Carla Howell

Carla A. Howell is a Massachusetts former chair, candidate, and organizer who presently serves as the national party Executive Director, taking over from Wes Benedict on 14 December 2011.

She is a co-founder of the Center for Small Government.

She served as chair of the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts from 1997-1999.

She has been on hundreds of televised interviews and debates since 2000.

Harry Browne Campaign

In 1996 she filled Faneuil Hall and Parker House for a Harry Browne fundraiser -- the same place John F Kennedy announced his 1960 run.

Petition Drives

She successfully headed five petition drives in 1998, 2000, and 2002.

Tax Initiatives

2002 Statewide Ballot Question 1

Heavily opposed by various groups, the petition to end the state income tax came very close to succeeding at 45%.

2008 Statewide Ballot Question 1

Facing even more opposition, the second attempt to eliminate the state income tax was less successful than the first, with 30%.

2010 State Sales Tax Rollback

She and Michael Cloud proposed rolling back the state sales tax from 6.25% to 3%. It got 966,973 votes.

Campaigns

1998 -- State Auditor

• Recieved a mainstream endorsement from the Boston Herald.
• Got 102,198 votes

2000 -- US Senate

• Raised $821,000
• Recieved 308.860 votes -- 12% -- in a three way US Senate race, the highest in party history

2002 -- Governor

• Ran against Mitt Romney
• Got 23,044 votes in a six-way race.

Media

She wrote and performed the song How Could I Live Without Filing Taxes in 2001.

Preceded by: Wes Benedict

Libertarian Party Executive Director 2011-present

Succeeded by: