Jake Leonard

Jake Leonard
Treasurer Libertarian Party of Illinois
January 2026—
Predecessor:	Russ Clark
Successor:	Incumbent
Political Director Libertarian Party of Illinois
January 2023—April 2026
Predecessor:	VACANT (05/2022 - 01/2023)
Successor:	Vacant
State Central Committeeman, 15th Congressional Libertarian Party of Illinois
April 2024—
Predecessor:	John Phillips
Successor:	Incumbent
State Central Committeeman, 13th Congressional Libertarian Party of Illinois
April 2018—April 2020
Predecessor:	???
Successor:	Andrew Apel
Personal Details
Birth:	November 21, 1986 Aransas Pass, Texas
Occupation:	Computer technician since 2004 Freelance journalist since 2008
Residence:	Nokomis, Illinois
Party:	Independent (2005-2008, 2010) Tea Party (2008-2010) Libertarian (2010-present)
Media
Website:	http://www.jakeleonardforliberty.com https://www.heartlandnewsfeed.com
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Jake Leonard is a small business owner and freelance journalist from Nokomis, Illinois. He is the current Treasurer and State Central Committeeman in the 15th Congressional District for the Libertarian Party of Illinois. Leonard previously served as Deputy Candidate Recruitment Director, Candidate Recruitment Director, two tenures as Political Director and State Central Committeeman in the 13th Congressional District.

Since June 2025, he is an elected member of the Nokomis Township Public Library District Board of Trustees and currently serves as the Board President.

Local party leadership

Leonard established a local affiliate of the state party, Tri-Counties Libertarian Party, in 2015. The affiliate reached out to members based in Montgomery, Christian, and Shelby counties in Illinois. Leonard would serve as chairman of the affiliate until its self-dissolution in June 2022.

In January 2024, the affiliate was revived and rebranded as ChrisMont Libertarian Central Committee, refocusing efforts on Montgomery and Christian counties. As of April 2026, the affiliate is still in reformation/redevelopment stage. Currently, Leonard serves as Executive Director and Montgomery County Chairman.

Since 2018, the Libertarian Party of Illinois holds their officer elections at county conventions, which limits voting to elected/appointed precinct committeepersons across 101 counties, and elected township committeepersons and elected Chicago city ward committeepersons in Cook County. There is a 120-day seasoning period prior to county conventions. Leonard represents his home precinct of Nokomis 4 in Montgomery County.

Tri-Counties Libertarian Party

Chairman (2015 - June 2022)

ChrisMont Libertarian Central Committee

Executive Director (January 2024 - Present)

Montgomery County Chairman (January 2024 - Present)

Precinct Committeeperson

Precinct Committeeman, Nokomis 4 (2018 - Present)

State and national party leadership

Leonard joined the Libertarian Party in 2010, and became active in the Libertarian Party of Illinois in 2013.

In September 2017, Leonard was tapped by Political Director Scott Schluter as Deputy Director of Candidate Recruitment under Jasen Howard. He would serve in that position until March 19, 2019, when he was elevated to fill Howard's vacancy due to resignation related to a job move out of state. During his tenure, Leonard was elected to the State Central Committee for the 13th Congressional District, serving from March 2018 until the end of his term in March 31, 2020.

Leonard would serve as Candidate Recruitment Director under Kyle Symons' position as Political Director was vacated. Then-Chair Bennett Morris appointed Leonard as interim Political Director on November 1, 2019 until confirmed by the party's Board of Directors on November 19. Leonard would appoint Kevin Kauzlaric to fill his former position in Candidate Recruitment.

Leonard held that position until June 2022, where he resigned citing many factors in relation to the 2022 national convention. After a hiatus from the party, he was reappointed to the role in January 2023.

At the 2024 Libertarian Party of Illinois county conventions, Leonard was elected to the State Central Committee for the 15th Congressional District.

Leonard was elected to Treasurer and re-elected as State Central Committeeman for the 15th Congressional District at the 2026 county conventions.

Leonard is a two-time award recipient in relation to his activities with the state party.

For roughly a year during the administration of Joe Bishop-Henchman, Leonard served on the Libertarian National Committee's Ballot Access Committee.

Libertarian Party of Illinois - Officer/Divisional Director History

September 2017 - March 2019: Appointed as Deputy Candidate Recruitment Director

March 2019 - November 2019: Promoted to Candidate Recruitment Director

November 1, 2019: Appointed as Interim Political Director

November 19, 2019: Confirmed as official Political Director - resigned in June 2022

January 2023: Reappointed to Political Director - resigned in April 2026 following election to Treasurer

April 2026: Elected to Treasurer

Libertarian Party of Illinois - State Central Committee History

2018 - 2020: SCC Representative, 13th Congressional District

2024 - Present: SCC Representative, 15th Congressional District

Libertarian National Committee History

2020: Delegate seated with the Libertarian Party of Illinois in the two-phase hybrid national convention.

2021 - 2022: Ballot Access Committee - appointed by Joe Bishop-Henchman

Candidate history

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. He would run for city office three more times, twice for city commissioner in 2019 and 2023 and in a special election for mayor in 2021.

In 2017, Leonard made the ballot for Nokomis CUSD #22 Board of Education, finishing last in a nine-way race.

In November 2024, Leonard filed paperwork in an uncontested bid for a full six-year term for library trustee of the Nokomis Township Public Library District for the 2025 consolidated election cycle. Since June 2025, he serves as the Board President of the library's Board of Trustees.

Leonard ran two write-in campaigns in 2016 for Illinois House District 95 and in 2018 for Montgomery County Clerk & Recorder.

Campaign work in the party

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. For a short term prior to the 2016 Libertarian National Convention, Leonard was a state coordinator in Illinois for Steve Kerbel's short-lived bid for the presidential nomination.

In 2018, Leonard worked 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.

Other details

Leonard made his first appearance as a seated alternate with the Illinois delegation during the Phase Two Libertarian National Convention in 2020.

Leonard is the executive editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed, one of the few independent non-corporate Libertarian-owned and operated news media outlets in the country. He also manages and programs its sister radio and podcast networks Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, Revolution Radio, and Heartland Newsfeed Podcast Network. He also serves as managing editor of Ambush Sports Network.

He also owns a firm in the tech sector, Heartland Internet Media Networks, which now serves as a subsidiary and the Midwestern base of operations for Pennsylvania-based Dynamacore.

Election results

See Election history and results for Jake Leonard.