January 17, 2014

For the first time, the Libertarian Party of Minnesota will be holding caucus-style events the week of February 3rd-8th, to lay the groundwork to support Libertarian candidates in the 2014 election and to achieve major party status! Each event will be open to the public.

Many people know that the major parties typically hold caucuses to elect delegates and vote in a straw poll for Governor, however, the LPMN is not electing delegates or conducting a straw poll at this time. Instead, as a minor party we will be holding elections for affiliate officers within each Congressional District, conducting petition training, recruiting candidates, and promoting more “community” within the Libertarian Party as a whole.

Recent polls have shown that many in the public are ready for another party to challenge the Democrats and Republicans. If you are not satisfied with your current options, you are welcome to join us! If you would like to attend another party’s caucus, you can still participate at your local “Liberty Launch” event as ours is not an “official” caucus. The only requirement is that attendees be in general agreement with the principles of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota.

What will happen at the “Liberty Launch 2014” events happening in each Congressional District around the state? Here is an overview.

1. Elect affiliate officers who work to organize political activities within the CD. This includes taking stances on local issues, encouraging grassroots activism, assisting with outreach at public events, recruiting candidates, and helping with campaign efforts. The election will be for the following: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and four At-Large positions. If a person is interested in becoming active with the party, now is the time to jump in! Candidates for affiliate officers must join as a LPMN member before being nominated at the event.

2. Petition training. As a minor party, we are required to petition for ballot access. We are offering a segment on best practices and tips. We’re allowed only a two-week period to gather the signatures, May 20th through June 3rd, so we’ll need a lot of hands on deck. How much is involved? For a statewide candidate, we need a minimum of 2,000 valid signatures. For congressional races it will be 1,000 signatures, and for state legislative races it will be 500 signatures.

3. Candidate recruitment. For interested candidates, come out to your Liberty Launch kickoff event. The time to get started is now. Running for office is an excellent way to promote libertarian ideals. We are here to help!

See the listings below for the date and location of your local “Liberty Launch 2014” event. These are also posted on our events calendar. If you are unsure which CD you are in, this map will assist you. Please “join” the Facebook event for your CD, so you can hear any last-minute updates and we can plan for seating and distribution of materials.

This is a great opportunity for liberty supporters to meet like-minded folks and to find out what role you can play in a growing Libertarian Party!

Liberty Launch 2014 Locations

Congressional District 1-West Friday, February 7 @ 6:30pm Lola’s Larkspur Market

16 North Minnesota Street

New Ulm, MN 56073 Convener: Joel Brinker – Email Facebook event Congressional District 1-East Thursday, February 6 @ 6:30pm Michael’s Restaurant

15 South Broadway

Rochester, MN 55904 Convener: Andy Burns- Email Congressional District 2 Friday, February 7 @ 7pm Apple Valley Rec Center

14603 Hayes Road

Apple Valley, MN 55124 Convener: Tylor Slinger – Email Facebook event Congressional District 3 Monday, February 3 @ 7pm

Grizzly’s Bar & Grill

220 Carlson Parkway North

Plymouth, MN 55447 Convener: Andy Burns – Email Facebook event Congressional District 4

Saturday, February 8 @ 6:30pm

O’Gara’s

164 Snelling Ave South

St. Paul, MN 55104 Convener: Kevin Bradley – Email Facebook event Congressional District 5 Thursday, February 6 @ 7pm Legends Bar & Grill

825 East Hennepin Avenue

Minneapolis, MN 55414 Convener: Olga Parsons – Email Facebook event Congressional District 6 Wednesday, February 5 @ 7pm Chatters Restaurant

4181 Cedar Street

Monticello, MN 55362 Convener: Michelle O’Keefe – Email Facebook Event Congressional District 7 Friday, February 7 @ 7pm The Spot Restaurant

220 West Lincoln Avenue

Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Convener: John Hermann – Email Facebook event Congressional District 8 Saturday, February 8 @ 2pm Beaner’s Central Coffeehouse

324 North Central Avenue

Duluth, MN 55807 Convener: Ray Whitledge – Email Facebook event



Concerned about the expansion of government control and the erosion of individual liberty? Please consider joining and becoming active with the Libertarian Party of Minnesota. Libertarians support liberty on all issues, all the time! Libertarianism is a philosophical and political movement to promote personal freedom, strong civil liberties, a genuinely free marketplace, and peace.

