2012 Libertarian National Convention

Charlotte

Tampa

Nashville

Las Vegas

Baltimore

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Sites of the 2012 national party conventions.

The 2012 Libertarian National Convention, in which

The theme of this convention was Liberty Will Win.[5]

Several non-binding advisory primaries were held ahead of the convention as part of the 2012 Libertarian Party presidential primaries.

Host selection

This was the first presidential nominating convention ever held in the Las Vegas Valley.^[1][2][6] Other cities that bid to host the convention included Dallas, Texas, and San Francisco, California.^[6]

Candidates debate

In February 2012, Gary Johnson, Lee Wrights, Bill Still, Carl Person, and Leroy Saunders participated in a debate held by the Libertarian Party of Florida and moderated by LPUSA Chair Mark Hinkle.^{[citation needed]} The debate participants were selected by convention delegates in a secret ballot, in which a candidate needed to score 10 percent of the vote or higher to be allowed to take part. Libertarian candidates in the debate called for ending government interference in personal, family and business decisions; much lower government spending; deregulation; lower taxes; a currency free of government manipulation; free trade; and a peaceful, non-interventionist foreign policy.^[7]

Schedule

The convention covered five days over May 2–6. The business of deciding the national platform and candidates formally began on May 3, and a second candidate debate was held on May 4. On May 5, the party nominated Gary Johnson as its presidential candidate and Jim Gray as vice presidential candidate. On May 6, elections for the Libertarian National Committee concluded.^[8]

Candidates for the presidential nomination were required to gather "tokens" from delegates. 53 tokens were required to participate in debates, while 30 were needed to be listed on the ballot.^{[9] [unreliable source] [10]}

Convention speakers

Speakers at the convention included:^[11]

• Norma Jean Almodovar – Sex worker activist and former LAPD cop, LP candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California
• David Bergland – 1984 LP presidential nominee
• Judge John Buttrick – Superior Court Judge of Maricopa County, Arizona
• Alicia Garcia Clark – National Libertarian National Committee (LNC) leader from 1981 to 1983
• Ed Clark – 1980 LP presidential nominee
• Michael Cloud – Author, Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion, who ran for
  U.S. Senate in Massachusetts
  in 2002
• Sharon Harris – President of Advocates for Self-Government
• Executive Director of the Libertarian Party; 2000 LP nominee for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, 2002 LP nominee for Governor of Massachusetts
• Manny Klausner – Co-founder of the Reason Foundation
  , and former editor of Reason magazine
• Nancy Lord – 1992 LP vice-presidential nominee
• Tibor Machan – Professor of philosophy at Auburn University
• electoral vote
• Robert Poole – Co-founder of Reason magazine
• Mary Ruwart – Research scientist and former contender for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination

Presidential candidates

Libertarian Party presidential candidates, 2012
	Candidate	Home state	Profession	Campaign
	Jim Burns	Nevada
	Jim Duensing	Nevada	2012 Boston Tea Party presidential nominee (nominated at their March 30 convention)
	R. J. Harris	Oklahoma	United States Army National Guard	( campaign )
	Gary Johnson	New Mexico	Governor of New Mexico (1995–2003)	positions • website )
	Carl Person	New York	Attorney	(campaign)
	Sam Sloan	New York	Member of the executive board of the Manhattan Libertarian Party County Committee Director of Media Relations (2006–2007)	(campaign)
	R. Lee Wrights	Texas	Vice chair of the Libertarian National Committee (2004–2006)	( campaign )

Presidential delegate count

Libertarian National Committee elections

The 2012 Libertarian National Convention saw a two-day election of officers and members-at-large of the Libertarian National Committee officers leading to the defeat of most of the incumbents who were seen as being part of a "top-down faction".

• Gary Johnson 2012 presidential campaign
• Libertarian National Convention
• Other parties' presidential nominating conventions of 2012:
  • Democratic
  • Green
  • Republican
• Libertarian Party of Nevada
• 2012 United States presidential election

References