2016	112,972	2,214	315
2015		2,043	171
2014	40,729	2,007	180
2013		1,977	213
2012	35,098	1,932	223
2011		1,868	221
2010		1,839	226
2009		1,817	234
2008	13,923	1,735	273
2007		(Nov) 1,629	(Nov) 207
2006	15	1,580	188
2005		1,405	272
2004	4,639		(Aug) 316
2003			270
2002			319
2001			376
2000	17,151		460
1999			441
1998	49,173		467
1997			368
1996	8,271		384
1995			239
1994	15,467		176
1993			148
1992	3,373		185
1991			152
1990			168
1989			148
1988	5,109		128
1987
1986	3,852
1985
1984	4,653
1983
1982	31,422
1981
1980	31,593
1979
1978	4,116
1977
1976	7,004
1975
1974	2,115
1973
1972	35

Past Officials and staff

Lee Brennise, chair
Rex Johnson, treasurer, secretary
Bob Odden, vice chair

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External links

• Official Libertarian Party of Minnesota website