Libertarian Party of Iowa

	Libertarian Party of Iowa
	General Information
Chartered:	April 19, 1975
Region:	6
	Officers
Chair:	James Schneider
Vice-Chair:	Ed Wright
Secretary:	Joseph Howe
Treasurer:	Sarah Mitchell
	Contact
Address:	PO Box 7256; Des Moines, IA 50309
Website:	Website
	Social Media
Facebook:	Facebook

The Libertarian Party of Iowa is the Iowa affiliate of the Libertarian Party. In April 1975, 10 people gathered in Ames, Iowa to approve the Constitution of the Libertarian Party of Iowa and to apply for national party affiliation.^[1] In 2017, the party qualified for major party status after Gary Johnson received over 2% of the vote in the Presidential election. ^[2]

Leadership

At-Large Representative: Daniel Zwick
At-Large Representative: Jules Ofenbakh
District 1: Myra Matejka
District 2: Joey Speak
District 3: Jocelyn Fry
District 4: Shawn Dietz

Past Chairs

see List of Chairs of the Libertarian Party of Iowa

Other Past Officers and State Executive Committee Members

see List of Past Officers and State Executive Committee Members

History

The Libertarian Party of Iowa was founded in April of 1975, four years after the national party, by a small group of mostly young adults dissatisfied with the direction our country was heading. Dr. Bill Bockhoven was our first Chairman. Other members included Bill's wife Doris, John Ball (our first governor's candidate), Gary Roewe, Ben Olson, his mother, Dorothy, and two others. These members promoted Libertarian ideals by speaking to small groups throughout the state and running for public office. They were active in Ed Clark's 1980 presidential campaign, helping him earn the second highest percentage vote totals for any Libertarian presidential candidate.

The party dissolved in 1985 when several of the founding members began families or moved out of state. The party also faced financial problems.

Members of the National Libertarian Party living in Iowa came together to reestablish the state party with a new charter in 1987. Previously, memberships in the national and state party were separate. A new program called the United Membership Program (UMP) allowed members to join both parties for a single fee with the proceeds being split evenly with the national party handling the record keeping and renewal functions.

Over the next 15 years, the party continued to grow in membership and won several local elections. In 1996, theparty had approximately 80 dues-paying members.. he party's first official newsletter was named “Prairie Fire”. By the 1990s the name was changed to “Libertarians in Action” (LIA) because an Iowa socialist group had also began using the name “Prairie Fire” for their newsletter and to get the word Libertarian into the title. Throughout the 1990's and well into the first decade of the 21st century 500 printed copies of Libertarian's in Action were mailed out to members and interested people 4 to 6 times a year. “LIA” is no longer published.

In 1997 the party began its internet presence with a web page at www.LPIA.org promoting party principles and events. This web page remains the official party page. The LPIA began its Facebook presence in 2006.

In 2002, Clyde Cleveland of Fairfield spent a year of his life to travel the state and raised nearly $70,000 dollars in his campaign for Iowa Governor. He recruited members to run for nearly every statewide office and authored a book, Restoring the Heart of America, to promote the ideals of his candidacy. In addition to Cleveland, Hughie Tweedie of Montrose ran a very active campaign for state house. His actions and message were felt beyond his state house race, across Iowa and into the Southern tri-state area. Because of their efforts membership in the state party swelled to over 250 in 2004.

The national party decided to end their UMP policy in 2005. Members could no longer pay a single fee to become a member of both the state and national party. This confusion caused membership in the state party to fall to only 23 members in July of 2006. According to former LPIA Secretary Kevin Litten, the party had no money coming in to run its functions. The bylaws were rewritten to include voting (dues paying) or supporting members. An effort was made to inform members of the change and recruit expired members. By the end of 2006 voting membership was back up to nearly 100. The party had to cease its 500+ newsletter mailings and the Executive Committee lost some key members after a disagreement over dues.

In 2005, with the help of the ACLU, the Libertarian Party of Iowa and the Green Party sued the Secretary of State’s office. In 2007, the Secretary of State’s office settled the lawsuit and in 2008, Iowan’s could register as Libertarians. The state offered the Iowa LP Non-Political Party Status (NPPO) beginning in January 2008. By the end of 2008 the party had nearly 1100 voters who had switched their registration to LIB (Libertarian Party).^[3] In 2014, Secretary of State candidate Jake Porter uncovered a database error that was preventing thousands of Iowans to register as members of the Libertarian and Green parties. The issue was resolved with help from the Iowa Senate Democrats.

In 2016, Presidential candidate Gary Johnson received over 2% of the vote in the general election which gave the party major party status which allows the party to hold special conventions and primary elections. In 2017, Bryan Jack Holder became the first Libertarian to run as a major party candidate in his special election for Iowa House District 22. As of November 2017, the party had 9,517 registered Libertarians in the state. In order to maintain major party status, the party must receive at least 2% in the race for Iowa Governor in 2018. Former Secretary of State candidate Jake Porter is facing Marco Battaglia in the first Libertarian Primary for Governor.

See LPIA History By Kevin Litten

Timeline

1975: The Libertarian Party of Iowa is chartered on April 19, 1975.

1979: A chapter is formed at the University of Iowa called Hawkeye Libertarians by Randall Grant and Michael Lewis.^[4]

1985: The Libertarian Party of Iowa files dissolution paperwork with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board when party Chair Michael Lewis moved out of state.^[5]

1987: The party takes out an ad in the Cedar Rapids Gazette on March 11, 1987, and announces that it will be reorganizing with Tim Hird as the acting state chairman

1997: LPIA.org is established

LPIA.org in 1999

2004: Richard Campagna from Iowa City, Iowa wins the Libertarian nomination for Vice President.

2005: The ACLU files a lawsuit against the Iowa Secretary of State's office to allow Iowans to register as members of the Green and Libertarian parties.

2007: The Iowa Secretary of State settles the lawsuit filed by the ACLU and allows Iowa voters to register as members of the Libertarian and Green parties. ^[6]

2014: Jake Porter runs for Secretary of State and works with the Iowa Senate Democrats and the Iowa Secretary of State's office to fix a database issue at the Department of Transportation which prevented thousands of Iowans from registering as members of the Libertarian and Green parties.; Douglas Butzier was killed in a plane crash in Dubuque weeks before the election while flying back from Des Moines while campaigning for U.S. Senate.^[7]

2016: The state party achieves major party status after Gary Johnson receives over 2% of the voter for President. Major party status gives the party access to have primaries.

2017: The state party officially files for major party status in Iowa.; Libertarian Party of Iowa files for major party status in 2017.
Bryan Holder becomes the first Libertarian to run as a major party candidate in the Iowa House District 22 Special Election. ^[8]

Affiliates

Iowa currently has nine county affiliates.

Awards

The Golden Crock Award

Elections

See: Libertarian Party of Iowa Historical Election Results

Size and Influence

Year	Minimum Unique Voters	Registered Voters (Oct/Nov)	Signature Members (Dec)	LNC Total Donors 2004 - 2016 Or Active Members 1972 - 2003 (Dec)
2016	59,186	8,366	1,157	207
2015			1,027	119
2014	36,945	4,632	1,009	101
2013			990	127
2012	12,926	2,203	960	146
2011			906	123
2010	33,854	1,416	884	126
2009			861	132
2008	4,590	762	834	131
2007			(Nov) 790	(Nov) 116
2006	5,735		774	94
2005			714	153
2004	15,218			(Aug) 190
2003				194
2002	49,206			181
2001				267
2000	17,542			219
1999				200
1998				204
1997				167
1996	3,311			147
1995				85
1994	2,772			62
1993				44
1992	1,076			64
1991				57
1990				61
1989				64
1988	2,494			53
1987
1986
1985
1984	1,844
1983
1982	4,507
1981
1980	13,123
1979
1978	3,947
1977
1976	1,454
1975
1974
1973
1972