In my 20 years as an activist for liberty, one of the many things I have learned is that events attract attention and good events will bring growth.

January 26 of this year, our county RLC charter hosted a state RLC 2014 KICK OFF event (2014 signifying our goal date for becoming the voice of the Party). 165+ liberty activists from 28 counties attended this event with 32 people registering as members that day.

Last month we had a gun show booth, not only drawing hundreds of people to our booth, but receiving an offer for a 10×20 booth at the state’s largest flea market. This event takes place both Memorial and Labor Day weekends and attracts 20-30,000 people during each of those holidays.

Our vice chairman started a Liberty on the Rocks group. This Saturday, March 23, we will be meeting from 4-6 with a theme of ‘Why Don’t We Get Droned’. We typically have 40+ people turn out for these events. They are non-partisan and we allow folks a two minute soap box opportunity. We will have a RLC candidate speak as well.

April 26-28, we will be hosting our first RLC state convention. We open Friday night with Liberty on the Rocks, tend to business Saturday, finishing the night with Jordan Page. Sunday morning will finish up with a dynamite sermon, “RECOVERING THE PATRIOT CHURCH: REPENT AND RELOAD”, and a talk by our own Blue Republican, Robin Koerner.

May 15-16, we will have KrisAnne Hall teaching on the Constitution. We start off the evening of the 15th with a session for leaders only. The 16th will include a lunch training, a session for those who are elected, especially sheriffs, and an evening session for the general public.

In June we will kick off our first quarterly Saturday training. This particular one will be geared toward PCO’s and other neighborhood activists.

We meet every month and ALL of our meetings are open to the public. After a quick board meeting, we always have a training, a video, or a guest speaker.

When I and many other self-described liberty Republicans heard that there would be two candidates bearing the liberty standard in 2012 we didn’t know what to think. Would there be a civil war to divide the liberty movement which even still is only in its infancy, or would two candidates bring the liberty message legitimacy?

Early indications were not good. Powerful advocates of Ron Paul, most notably Justin Raimondo at Antiwar.com and Lew Rockwell, started running hit pieces on Gary Johnson as soon as he announced his candidacy. Authors at The American Spectator and The American Conservative wrote slightly less vicious pieces along the same lines. On the other side institutional libertarians at such places as Reason, the CATO Institute and the Republican Liberty Caucus appeared to be rallying around Johnson, blowing off Paul as either less libertarian or as less electable. (Editor’s Note: The RLC has not endorsed any Presidential candidate.) The battle lines were drawn: The R3volution vs the “libertarian power elite” (as the late Murray Rothbard called them).

For all of the antagonism, there was little animosity between the actual candidates themselves. As Ron Paul was mulling over an entrance into the race he was asked whether he would endorse Johnson if he decided not to run. His answer was simple: “I can’t imagine endorsing anyone else.” Likewise, when Gary Johnson is asked why someone should vote for him over Ron Paul, as he was on Stossel’s program recently, his canned answer was “I would never make that case.”

Luckily for our cause of liberty, a de facto truce seems to have developed between the two camps. This is a fortunate development indeed, considering the degree to which the liberty movement has succumbed to infighting and self-destruction in the past. Ron Paul enthusiasts can identify with being locked out of a debate, as Gary Johnson was in New Hampshire. And Gary Johnson followers, who were mostly Ron Paul followers less than three years ago, have given up converting any who still identify more with Paul’s brand of libertarianism. Presumably they have come to realize that his candidacy is only useful to the degree to which he attracts new voters to the cause, and dividing the fledgling movement serves no constructive purpose.

And as the race has developed and the message and rhetoric from each candidate has further evolved, it seems that the two standard bearers for liberty have tailored their message to vastly different constituencies. Beginning in March, at The Family Leader Presidential Lecture Series, Ron Paul began targeting his stump speech towards religious groups and family values voters. He makes a fantastic case for liberty based on the experience of the Israelites in 1st Samuel Chapter 8 (which he aptly points out is closely related to Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution). The 75 year old has also lead a personal life that is very much in line with the values of social conservatives. He has only had one wife, he has five children, many grandchildren, and even a few great-grandchildren. It‘s clear to anyone who hears him speak that his faith plays a significant role in his life.

On the other hand, Gary Johnson has not lead such a Christian conservative life. Divorced, he has two children and, while raised Lutheran, does not attend church (although he believes in God and will even “admit to praying once and a while”). To the Christian conservative base to which Ron Paul has tailored his message, this would be a huge negative. But not to the pragmatic liberals who are itching for a candidate who understands economics but are wary of the caricature Bible-thumping snake oil salesmen which have sadly become associated with “Republican.” Being a two term governor of a blue state in which he remains popular, Johnson also brings credibility to the notion that a liberty oriented candidate could actually govern if elected. As an entrepreneur who grew a one man handy-man business into one of the largest construction firms in his home state, he also has credibility with small-business types. In addition, Governor Johnson has been able to take arguably even more liberty oriented stances than Paul on such issues as abortion and immigration, stances that Paul simply could not take if he wished to maintain his appeal with Christian conservative voters even if he did agree with them himself (and there is no indication that he does).

The contrast between the two liberty candidates extends into core philosophy. Ron Paul is what a “rights-based” libertarian who advocates for liberty on the basis of the morality of personal property rights. Gary Johnson, on the other hand, is a “consequentialist” libertarian who would claim that everything government does should be looked at from a cost-benefit analysis. The fact that these two different perspectives arrive at the same policy conclusions should not be surprising: a geometric proof and an algebraic proof of a mathematical theorem should arrive at the same conclusion. Otherwise there is something wrong with that theorem.

Practical implications of this slight difference are significant even on issues which the two candidates largely agree. Ron Paul, for instance, would never admit to supporting “gay rights” because even though his policy would be very friendly toward gays, as a rights-based libertarian he does not believe that any group has specific rights and he is loathe to spin his rhetoric in a way that implies this is the case. This could confuse some voters who do not understand rights-based libertarianism. As a consequentialist libertarian, however, Gary Johnson is proud to say that he supports gay rights and voters who support gay rights but may not understand the issue deeply enough to take a second look at Ron Paul could be drawn towards Johnson’s campaign. Likewise, Paul’s message retains more credibility with social conservatives if he refrains from talking about “gay rights” as such.

In a similar fashion, when it comes to foreign policy Gary Johnson will not admit to being a non-interventionist. He even appears to be insulted by pundits who identify him as such. In order to stay philosophically consistent, as a consequentialist libertarian he has to view each potential conflict from a cost-benefit standpoint. Johnson will not even rule out intervening in conflicts for humanitarian purposes if he thought such an intervention would yield greater benefits than costs. That being said, he has decided virtually every conflict we are currently involved in fails the cost-benefit analysis test. He believes that much of our military spending, many of our strategic alliances, and scores of overseas military bases fail the test as well. Ron Paul, on the other hand, is a strict non-interventionist. As a rights-based libertarian, he sees intervention in the affairs of other nations as inherently illegitimate. This distinction between the two candidates may lead hardcore anti-war voters to be naturally drawn to Paul while Gary Johnson is more open to receive the support of voters who are receptive to more moderate rhetoric when it comes to national security issues.

Rhetorical and philosophical differences between the two liberty candidates naturally lead to slightly different geographic constituencies as well. Whether or not the candidates have understood this and communicated it to each other, they seem to recognize it. Ron Paul has made a strong effort in Iowa, where religious conservatives who will understand his references to the Old Testament and the founding documents are likely to grasp his ideas and hopefully identify with them. Being a caucus state, Iowa is also a naturally favorable state for a politician with such fanatical followers as Paul. Meanwhile, Gary Johnson has pinned all of his hopes on a strong finish in New Hampshire, the “Live Free or Die” state where thousands of liberty loving activists have moved as part of the Free State Project. With a broader, simpler message of the “religion of the pocketbook”, Johnson hopes to make a big impact on a state which is known more for its appreciation of distilled liberty than its appreciation of religion.

Looking onward to the next two primary states, it is my opinion that the same strategy of “divide and conquer” should be employed in a similar way. Nevada, much like New Hampshire, is a state which is famously liberty oriented and not known for its conviction to religion. In stark contrast, South Carolina is a famously religious state and member in good standing of the so-called “Bible Belt.” By defining themselves slightly differently, Ron Paul and Gary Johnson should be able to appeal to these two states in a way that a single liberty candidate would be unable to do. It should also be noted that, as a Congressman from a southern state, Ron Paul may be able to make a close connection with voters in another southern state. Likewise, as the former governor of a western state, Gary Johnson may be able to make a connection with voters in another western state.

This is not to say that Gary Johnson should abandon Iowa and South Carolina, or that Ron Paul should completely give up on New Hampshire and Nevada: there are vast numbers of individuals in each of these states who do not fit the general character of the state who would identify better with the opposite candidate. With that clarification out of the way, it is in the interest of the liberty message that each of these candidates focuses their efforts in the state most likely to be receptive to their rhetoric in order to maximize the degree to which the message of liberty resonates.

Each candidate should recognize that it is unlikely that a liberty candidate will win the nomination this time around, but it is important that the message gets out and that a liberty loving base for future liberty candidates is built. We can only win the battle for the presidency once we win the battle of ideas.

Kyle R. Johnson is a masters student in chemical engineering at the University of Idaho. He is originally from Richland, Washington.

The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) Board of Directors are excited and optimistic about the election results. The most exciting results for Republican Liberty Caucus members is electing two of our own members to Congress:

Dr. Rand Paul is Senator-elect from Kentucky. Justin Amash (pictured, right) is Representative-elect from Michigan’s Third Congressional District. Congratulations, Rand and Justin! RLC supporters have no doubt that these two champions of liberty will work vigorously to promote our vision of a free country in Congress.

The RLC is also pleased that Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, John Koster of Washington state, Chip Cravaack of Minnesota, and Steve Chabot of Ohio will join Dr. Ron Paul and our other pro-liberty Republican legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Joining Rand Paul in the Senate are RLC-endorsed Senate candidates Mike Lee of Utah and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Two RLC-endorsed candidates for Governor, Paul LePage of Maine and Nikki Haley of South Carolina, were elected. LePage and Haley come from very different backgrounds and from different parts of the country, but are united in their strong belief in the individual and faith in the free market system.

Other key RLC victories and races we are still watching are below.

Arkansas: State Rep. Mark Martin, a RLC endorsed candidate, won his bid for Secretary of State. He is the first statewide Republican elected official since former Gov. Mike Huckabee left office.

California: Despite losing on the RLC-endorsed Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana in California, the RLC’s positions on Prop. 27 (no to eliminate the state redistricting commission) and Prop. 21 (a vehicle license surcharge to fund state parks) were adopted. Additionally, the RLC’s positions on Prop. 20 and 26 were adopted. These propositions related to Congressional redistricting and the process to impose state/local fees. See the proposition results here and view the RLC’s positions on each of the proposals here.

Arizona: 55 percent of state voters supported an amendment to the state constitution disallowing the Obamacare individual mandate to take effect in Arizona. Voters also approved medical marijuana.

Colorado: Despite Ken Buck’s Senate loss, RLC-endorsed candidate Donald Beezley defeated an incumbent and is now an elected State Representative from Broomfield.

Idaho: RLC-endorsed candidate for Bonner County Commissioner in District 2, Mike Nielson, won election on a platform of transparency and balanced budgets. Nielsen said he was eager to start getting more detailed budget information on the county website and wants to get a head start on the 2012 spending plan, according to The Bonner County Daily Bee.

Indiana: Republican Liberty Caucus member Steve Davisson was elected State Representative in Southern Indiana’s 73rd district. Congratulations, Hoosiers!

Kentucky: In addition to Rand Paul’s victory, RLC-backed candidate Thomas Massie was elected Judge Executive in Lewis County.

Maine: In addition to the victory of Paul LePage for Governor, RLC candidates for State Rep. and State Senate also found success. State House Challengers Michael McClellan, Ryan Harmon, Richard Malaby, Beth O’Connor, and Eleanor Espling (pictured, above left) — each endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Maine — won election. Additionally, former State Senator Lois Snowe-Mello won her old seat back and State Rep. Doug Thomas was elected to the State Senate. The RLC had a great day in Maine yesterday!

Maryland: Cindy Jones, a RLC member and delegate at our 2009 Convention in Florida, was elected to the St. Marys County Commission. Among all of the county commissioner races, Mrs. Jones had the largest margin of victory and the highest vote total. Four of the five Commission seats are now held by Republicans.

Michigan: RLC-endorsed candidate for State Senate Arlen Meekhof was elected to the post. Meekhof wants to repeal the Michigan Business Tax surcharge and bring jobs to the state.

Minnesota: Despite losing the Governors race narrowly, the RLC had its coalition of candidates elected to the State Senate and the State House. Kathy Lohmer (pictured, right), Andrea Kieffer, Doug Wardlow, Kurt Bills, and Sondra Erickson were elected to the House and Dave Brown and Dave Thompson were elected to the Senate. Former Minnesota RLC Secretary Norann Dillon narrowly lost in her race against an incumbent in a Democrat district. Congratulations to these new legislators and to the Minnesota RLC!

Missouri: In The Show Me State, RLC-endorsed candidate Paul Curtman was elected State Representative. He will represent parts of Jefferson, Franklin and St. Louis counties. Additionally, RLC-endorsed candidate Brian Nieves was elected to the State Senate. Two RLC-endorsed incumbent State Representatives, Tim Jones and Shane Schoeller, will be taking over leadership positions in the Missouri House of Representatives. The Missouri RLC is hosting its 2010 Convention on Saturday, November 13 in Springfield.

Montana: In Montana the RLC has an incumbent coalition in the State House and the entire slate of RLC-backed candidates was reelected. Additionally, former State Senator and longtime liberty advocate Jerry O’Neill was elected to the House of Representatives.

New Hampshire: Former Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire Chair Jim Forsythe was elected to the State Senate and State Rep. candidates Cameron DeJong and Andrew Manuse were elected to the State House. RLC Board member Paul Mirski was elected to the State House in Grafton as was former RLC Chair Dan McGuire in Merrimack. Longtime liberty activists Keith Murphy and Seth Cohn won election to the State House from Hillsborough and Merrimack, too. A full list of RLC victories from New Hampshire can be found here.

North Carolina: Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed candidate Glen Bradley won election to the State House of Representatives. Congratulations to Glen and the North Carolina RLC!

Oklahoma: 65 percent of voters supported a ballot proposition to rebuke Obamacare by not allowing the individual mandate contained in the health care law to be enacted in the Sooner State.

South Carolina: RLC-backed candidate Curtis Loftis, who ousted the incumbent State Treasurer earlier this year in the primary, is now the State Treasurer-elect of The Palmetto State.

Uah: Two new RLC-endorsed candidates won election in Utah — Daniel Thatcher was elected to the State Senate and Ken Ivory won election to the State House. Ivory joins several other RLC incumbents in the House.

Texas: The Texas RLC helped elect two new State Representatives, Jason Isaac and David Simpson. Additionally, former Texas RLC Chairman Melissa Goodwin was elected Justice on the Third Court of Appeals. RLC Advisory Board member Jerry Patterson was re-elected State Land Commissioner. A full list of Texas results are available at our blog.

Wisconsin: In Wisconsin, a coalition of RLC-backed candidates for State House have won election for the first time. The slate includes: Andre Jacque from Green Bay, Jim Steineke from Appleton, Chris Kapenga from Delafield, Evan Wynn of Whitewater, Scott Krug of Black River Falls, Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac, and Roger Rivard of Rice Lake. Mr. Krug beat incumbent Marlin Schneider, who served in the legislature continuously since 1970. Congratulations to the Wisconsin RLC and Badger State voters!

Wyoming: Endorsed State Representative candidate Gerald Gay won election to the legislature for the first time.

These election results show not only the strength of the Tea Party, but also the disgust of average Americans with unresponsive, anti-liberty bureaucrats. The results also illustrate that liberty principles are popular and will make a comeback!

The battle has just begun, so thanks to all of our activists and candidates from across the country. Thanks especially to the state and national officers of the RLC who allow our organization to function.

The Republican Liberty Caucus is a grassroots coalition of liberty-loving Americans.

Won’t you join us in this critical battle to win hearts and minds for liberty and Constitutional restoration?

ARLINGTON, VA — The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC), a membership organization that exists to promote the principles of individual liberty and limited government, has six endorsed Congressional candidates who are on paths to victory this November as evidenced by poll numbers and leading experts in the field. The candidates include Justin Amash of Michigan, Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, Doug Cloud and John Koster of Washington state, Chip Cravaack of Minnesota, and Steve Chabot of Ohio.

“With the exception of 1994, the Republican Liberty Caucus has never seen a slate of candidates who have the potential to knock of incumbents like this slate,” said RLC Chair Dave Nalle of Texas. “These candidates are principled and committed to the Republican Liberty Caucus vision of a free nation with limited, efficient government,” said Nalle. In addition to a full slate of endorsed Congressional candidates (including many not mentioned above), the RLC has also endorsed incumbent members of Congress Jeff Flake (AZ), Roscoe Bartlett (MD), Adrian Smith (NE), Scott Garrett (NJ), Jim Jordan (OH), John Duncan (TN), and a slate from the Texas Congressional Delegation.

According to RLC Vice Chair Aaron Biterman, “Justin Amash is a conservative Republican running in a right-leaning Grand Rapids district; Mick Mulvaney is polling even with incumbent John Spratt (D) in South Carolina 5; Steve Chabot is polling even or ahead of Steve Driehaus (D) in a suburban Cincinnati district. Spratt and Driehaus rubber-stamped the entire Obama Big Government agenda and will have to face the voters on November 2.”

Additionally, a Public Opinion Strategies poll from early October showed RLC endorsed candidate Chip Cravaack at 42 percent to incumbent Democrat Jim Oberstar’s 45 percent. RealClearPolitics ranks John Koster’s bid against incumbent Democrat Rick Larson a “toss up” after several polls showed them within 3 points of each other in Washington’s 2nd District. Finally, a Wenzel Strategies poll released last week shows Democrat incumbent Norm Dicks trailing RLC candidate Doug Cloud in Washington’s 6th District.

“If Doug Cloud and Justin Amash in particular advance to Congress, they will be RLC Advisory Board member Ron Paul’s foremost allies in Washington,” said Biterman, adding that, “If our other candidates — Mulvaney, Koster, Cravaack, and Chabot — also succeed, there will be a significantly larger coalition for limited government in Congress.” The Republican Liberty Caucus is urging its members to volunteer for and donate to these candidates in particular.

The Republican Liberty Caucus, founded in 1991, exists to promote individual liberty, limited government, and free enterprise within the Republican Party. The RLC will hold its 2011 Convention in Arlington, Virginia on February 12, 2011 and encourages media, liberty-minded citizens, and other interested parties to attend. Learn more about the organization at http://www.RLC.org/. A full list of endorsed candidates is available at http://www.rlc.org/endorsed-candidates-2010/.

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Campaign strategist Dick Morris recently blogged about focusing support on ten key house races where he believes money and personal effort will make the most difference for Republicans in November.  While I agree with the concept of focusing support on key races, there is a fundamental problem with the list Morris has put together. Instead of focusing on the best candidates, it is a list almost entirely composed of establishment candidates. It focuses on winning seats and ignores the imperative to change the focus of the party and the Congress in November.

While Morris’ candidates may have a good chance of winning, they are mostly not the kinds of candidates who will move the GOP in a positive direction or take roles as principled leaders in Congress. They may end up being helpful votes as part of a future coalition, but they are not the right candidates to form the nucleus of a new and better Republican majority.

It’s much more important in this key election to put your money and support behind GOP candidates who are both able to win and also dedicated to Constitutional principles and restoring the core ideals of the GOP. To redo Morris’ work from the perspective of a pro-liberty activist rather than a political hack who used to call his pal Bill Clinton while he was in bed with a hooker and Clinton was playing hide the cigar with an intern, I offer my list of the ten house candidates who really deserve your help and your money. They are listed in order of my somewhat subjective assessment of their need and worthiness.

Mick Mulvaney (SC-5)

A principled constitutional conservative who is running in a tough blue-leaning district against an incumbent he has done the near impossible to come up tied at 46% to 46% with his opponent in the latest poll. He needs any support he can get in a critical race.

Find out more about his campaign at www.mulvaneyforcongress.com

Jason Levesque (ME-2)

Trailing in the polls, but working very hard to catch up. He’s a committed Liberty Republican and is trailing 7 points in the polls. It’s a deficit he can make up by November. He has the energy and needs your support.

Find out more about his campaign at www.levesqueforcongress.com

John Koster (WA-2)

A principled constitutional conservative who is leading by about 4 points in the latest poll. He needs to widen his lead to secure an important upset win.

Find out more about his campaign at www.kosterforcongress.com

Delia Lopez (OR-3)

A promising and hard working Liberty Republican who speaks out strongly for Constitutionally protected rights and civil liberties. She’s a real anti-establishment candidate who is running a very active campaign, but has an uphill battle.

Find out more about his campaign at: www.dlopezforcongress.com

David Ratowitz (IL-5)

One of my favorite Liberty Republicans running this year. On the right side of just about every issue. Strong on individual liberty and fiscal issues. He has a tough but winnable race, but needs help to pull off an upset.

Find out more about his campaign at: www.ratowitzforcongress.com

John Dennis (CA-8)

One of the most high profile Liberty Republican candidates in one of the most challenging races in the country, taking on Speaker Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco. Yes, he’s down by more than 20 points in the polls, but there are still enough undecided votes that he could win. He might be able to pull off a miracle with your help.

Help him beat Pelosi at: www.johndennis2010.com

Chip Cravaack (MN-8)

A strong fiscal conservative with integrity and a background as a navy pilot. The kind of principled leader we need in Congress. Not much polling information, but his fundraising is strong and he seems like a potential winner.

Find out more about his campaign at: www.chipcravack.com

Gary Clift (CA-10)

A strong Liberty Republican in a race that is under the radar in northern California. The incumbent was elected in a special election and did not beat Clift by wide margins in that race, so there is potential for an upset with your help.

Find out more about his campaign: www.cliftforcongress.com

B. J. Lawson (NC-4)

One of the most respected Liberty Republican candidates, he has surprised many by taking a small lead in the latest poll. He needs to widen that lead to secure the seat and put another principled spokesman for liberty in the House.

Find out more about his campaign at www.lawsonforcongress.com

Lee Byberg (MN-7)

Coming off a very strong primary win, but the race hasn’t gotten much media attention. Internal polling suggests that he can win with enough support and exposure. He’s a strong constitutional conservative with civil libertarian leanings.

Find out more about his campaign at: www.bybergforcongress.com

These are hardly the only deserving candidates, but Morris picked ten so I limited myself to that. I eliminated great candidates with races which were too hard to assess like Bill Gunn (MA-1), Dan Sebring (WI-4) and others. I also passed over candidates who are running away with their races like Justin Amash (MI-3) or some who just seem too far behind to be saved.

There will be many turnovers in the House this fall.  There’s not one candidate Morris and I agree on, but there’s room for his less inspiring candidates if we can put my 10 pro-liberty, pro-constitution Republicans in the House to show them the way.

Check out the websites of the candidates from both lists and think about which group of 10 you’d rather have shape the future of the Republican Party.

In the course of researching this article I found TPM’s new Political Tracker beta site very helpful.

A version of this article appeared previously on Blogcritics.

A Republican Liberty Caucus-endorsed candidate for Congress in Washington state finished ahead of his Democrat incumbent opponent in a five-way primary last Tuesday.

John Koster, the Republican nominee for Congress in District 2 and a Snohomish County Commissioner, edged Democrat incumbent Rick Larsen in the total number of votes received in the primary, according to Politico.

According to the secretary of state’s Web site late Friday, Koster received 73,899 votes, or 42.2 percent, in the Aug. 17 primary to Larsen’s 73,623 votes, or 42 percent. About 175,200 votes were cast. Three other candidates were eliminated and Koster will now face Larsen head on this November.

Larsen is a five-term incumbent and was not on the National Democratic Congressional Committee’s list of vulnerable incumbents until now.

Go John Koster!

Another election gone by, and it turned out quite well for the Republican Party overall and the Republican Liberty Caucus in specific.

Republicans elected new Governors in New Jersey and Virginia. Neither of the candidates, Chris Christie or Bob McDonnell, was endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus, but we believe they will provide a better vision for their states than their respective opponents.

In Virginia, voters elected State Senator Ken Cuccinelli to the post of Attorney General. Cuccinelli is a social and fiscal conservative, and some RLC members have been offended by his social conservatism. Still, he seems to be one of the few politicians in the state that understands the concept of limited government, and has a voting record consistent with the RLC’s goals. His new position elevates Cuccinelli to one of the most high-level advocates of limited government in the country.

RLC members in Virginia worked hard to help Cuccinelli win the nomination for Attorney General, and many contributed to his campaign directly. Cuccinelli has said that he will not enforce laws he deems unconstitutional. In 2007, Cuccinelli took the time to drive several hours to address a small group of RLC members. View his speech to RLC members at YouTube.

In the RLC’s biggest victory of the night, RLC National Committeeman Dan Halloran was elected to the New York City Council in a Queens district that leans heavily Democrat. Halloran is also the state Chair of the Republican Liberty Caucus in New York. He worked tirelessly to become elected and will join just four other Republicans on the 51-member City Council.

The RLC also had some other significant victories in New Jersey and New Hampshire. Incumbent Michael Patrick Carroll, who the RLC discovered earlier in the year, was re-elected to his New Jersey House seat. Perhaps the most successful liberty-oriented politician in the state, Michael Doherty, was elected to an open seat in the New Jersey State Senate. The RLC profiled Doherty in an earlier edition of our newsletter.

In the Granite State, Jim Forsythe led a team of liberty-loving Republicans that successfully helped three candidates obtain victory. Political newcomer Lynne Blankenbeker was elected in a special election to the New Hampshire House, and RLC members Phil Greazzo and Cameron DeJong were elected to Alderman and Selectman positions in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Several non-endorsed candidates with strong libertarian leanings were also successful on Election night, including Kim Rafferty, who was elected to the Birmingham City Council in Alabama, and Shaun Kenney, who was elected to a County Supervisor in Fluvanna County, Virginia. In Minnesota, RLC member Luther Stueland won a position on the Moorhead City Council and Patricia Barnum was elected to the West St. Paul ISD 127 School Board.  Additionally, Lisa Marie Coppoletta has advanced to a run-off in a race for San Marcos City Council in Texas.

Unfortunately, TABOR ballot initiatives — which would tie revenue increases to population and inflation growth to keep spending in check — were defeated by voters in Washington state and Maine. The gay marriage ballot initiative in Maine passed, overturning gay marriage in the state, while voters in Washington state chose to extend rights for gays and lesbians.

The nine victories for RLC-endorsed candidates this fall combined with the five spring victories (in Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Texas) have resulted in a very successful off-year election for liberty-focused Republicans.

Congratulations are extended to all of the above candidates, our other endorsed candidates, our supporters, and the folks that helped our endorsed candidates succeed.

Complete RLC election results are available here.

As those advocating Keynesian economics and the vast expansion of the federal government continue to control our country, the grassroots movement to return American to Constitutional principles continues to expand. The Republican Liberty Caucus is leading the grassroots effort to take back the Republican Party.

As part of the RLC effort, three new state affiliates have recently chartered to provide resistance to government growth and to a GOP that has lost its core principles.  Activists from across the states of Alabama, Tennessee, and Washington have come together to form new RLC chapter affiliates.

RLC members recently chartered their affiliate in Alabama.

In Alabama, the new affiliate includes former Birmingham City Council member Dr. Jimmy Blake, homeschooling mom Shana Kluck, and longtime libertarian activist Steve Gordon.  The Chair of the affiliate is attorney Scott Boykin.  The Alabama affiliate plans to set up a web presence shortly.  According to Gordon, the group is extremely energetic and ready to recruit more members.  A press release about the group’s formation is available here.

The Tennessee group came together under the skilled leadership of Dr. Joe Dumas and former Hamilton County School Board candidate Gregg Juster.  The group has already established a website and is selling RLC merchandise to reach out to prospective members.  Additionally, Tennessee RLC Vice-Chair Matt Collins, 27, recently tied an establishment candidate in a competitive and multiple-ballot race for Davidson County GOP Chair.  A run-off will occur soon to determine the winner of the race.

The Washington RLC is now off the ground, thanks to organizer John W. Herr of Pierce County. The affiliate is hoping to expand its membership and capitalize on the 23% received by Ron Paul in the 2008 GOP Presidential primary in the state.  Interested parties should visit the Washington RLC page to become involved in the affiliate.

The District of Columbia RLC affiliate recently held its re-organizational meeting, the Maryland RLC will soon be submitting its charter, and the Virginia RLC is hosting a re-organizational Conference Call this Sunday night. Across the country, the movement for limited government is alive and well — thanks to the Republican Liberty Caucus.

Efforts in more than half of the state legislatures to assert state sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution and prevent unwanted impositions by the federal government are now facing serious partisan opposition.

Most of the bills have been introduced and are supported by Republican legislators and Democrats are doing everything they can to block them and make sure that their states comply with federal mandates issued by a national Congress dominated by their party. They seem more concerned with profiting from their control of the federal government than in protecting the rights of their citizens and being fiscally responsible.

In the last week, three states with Democrat dominated legislatures have rejected state sovereignty resolutions. The Arkansas state sovereignty resolution was defeated in Committee along straight partisan lines with a 10-8 vote. In Washington, the Democratic chairman of the committee on Government and Tribal Affairs killed the bill by refusing to put it on the agenda. In New Hamphire, Representative Dan Itse’s radically-worded sovereignty resolution was one of the first entered and one of the most widely supported. Yet last week, with hundreds protesting in the snow and freezing temperatures outside the New Hampshire State House, it was defeated in a 216-150 vote along party lines. The enthusiasm of the citizens of New Hampshire (shown in the video at right) for their Constitutional rights was not enough to wake up Democratic legislators and convince them to vote against unfunded mandates and federal attacks on citizen rights.

In addition to these three states (where sovereignty has been blocked), two states (Ohio, Florida) are long shots for passage of sovereignty because they are trying to do it through petitioning their state legislatures. That still leaves 23 states with resolutions in some stage of development or consideration. Of those states, 12 have at least one house of their state legislatures dominated by Democrats, including Oklahoma — which has been one of the leaders in the movement. The current trend suggests that none of these states will be able to pass a sovereignty resolution until the composition of their legislatures changes, though there might be a slim hope for Oklahoma and Louisiana, where some of the Democrats are more conservative, and in Kentucky, where the bill has bipartisan support.

That means we’re down to 12 states with a reasonable chance of affirming state sovereignty this legislative session. They include Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming. Of these, South Carolina, and Texas are the farthest along towards passage and Virginia is probably on the fence, based on the past history of Republicans in its legislature.

It has become clear that there is a coordinated Democrat campaign to oppose the sovereignty movement on a nationwide basis in the state legislatures. Although sovereignty remains on the agenda in more than 20 states, with partisan opposition passage in more than a dozen states is very unlikely. If that many states do pass sovereignty measures it will be mostly symbolic, because with barely a quarter of the states on board, it isn’t a big enough accomplishment to send a message which the federal government cannot ignore.

With the economic crisis worsening, federal spending out of control, and the Obama Administration targeting gun rights and raising taxes, popular opposition to overreaching government is growing stronger and stronger. Sadly, the power of the ascendant Democrats both at the national level and in so many state legislatures is too great to challenge effectively through legislating state sovereignty or with a few governors taking a stand against excessive spending. It is becoming increasingly clear that if we are to restore government which serves the best interests of citizens and protects their rights, the people will have to demand change from the grassroots on a nationwide basis with a movement so strong that it cannot be ignored or suppressed by the dominant political establishment in the states or in DC.

It is time to put an end to the politics of partisan greed and the ongoing erosion of our rights by whatever means are necessary. If that cannot be accomplished on the grounds of state sovereignty and by state governments it must be done by individuals in the streets of the nation, in the corridors of power, and at the gates of the enemy. As the economic crisis intensifies and the enemies of liberty use it as a pretext to expand their power, we can’t afford to sit on the sidelines and hope for the best any longer.

I track political races all across the country — with an emphasis on the races that libertarian Republicans can win or have a significant impact on. The following is a list of races that you should pay attention to.

ARIZONA: Sydney Hay is a traditional limited government conservative with a long track record of leadership in Arizona. Now, Sydney wants to replace Republican Rick Renzi in Congress. Sydney has an uphill battle because of Renzi’s corruption charges and because the DNCC is targetting this seat for her opponent, State Representative Ann Kirkpatrick. The race will be a nail-biter come Nov. 4.

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The RLC-USA PAC has donated $1,000 to Sydney Hay’s campaign.
Above, Sydney poses with RLC Adviser Barry Goldwater, Jr.

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CALIFORNIA: Tom McClintock has, for over 20 years, been the conscience of the ultra moderate Republican Party of California. Tom is running for Congress in Placer and Modoc Counties, which traditionally trend conservative, but is having trouble because of George W. Bush and other neo-conservatives who have literally ruined the Republican brand. The race is rated “toss-up,” but libertarian Republicans across the country should be rooting for Tom McClintock.

INDIANA: Ron Paul campaign activist, businessman, and RLC member Bill Johnson is the Republican candidate for State Represenative in District 19, running against a one-term Democrat incumbent in a swing district. This is a race to watch!

MAINE: Former State Representative and RLC State Chair Ken Lindell is running for State Representative in the district he formerly represented.

MICHIGAN: Justin Amash is running for State Representative in a conservative district in suburban Grand Rapids. Justin is a longtime RLC member and supporter, and is considered a “rising star” in Michigan GOP politics. Look for Justin to win in November.

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RLC endorsed Nevada State Senate candidate Lindsay Madsen.

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NEVADA: Lindsay Nicole Madsen, a young rising star in the state GOP, is running for State Senate in Clark County (Las Vegas). How much damage can an outspoken, attractive and principled limited government candidate have in a traditionally Democrat district?

NORTH CAROLINA: There are three races to watch for libertarian Republicans interested in the Tar Heel State. B.J. Lawson, a favorite of libertarian Republicans, has waged an amazing uphill battle for Congress against David Price in District 4. Similarly, Asheville City Council member Carl Mumpower is targetting Heath Shuler in District 11; Shuler was elected by a small margin in 2006 in this swing district. Finally, State Auditor Les Merritt (Incumbent), who the state RLC has been in close contact with, is fighting off a challenge from accountant Beth Wood.

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RLC endorsed incumbent, North Carolina State Auditor Les Merritt.

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PENNSYLVANIA: Long-time State Representative Sam Rohrer (Incumbent) is in a tough re-election battle, and needs your support. Rohrer has been firm about preserving individual rights, and fought hard against the federal government on REAL ID.

TEXAS: State RLC Executive Director and all-around great guy Don Zimmerman is running for Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector.

WASHINGTON: Former State Representative and RLC State Contact Toby Nixon is running for State Representative in the district he formerly represented.

These are the races to watch as the election nears. Please help the above candidates succeed!