Ryan Ramsey
| Ryan Ramsey | |
| Region 4 Representative Libertarian Party of Florida | |
| 2016—present | |
| Predecessor: | Unknown |
| Successor: | Incumbent |
| Personal Details | |
| Birth: | 1977 |
| Party: | Libertarian Party |
Ryan Ramsey is the current Libertarian Party of Florida Region 4 Representative, serving his second term in the position during 2017. He was unanimously elected both terms. He is also the founder and current Chair of the Bradford County Affiliate, and a 2018 candidate for Florida House of Representatives, District 19. He is a US Navy Veteran and founder of the national LP Veteran's Caucus. He is the singer and guitarist of the liberty oriented band "Lovecrime", hosts a podcast, and writes extensively, using his website to warehouse his variety of content. Outside of the LPF, he is involved in a number of liberty oriented civic activist organizations.
- He is a co-founder and current Director of the non-partisan "Florida Liberty Project", which focuses on state legislation. Current projects include the "Jason Westcott Body Camera Bill", which mandates body cameras on Florida LEO's and implements uniform standards. He became active in the LPF after finding a lack of will among GOP or DNC officials to sponsor the legislation, deciding he would help elect Libertarians in order to move his growing liberty agenda in Tallahassee. He has been working on the bill with Jason Westcott's mother since the fall of 2014. A repeal of Florida's "Paramilitary Training Act", contractor licensing reform designed to create more entrepreneurship in construction trades, and various gun rights bills are also current projects.
- He is the founder of Jacksonville Open Carry, where he joined with gun rights activists across the state in a series of public demonstrations known as "fish-ins". Under threat of arrest, he led Jacksonville's first demonstration with a small group. Exploiting a loophole allowing open carry while fishing, activists in multiple cities open carried in public areas in a coordinated manner. These became monthly events, in many cities across Florida, that continue to grow. This initial effort galvanized Florida's firearms community, and led to the creation of Florida Carry Inc., one of the most successful grass roots political efforts in the country. It was his open carry activism with Florida Carry that brought him to the Florida Senate in the 2011 session, where he helped push SB-234 through Committee hearings, winning acclaim, and beginning his rise in Florida Politics. He compiled data from the CATO Institute's study of crimes committed by law enforcement, showing police are 22 1/2 times as likely as a Florida CCW permit holder to commit crimes resulting in loss of gun rights, making a powerful argument before a Senate Committee. This data is still used today in the fight for open carry rights in the state. A short documentary includes the audio of those first speeches before the Florida Senate. The bill became law in June, 2011. He continues to fight for open carry rights in Florida, successfully shepherding another open carry bill, this time through the Florida House in 2016, with help from his own Sheriff. It was killed by GOP Senate leadership.
Biography
Early Life
Born in Southern California in 1977, he was raised in the Los Angeles area. He was frequently harassed and assaulted for being white by the Hispanic majority in the area. This led to his involvement in the skinhead subculture, where he found protection and brotherhood. It also led to conflict with Marxist gangs known collectively as ANTIFA. In order to escape the violent Socialist nightmare of California, he enlisted in the US Navy, reporting for boot camp in June, 1995.
Military Service
He chose to be a Gunner's Mate, and attended US Naval Gunnery School in Great Lakes, Illinois, followed by Mk-13 Missile Launcher Technician School in the same location. He received orders to the USS Underwood, FFG-36. The ship was based at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida, and he reported for duty there in September 1996. Primarily engaged in drug interdiction operations in the Gulf of Mexico, he served on the boarding party. This experience caused him to begin questioning the drug war. In 1998 he was wrongfully arrested on a misdemeanor firearm charge. It was later dropped, but the experience solidified a growing hostility toward the government, and a desire to do something about it. He sent for materials from FIJA, and in 2000 handed out literature to potential jurors in Jacksonville, which was the start of his liberty activism. He was Honorably Discharged in June 1999, attaining the rank of Second Class Petty Officer.
Post Military and Conversion to Libertarianism
After his enlistment ended, he enrolled in a 4 year electrician apprenticeship program, graduating in June, 2003. He passed his Journeyman exam in Duval County a few weeks later. After his experience with left wing gangs in California he was determined to prevent their growth, and was part of a successful effort that rid North Florida and South Georgia of their presence. The cost was heavy though, and he began to realize that violence was not an effective means of making change. He also began to recognize the fact that most of the people ruining America were white liberals, and really couldn't justify focusing so much energy on race issues. He started to realize that the Marxists were pitting the various races against each other to enslave everyone, and started gravitating away from white nationalism toward Libertarianism. He began listening to Libertarian talk show host Neal Boortz, who made more sense than any of the Neo-Con Republican talk show hosts. Always an avid reader, he began reading works by various classical liberal and libertarian authors. The 2008 Presidential Campaign by Ron Paul was the final break with the GOP, and really pushed him into Libertarianism. He participated in the early "Tea Party" movement, in hopes of reforming the GOP, but soon that movement was co-opted, and he realized the Republicans were a lost cause. He decided to focus on politics closer to home, and founded Jacksonville Open Carry in 2010.
From Activist to LPF Officer
The successes in the gun rights arena led him to found the Florida Liberty Project with fellow Libertarian Brandi Hicks, to work on issues beyond just the 2nd Amendment. The two friends would later become lovers, and are still together. Finding no willing sponsors for the Jason Westcott Body Camera Bill, after meeting with legislators in the fall of 2014 with Jason's mother, Patti, the two decided it was time to get some Libertarians in Tallahassee.
They began attending LPF meetings in Duval County (Jacksonville), in early 2015. The Chair at the time was James Chipman, who would become a close friend and mentor. When Brandi moved in with Ryan he encouraged them to start an affiliate in Bradford County, which they did in the fall of 2015. About the same time Crystal Turner, former Region 4 Representative, moved out of state. Russ Wood was appointed to fill the vacancy in December 2015. Bradford County was the first affiliate in a barren 9 county region.
Alachua County had an affiliate at one time, but it had been defunct 10 years, and is site of the University of Florida was prime political real estate. Ryan had significant people capital and connections there, and Brandi had taken a job in Gainesville, the county seat. Ryan began to see a plan to organize the area. The small number of LPF members at the 2016 LPF convention cast their unanimous vote, and Ryan became the new Region 4 Representative.
He organized volunteers and events in support of Gary Johnson's campaign for President around the University of Florida, and successfully recruited a cadre of volunteers to form the Alachua LPF Affiliate. It began operating immediately, and was able to participate in campaign activities for the 2016 election. In October 2016, it was officially recognized by the LPF Executive Committee.
In May, 2017, a sizable delegation of Libertarians from Region 4 unanimously elected Ryan Ramsey to his second term as their representative. The newly elected LPF Chair, Marcos Miralles, immediately implemented a new program known as "Operation First Step". It was geared towards recruiting large numbers of candidates for local and county offices, especially unopposed or vacant seats. Due to LPF bylaws, county affiliates must approve any state level political activities in their area. The Libertarian Party of Bradford County Florida was the first to sign the agreement. A charismatic Miami Libertarian named Pierre Crevaux was heading up the program. He successfully recruited multiple candidates in Suwannee and Columbia counties. Ryan met with them and they agreed to form an affiliate in Columbia County. The Columbia County LPF affiliate became the 3rd affiliate in Region 4 in August 2017, just 16 months after Ryan's first election as Region Rep.
Organizational Positions
- Region 4 Representative (2016—present)
- Chair (2015—present)