The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin: Third Quarter 2022 Report to the
Libertarian National Committee
By Tim Krenz
October 26, 2022
Copyright 2022 ©
Libertarian Party of Wisconsin
The Libertarian
Party of Wisconsin (LPWI) in the months of July, August, and
September 2022 moved “FORWARD,” like the State of Wisconsin’s
official motto encourages everyone to do. As election day approaches
on November 8th, our state party chair, Jacob VandenPlas,
steps tantalizingly closer to pulling over an epic upset victory to
unseat an incumbent in the state’s Eighth US Congressional
District. VandenPlas’ campaign stands the greatest chance since Ed
Thompson’s Wisconsin governor’s race in 2002 for a Libertarian
Party member anywhere to significantly impact politics for the cause
of libertarianism. Apart from the LPWI’s other active and
promising campaigns, both Neil Harmon’s race for Secretary of State
to achieve ballot access (1% minimum of the vote) and Carl Hutton’s
race for Assembly, all eyes and all efforts aim at achieving what has
never happened in the United States, with the VandenPlas campaign: A
Libertarian Party victory sending a Congressperson to Washington,
D.C.
As all three active
campaigns show, in the hard work by candidates, having the
Libertarian Party message as the clarion’s call to peace and
prosperity for all, and with the help of Party members and campaign
volunteers and resources, success at the level of engagement possible
with voters brings positive, measurable, and achievable results. No
matter the results this coming election day, the LPWI can use the
success of these campaigns to build around the four key elements of
Libertarian victories that we always knew necessary for long-term
success. These elements—party membership, local affiliates, fund
raising, and more and more active campaigns—remain the four
foundational cornerstones for the unofficial mission statement, to
“implement the LPWI platform” in the state of Wisconsin. In
2022, the current campaigns will serve more than anything else can
possibly do to strengthen those foundations for going FORWARD.
In terms of the
Party’s hard work and the work by the individual members, the
Convention Committee, under the able and hardworking Nathan Gall, has
gone far into its planning season for another stellar, and
professionally organized, annual membership convention in the spring
of 2023, this time in the City of Milwaukee. Well-supported and
well-staffed by Party volunteers, the Convention Committee has under
consideration new wrinkles for the next convention, to make it even
more useful and user-friendly for the Party membership to register,
and for all participants to take away from the convention the tool
sets and connections needed for individual participation in long-term
Party activism.
Another active and
well-staffed committee, the LPWI’s Communications Committee
(COM-COM) under the sound leadership of Michael Schisel, meets
monthly on-line, and has put together two event kits for use by
affiliates and individual members, all filled with banners,
pamphlets, swag, and other attractive LP memorabilia, in order to
promote the LPWI and to attract more voters to our cause, or even
turn prospective members into full members.
The Communications
Committee also oversees the monthly emailed newsletter, the LPWIre,
well-edited and well-done by Kevin Litten. Sent to our Party mailing
list, an average of around 400 recipients open and engage in some way
with the newsletter every issue. A quality product, describing the
news and views of the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, the steady and
consistent newsletter does much to enhance and edify the Party
members and other supporters.
The Press Media
Sub-Committee of the COM-COM, continues to write media materials for
the major media in Wisconsin. Either sending narratives, fact sheets,
position statements, or opinion pieces, the Press Media portion of
the LPWI’s efforts have received some notice, including posting on
the popular news website Wispolitics.com . As an archive and party
resource, the Press Media started posting on its Blog created last
summer, at https://presslpwi.blogspot.com/
. Party members can view and comment with feedback on the LPWI media
materials on the Blog site. Since August, the Press Media
Sub-Committee has also actively helped the VandenPlas campaign, with
the writing of releases and the preparation of other media materials.
For the Libertarian
Party of Wisconsin affiliates, the LPDaneCounty hosted its annual
Harvest Fest activities on the steps of the State Capitol this fall.
Activists in the Madison area, notably Chris Nass, put great effort
with genuine great results in this awareness activity that promotes,
specifically, the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin. As always, not to
give short notice to other affiliates, like with the LP Fox Valley’s
campaign-support activism this season, the LPDaneCounty deserves
special mention for their year-in and year-out efforts with the
Harvest Fest program for the LPWI.
Finally, in the
third quarter of 2022, LPWI Treasurer Anna Bughman continues to
answer above and beyond the call of her position. Besides managing
the party finances, Anna has done a significant amount of data
cleanup on the approximately 190 members of the state Party, and
verifying the contact data, involvement, and current status of the
existing membership. Furthermore, she fields new members and
coordinates with them, through a welcome message or phone call, the
outreach needed to put them in contact with local affiliates or local
members in their diverse areas of Wisconsin.
Much work remains
for the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, after the November 8th
elections. In all, as in the heady and exciting days of Ed
Thompson’s historic 2002 election results, in which the party
gained admission to the then-Wisconsin Elections Board with his 10.5%
of the popular vote, 2022 portends great progress for the Libertarian
Party in Wisconsin—heading into 2023. Challenges remain to take
the Party to the next level—among them finding and including more
diverse membership among the libertarian sympathizers in the state;
building a broader and more encompassing affiliate program; raising
more revenue to support expanded activism; and planning and preparing
more winning campaigns in 2023 and 2024 (non-partisan and partisan
offices, in both spring and fall). Our future looks promising.
Through diligent work by part-time volunteers, competent management
by trusted servants, and inspiring leadership from everyone at every
level in the Party, moving ahead can bring greater results. The
secret ingredients, UNITY and hard work, will carry us toward where
we belong in Wisconsin—FORWARD.
Respectfully
submitted by:
Tim Krenz
LPWI Press Secretary
