Mary O'Conner won a city council seat here!

She's the Libertarian I voted for. Fantastic!

[I've been trying to post this news all day, but apparently I wasn't the only one with something to say today.]

We've also added a few Libertarians in local seats around the state.

LP press release:

For release: November 3, 2004



NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY:
Badnarik earns about 376,000 votes, tops third party competition



AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik appears to have earned approximately 376,000 votes, which is more than the Green and Constitution party candidates combined, and about the same as the party received in 2000.

"Mr. Badnarik's campaign touched millions of voters and helped to increase the size and strength of the Libertarian Party, which means we'll have a bigger platform in 2008," said Joseph Seehusen, Libertarian Party executive director.

"By getting on more ballots and earning more votes than our third party competition, we've proved once again that we're America's real third party."

Badnarik, 50, a computer programmer from Austin, Texas, was nominated in May at the party's national convention in Atlanta and campaigned across the country on a message of limited government, lower taxes and ending the war in Iraq.

Badnarik's total of 376,347 votes continued to increase on Wednesday as late vote counts trickled in. Trailing behind were the Constitution Party's Michael Peroutka, with about 129,530 votes, and the Green Party's David Cobb, with 105,168. Badnarik's name appeared on 48 state ballots, plus D.C., compared to 35 for Peroutka and 27 for Cobb.

In 2000, Libertarian Party presidential candidate Harry Browne garnered 376,123 votes.

Returns also showed Badnarik earning more than 1 percent in eight states: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts and Texas.

Seehusen acknowledged that one of the campaign's goals -- having an impact on the outcome of the Bush-Kerry race by winning votes from fiscal conservatives in swing states such as New Mexico, Nevada and Wisconsin -- went unfulfilled.

"Apparently many fiscal conservatives decided to stick with Bush instead of sending him a message," he said. "Unfortunately the country will pay a price for that, because government will continue to expand relentlessly under Republican rule."

Independent candidate Ralph Nader edged out Badnarik by about 17,000 votes, noted Seehusen, adding: "That proves once again how much celebrity candidates benefit from the media coverage that is showered upon them."

Nonetheless, Seehusen said, Badnarik's campaign achieved important goals, such as building the party's name recognition by running nationwide television ads; recruiting new members and candidates; and educating the public about the Libertarian alternative.

"We're still the nation's largest and most successful third party, with 600 Libertarians in local offices nationwide who are saving taxpayers an average of $1 billion a year," he said. "Right now we're in the process of finding out how many more Libertarians were elected to local offices on Election Day."


For additional information:
George Getz, Communications Director
(202) 333-0008 ext. 222
GeorgeGetz@HQ.LP.ORG

www.LP.org