The Libertarian Party of Florida (LPF) is the state affiliate of the Libertarian National Committee in Florida. Founded in 1987, it is committed to the principles of limited government, individual freedom, and personal responsibility.
Current Executive Committee
The current executive committee was elected during the annual convention on January 21, 2024, in Jacksonville, Florida.
Officers
Chair: Josh Hlavka
Vice-Chair: Jerry "Tub" Rorabagh
Secretary: Lisa Gansky
Treasurer: Brianna Pacheco-Jones
At-Large Directors
Edward R. Appler
Matt Johnson
Lee Korotzer
Regional Representatives
Matt Rice (Region 1)
[Vacant for Region 2 and 3]
Leon Armstrong (Region 4)
Rachel McCauley (Region 5)
Andrew Parrot (Region 6)
Beth Johnson (Region 7)
David Moscrip (Region 8)
Eric Montgomery (Region 9)
Rich Bowen (Region 10)
[Vacant for Region 11]
John Paff (Region 12)
Diona Kozma (Region 13)
Hector Roos (Region 14)
Voter Registration
Libertarian voter registration in the state of Florida has experienced significant growth.[2]
In 2016, the Libertarians held their first statewide primary for the US Senate.[6] The primary featured two main candidates: attorney Augustus Sol Invictus and veteran Paul Stanton. This election gained significant attention due to notable controversies and developments:
- **Augustus Sol Invictus**: Invictus garnered attention for his controversial cultural views associated with the alt-right. Additionally, reports surfaced alleging that he had been involved in a ritualistic act of sacrificing a goat and consuming its blood. These allegations led to significant controversy within the party and contributed to the resignation of then-chairman Adrian Wyllie.[7]
- **Paul Stanton**: Stanton, a veteran, emerged as the other candidate in the primary. He ultimately secured victory with a substantial margin of nearly 50%.
This primary marked a significant moment in the history of the Libertarian Party, demonstrating its growth and evolving influence in statewide elections.
In 2014, the Libertarian Party ran their first state executive ticket, with Adrian Wyllie for governor, Greg Roe for lieutenant governor, and Bill Wohlsifer for attorney general. The Wyllie/Roe ticket garnered 3.8% of the vote, a record for the Libertarians in Florida.[9] Wohlsifer got under that, with 2.9% of the vote.[10] The highest percentage that the Wyllie/Roe ticket got in a county was in Citrus County, where they received 7% of the vote.[11]
Down ballot, Lucas Overby got the second highest percentage a Libertarian has ever gotten in a house election, with 24.7% of the vote.[12] Many people at the time attributed it to the lack of a Democrat on the ballot.[13]
In 2010, the Libertarian Party of Florida (LPF) made significant strides by fielding a statewide candidate for the first time, namely Alexander Snitker, who ran for U.S. Senate.[25]
In the subsequent 2012 election, the Libertarian Party of Florida fielded multiple candidates for various positions:
Calen Fretts[26] for Florida's 1st congressional district.
Peter Richter.[27]
Franklin Perez.
Jonathan Loesche[28] for the Florida House of Representatives.
Additionally, the LPF fielded several candidates for various county and municipal races across the state.
In 2012, the Libertarian Party of Florida faced legal action when Franklin Perez, the 2012 Libertarian candidate for the Florida State House of Representatives (District 28), sued the party. The lawsuit arose from the LPF's failure to refund a candidate filing fee after de-vetting Perez and removing him from the party's state website. The courts ultimately awarded Perez $620.[29][30]
Presidential nominee results
Since 1972, the Libertarian Party has run a candidate for President of the United States. The candidate who has received the highest vote total in Florida was Gary Johnson in 2016. In every election year after 1984 the Libertarian Party has gained ballot access in Florida.
Jamie Beckett, city commission, Winter Haven Seat 4, 2009–2013[36]
Dennis Lipp, town council, Loxahatchee Groves Seat 5, 2009–2011[37]
Gary Gerstein, community council, Fischer Island Seat 161-B, 2014–[34]
Keon A. Grayson, community council, North Central Seat 83, 2016–[34]
Marialexandra Garcia, Supervisor Community Development District, Islands at Doral III Seat 4, 2016–[34]
Marco Alvarez, Jr., Supervisor Community Development District, Century Gardens Village Seat 1, 2016–[34]
Kenneth Mertz, Port Authority Board, Fernandina Beach, 2002–2010[38]
Janet Hawkins, Port Authority Board, Seminole County, 1997–200[39][40]
Bob Rettie, Zoning Board Vice Chair, Fort Walton Beach, 2002–2006[41]
Steven A. Reid, Board of Adjustment Chairman, Gainesville, 2004–2010[33]
Michael Ferber, Board of Adjustment, Fort Lauderdale, 2002–2010[33]
Mark Clifford, Parks and Recreation Board, Seminole County, 2002–2004[33]
Matthew Bymaster, Soil and Water Board, Palm Beach County Soil and Water Group 2, 2016–[34]
Bruce Reichert, Soil and Water Board, Collier County Soil and Water Seat 1, 2015–[34]
Marc Tancer, Supervisor Soil and Water Board, Palm Beach Seat 1, 2015–[42]
Larry Frego, Soil and Water Conservation District, St. Johns County Group 2, 2010–2014[43]
Greg Gimbert, Soil and Water Board, Volusia County District 2, 2014–[42]
Ron Skrutski, Soil and Water Board, Lee County Seat 2, 2010–2014[44]
J. Adam Mitchell, Soil and Water Board, Collier County Seat 4, 2008–2012[45][unreliable source]
Adam Mitchell, Soil and Water Board, Collier County Seat 4, 2008–2012[46]
Howard Horowitz, Soil and Water Board, Palm Beach County Seat 4, 2008–2012[47]
Jeff Hunt, Soil and Water Board, Duval County Seat 2, 2008–2012[48]
Jack Tanner, Soil and Water Board, Lee County Seat 4, 2008–2012[49]
Kim Hawk, Soil and Water Board, Lee County Seat 5, 2006–2010[50]
Tom Clark, Soil and Water Board, Lee County Seat 3, 2006–2010[51]
Bob Waterhouse, Soil and Water Board, Charlotte County, 2006–2014[52]
Frank Longo, Soil and Water Conservation Board Vice Chair, Palm Beach County Group 2, 2002–2008[33]
Phil Blumel, Soil and Water Board, Palm Beach County Seat 4, 2002–2008[33]
Michael Barr, Soil and Water Conservation District Chairman, Seminole County, 2002–2006[53][54]
Brad Cline, Soil and Water Board Secretary, Palm Beach County Seat 4, 2002–2008[33]
Leslee Berryman, Soil and Water Conservation District Secretary, Seminole County, 2002–2006[54][55]
Dean Concannon, Soil and Water Conservation District, Seminole County, 2002–2006[53][54]
Carol Morris, Fire District Board, Fort Myers Seat 3, 2014–[42]
Jim Culberson, Taxing District, Sebastian Inlet Area 5, 2004–2014[56]
Richard D. Paul, Mosquito Control District, Lee County Area 4, 2014–[42]
Tracy Lundquist, Hospital Authority, West Volusia County Group A Seat 1, 2008–2012[57]
State Conventions
2015
In 2015, the LPF convention was held in New Port Richey, Florida.
2016
The 2016 state convention was held in West Palm Beach in April. During convention, state delegates voted in James Morris as treasurer, Suzanne Gilmore as secretary, and Russ Wood as director at Large (2) to their respective offices. State delegates also voted on individuals to send as delegates and alternate delegates to the Libertarian National Convention the following month in Orlando.
2017
The LPF's 2017 convention was held May 5–7 in Cocoa Beach at the International Palms Resort.[58] The offices of chair, vice chair, director at large seats 1 and 3 were up for election. Marcos Miralles of Miami-Dade County defeated Char-Lez Braden (Incumbent) in the chair's race. Omar Recuero (incumbent) of Broward County, defeated past chair (2013–2015) Dana Moxley-Cummings of Pasco County for the vice chair seat. Director-at-large seat 1 was contested between Alison Foxall (Incumbent) of Sarasota County, Thomas Knapp of Alachua County, and Steven Nekhaila of Monroe County. Alison Foxall defeated both. Director-at-large seat 3 was contested by newcomer Greg Peele Jr. of Orange County, and chair of Collier County Libertarian Party, Rob Tolp. Mr. Tolp was defeated by Greg Peele Jr. by a large margin.
2018
The Libertarian Party of Florida's 2018 state convention was held in Fort Walton Beach, Fla, February 24–26.
2019
The Libertarian Party of Florida's 2019 state convention was held in Tampa from May 3–5, 2019.[59]
2020
The Libertarian Party of Florida held its Annual Business Meeting and Convention in Orlando, Feb 21 to Feb. 23.
2021
The Libertarian Party of Florida held its Annual Business Meeting and Convention in Lakeland, June 11 to Feb. 13.
2022
The Libertarian Party of Florida held its Annual Business Meeting and Convention in Melbourne, Feb 25 to Feb. 27.
2022
The Libertarian Party of Florida held its Annual Business Meeting and Convention in Kissimmee, April 21 to April 23.
^"Larry Frego". Libertarian Party. 2012-01-02. Archived from the original on 2012-01-02. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Ron Skrutski". Libertarian Party. 2012-01-02. Archived from the original on 2012-01-02. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Adam Mitchell". Libertarian Party. 2012-01-02. Archived from the original on 2012-01-02. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Libertarian Party". Howard Horowitz. 2012-01-02. Archived from the original on 2012-01-02. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Jeff Hunt". Libertarian Party. 2010-02-22. Archived from the original on 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Jack Tanner". Libertarian Party. 2010-02-22. Archived from the original on 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Kim Hawk". Libertarian Party. 2009-11-24. Archived from the original on 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Tom Clark". Libertarian Party. 2010-02-22. Archived from the original on 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Bob Waterhouse". Libertarian Party. 2010-02-22. Archived from the original on 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Jim Culberson". Libertarian Party. 2010-02-22. Archived from the original on 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Tracy Lundquist". Libertarian Party. 2010-02-22. Archived from the original on 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2021-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
