Jake Leonard

Jake Leonard
Political Director Libertarian Party of Illinois
November 2019—Present
Predecessor:	Kyle Symons
Successor:	Incumbent
Chairman Tri-Counties Libertarian Party
January 1, 2015—Present
Predecessor:	None
Successor:	Incumbent
Candidate Recruitment Director Libertarian Party of Illinois
March 19, 2019—November 19, 2019
Predecessor:	Jasen Howard
Successor:	Kevin Kauzlaric
Personal Details
Birth:	November 21, 1986 Aransas Pass, Texas
Occupation:	business owner
Residence:	Nokomis, Illinois
Party:	Independent (2005-2008, 2010) Tea Party (2008-2010) Libertarian (2010-present)
Media
Website:	http://www.jakeleonardforliberty.com/
Facebook:	Facebook
Twitter:	Twitter

Jake Leonard is a business owner from Nokomis, Illinois. He is the current chairman of the Tri-Counties Libertarian Party and current Political Director for the Libertarian Party of Illinois. Leonard previously served as deputy candidate recruitment director (2017-2019), candidate recruitment director (2019) and state central committeeman (2018-2020). He is currently running for the Montgomery County Board in District 2, where two seats are up in the 2020 general election.

Political Involvement

Leonard has run for political office as early as 2015, starting with a non-partisan municipal position in Nokomis, Illinois as a write-in candidate for city commissioner. Two additional write-in campaigns took place in 2016 (Illinois House District 95) and 2018 (Montgomery County Clerk).

Leonard made the ballot in 2017 for the Nokomis CUSD #22 Board of Education and in 2019 for his second bid for city commissioner.

Leonard first worked as a volunteer campaign coordinator for the Mid-Illinois region in 2016 for presidential candidate Gary Johnson, U.S. Senate candidate Kenton McMillen and comptroller candidate Claire Ball.

On September 1, 2017, Leonard was appointed by Candidate Recruitment Director Jasen Howard to serve as Deputy Director. He would serve in that role until March 19, 2019.

Leonard was elected as State Central Committeeman in March 2018 for Illinois' 13th Congressional District. He would lose his re-election bid to Andrew Apel in 2020.

From May 2018 to November 2018, Leonard would work as Mid-Illinois campaign coordinator for gubernatorial candidate Kash Jackson and running mate Sanj Mohip, attorney general candidate Bubba Harsy, secretary of state candidate Steve Dutner, comptroller candidate Claire Ball and treasurer candidate Mike Leheney.

Leonard would be the recipient of two different promotions in 2019. The first was an appointment to Candidate Recruitment Director following Howard's resignation. Leonard would hold that position until November 1, when he was appointed as interim Political Director by state chair Bennett Morris. Kevin Kauzlaric was appointed by Leonard to fill the void in candidate recruitment

A unanimous vote by the Libertarian Party of Illinois Board of Directors on November 19, 2019 would make the appointment to Political Director official for Leonard.

Election Results

City of Nokomis Commissioner Election (2015)

Vote for four

Party	Candidate	Percent	Votes
Non-Partisan	Lance Lehnen (Incumbent)	31.59%	163
Non-Partisan	Jeanne Voyles (Incumbent)	29.07%	150
Non-Partisan	Timothy J. Brookshire (Incumbent)	25.19%	130
Write-In	Kent Voils	13.25%	59
Write-In	Jake Leonard	0.90%	7

Illinois House District 95 (2016)

Party	Candidate	Percent	Votes
Republican	Avery Bourne	56.90%	27,601
Democrat	Mike Mathis	43.08%	20,898
Write-In	Jake Leonard	0.01%	13

Nokomis CUSD #22 Board of Education (2017)

Vote for four

Party	Candidate	Percent	Votes
Non-Partisan	Dennis Bauman (Incumbent)	16.04%	541
Non-Partisan	Carl Fesser	15.51%	523
Non-Partisan	Jim Eisenbarth (Incumbent)	14.77%	498
Non-Partisan	Steven Janssen (Incumbent)	14.47%	488
Non-Partisan	Brian Chausse (Incumbent)	12.25%	413
Non-Partisan	John S. Crowe	25.19%	378
Non-Partisan	Tami Clymer	8.45%	285
Non-Partisan	Bruce L. Cox	5.75%	194
Non-Partisan	Jake Leonard	1.54%	52

Montgomery County, Illinois Clerk (2018)

Party	Candidate	Percent	Votes
Republican	Sandy Leitheiser	99.88%	27,601
Democrat	NO CANDIDATE	0.00%	0
Write-In	Jake Leonard	0.12%	13

City of Nokomis Commissioner Election (2019)

Vote for four

Party	Candidate	Percent	Votes
Non-Partisan	Jonathan R. "Jocko" Nash	21.16%	333
Non-Partisan	Michael D. Holliday	20.97%	330
Non-Partisan	Derek A. Durbin	19.57%	308
Non-Partisan	Ann Brookshire	17.73%	279
Non-Partisan	Kevin Laurie	16.14%	254
Non-Partisan	Jake Leonard	4.45%	70

Montgomery County Board District 2 (2020)

Vote for two

Party	Candidate	Percent	Votes
Republican	Gene Miles (inc)	0.00%	0
Republican	Jim Havera	0.00%	0
Libertarian	Jake Leonard	0.00%	0

References

[[Category: Illinois State Party Campaign Directors;;