Libertarian Party of South Dakota
The Libertarian Party of South Dakota is the South Dakota affiliate of the national Libertarian Party. The current state party chair is Gideon Oakes.
Libertarian Party of South Dakota | |
---|---|
Chairperson | Gideon Oakes |
Founded | 1971 |
Ideology | Libertarianism |
National affiliation | Libertarian Party |
Colors | Gold; Blue |
Website | |
http://LPSouthDakota.org/ | |
2019-2021 executive committee
- Gideon Oakes, state chair
- Greg Baldwin, vice-chair
- Daryl Root, treasurer
- Ashley Strand, secretary
- Devin Saxon, communications director
- Nicole Fosheim, membership director
- Kent Wilsey, at-large member
- Tara Volesky, at-large member
- Garrid Baldwin, at-large member
2017-2019 executive committee
- Aaron Aylward, state chair
- Richard Shelatz, vice-chair
- Daryl Root, treasurer
- Tracey Quint, communications director
- Greg Baldwin, membership director
- Gideon Oakes, at-large member
2015-2017 executive committee
- Jon Boon McNutt, state chair
- Richard Shelatz, vice-chair
- Daryl Root, treasurer
- Scott Baldwin, membership director
- Sean Metz, West River at-large member
- Ken Santema, East River at-large member
Background
The Libertarian Party of South Dakota aims to promote Libertarian policies and support Libertarian candidates throughout the state. According to the secretary of state's office, there were approximately 1,930 registered Libertarian voters in South Dakota as of April 2020.
In 2006, South Dakota's Libertarian nominees for governor and attorney general received 1.0 percent and 2.7 percent of the vote respectively. In 2012, the Libertarian nominee for public utilities commissioner received 5.7 percent. During the 2014 election cycle, the party nominated Libertarian candidates to challenge unopposed Republican candidates in three statewide races. Chad Haber, the 2014 Libertarian nominee for attorney general, received 18.0 percent of the vote. Kurt Evans, the party's 2014 nominee for state auditor, received 20.1 percent, and John English, the 2014 nominee for commissioner of school and public lands, received 23.5 percent.