2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries

2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries

← 2016 January 11 to June 2, 2020 2024 →

Non-binding preferential vote
 
Candidate Jacob Hornberger Jo Jorgensen Vermin Supreme
Home state Virginia South Carolina Massachusetts
Contests won 7 2 1
Popular vote 9,186 5,123 4,290
Percentage 20.3% 11.2% 9.4%

 
Candidate None of the above Ken Armstrong Kim Ruff
Home state N/A Oregon Arizona
Contests won 2 0 0
Popular vote 3,770 3,509 3,045
Percentage 8.3% 7.7% 6.7%

 
Candidate Adam Kokesh Dan Behrman
Home state Indiana Nevada
Contests won 0 0
Popular vote 2,865 2,398
Percentage 6.3% 5.3%

2020 United States presidential election in California#Libertarian primary2020 United States presidential election in New Mexico#Libertarian primary2020 United States presidential election in Nebraska#Libertarian primary2020 United States presidential election in Minnesota#Libertarian caucuses2020 United States presidential election in Iowa#Libertarian caucuses2020 United States presidential election in Missouri#Libertarian primary2020 United States presidential election in Ohio#Libertarian caucus2020 United States presidential election in North Carolina#Libertarian primary2020 United States presidential election in New York#Libertarian primary2020 United States presidential election in Connecticut#Libertarian caucus2020 United States presidential election in New Hampshire#Libertarian primary2020 United States presidential election in Massachusetts#Libertarian primary

Previous Libertarian nominee

Gary Johnson

Libertarian nominee

Jo Jorgensen

The 2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries and caucuses were a series of electoral contests to indicate non-binding preferences for the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in the 2020 United States presidential election. These differ from the Republican or Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses in that they do not appoint delegates to represent a candidate at the party's convention to select the party's presidential nominee.

The party's nominee was subsequently chosen directly by registered delegates at the 2020 Libertarian National Convention, held through an online convention from May 22 to May 24. Jo Jorgensen was chosen as the party's presidential nominee, becoming the first woman to receive the Libertarian nomination, after four rounds of voting. Spike Cohen was nominated for vice president.

Background

The 2020 United States presidential election was the thirteenth contested presidential election in which the Libertarian Party participated. The 2016 election saw the highest vote total and percentage of votes for a Libertarian presidential ticket ever, with former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson and his running mate, former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, receiving over four million votes and 3.3% of the total vote. During his presidential campaign in 2016, Johnson often stated that it would be his last run for the presidency.

Candidates

Major candidates have been invited to participate in at least two Libertarian Party-sponsored debates or have received substantial independent media coverage.

Nominee

Candidate Born Experience Home state Campaign Popular vote Contests won Ref

Jo Jorgensen
May 1, 1957
(age 66)
Libertyville, Illinois
Psychology senior lecturer at Clemson University
Nominee for Vice President in 1996
Nominee for U.S. representative from SC-04 in 1992

South Carolina

Campaign
November 2, 2019
FEC Filing
Nominated:
May 23, 2020
Running mate: Spike Cohen
5,123
(11.2%)
2
(NE, NM)

Eliminated in convention balloting

Candidate Born Experience Home state Campaign announced Campaign suspended Popular vote Contests won Ref

Jacob Hornberger
January 28, 1950
(age 73)
Laredo, Texas
Founder and President of the Future of Freedom Foundation
Independent candidate for U.S. Senate from Virginia in 2002
Candidate for President in 2000

Virginia

October 29, 2019
FEC Filing
Running mate: Spike Cohen
May 23, 2020 (eliminated in balloting; endorsed Jorgensen after her nomination) 9,186
(20.3%)
7
(CA, CT, IA, MN, MO, NY, OH)

Vermin Supreme
June 3, 1961
(age 60)
Rockport, Massachusetts
Performance artist, activist, and political satirist
Candidate for president in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016

Massachusetts

Campaign
June 26, 2019
FEC Filing
Running mate: Spike Cohen
May 23, 2020 (eliminated in balloting; endorsed Jorgensen after her nomination) 4,290
(9.4%)
1
(NH)

Adam Kokesh
February 1, 1982
(age 41)
San Francisco, California
Libertarian and anti-war political activist
Nominee for U.S. Senate from Arizona in 2018
Republican candidate for U.S. representative from NM-03 in 2010

Indiana

January 18, 2018
FEC Filing
Running mate: Larry Sharpe

(formerly John McAfee)

May 23, 2020
(eliminated in balloting; endorsed Jorgensen during balloting)
(ran for vice-president)
2,865
(6.3%)
0 [citation needed]

Dan Behrman
April 24, 1981
(age 42)
Los Angeles, California
Software engineer, internet personality and podcaster
Nominee for Texas State Representative from the 125th district in 2014

Nevada

January 30, 2019
FEC Filing
May 23, 2020
(Eliminated in nomination round of convention; endorsed Supreme)
(Running as an Independent)
2,398
(5.3%)
0

Sam Robb
January 2, 1969
(age 55)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Software engineer and author
Former naval officer

Pennsylvania

April 1, 2019
FEC Filing

May 23, 2020
(Eliminated during nomination round; endorsed Jorgensen)
1,954
(4.3%)
0

Souraya Faas
Former member of the Miami-Dade County Republican Executive Committee
Independent candidate for president in 2016

Florida

May 3, 2019
FEC Filing
May 23, 2020
(eliminated during nomination round; endorsed Supreme)
1,170
(3.0%)
0

Erik Gerhardt
Entrepreneur
Pennsylvania

May 23, 2019
FEC Filing
May 23, 2020
(eliminated during nomination round)
847
(2.2%)
0

Keenan Dunham
July 16, 1981
(age 42)
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Chair of the Horry County, South Carolina Libertarian Party
Candidate for President in 2016

South Carolina

August 26, 2018
FEC Filing
May 23, 2020
(eliminated during nomination round)
722
(1.9%)
0

John McAfee
1945–2021; aged 75 years (at death) Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire,
United Kingdom
Founder and CEO of McAfee, Inc.
(1987–1994)

Candidate for President in 2016

Tennessee

Campaign
June 3, 2018
Running mate: Adam Kokesh
March 4, 2020
Resumed: March 5, 2020
May 23, 2020
(eliminated during nomination round)
560
(1.5%)
0

Arvin Vohra
May 9, 1979
(age 44)
Silver Spring, Maryland
Vice Chair of the LNC
(2014–2018)

Nominee for U.S. Senate from Maryland in 2016 and 2018
Nominee for U.S. representative from MD-05 in 2012 and MD-04 in 2014

Maryland

July 3, 2018
FEC Filing
May 23, 2020
(eliminated during nomination round; endorsed Kokesh)
272
(0.7%)
0

Kenneth Blevins
Pipe welder
Oklahoma
June 6, 2019
FEC Filing
May 23, 2020
(eliminated during nomination round)
122
(0.3%)
0

John Monds
September 17, 1965
(age 58)
Former President of the Grady County, Georgia NAACP
Nominee for Governor of Georgia in 2010

Georgia

January 27, 2020
FEC Filing
May 23, 2020 (eliminated during balloting; endorsed Jorgensen during balloting)
(ran for vice-president)
64
(0.2%)
0

Jim Gray
February 14, 1945
(age 78)
Washington, D.C.
Former presiding judge for the Superior Court of Orange County, California
Nominee for Vice President in 2012

California

April 13, 2020
Running mate: Larry Sharpe
May 23, 2020

(eliminated during balloting; endorsed Jorgensen during balloting)

42
(0.1%)
0

Withdrew during the primaries

Candidate Born Experience State Campaign announced Campaign suspended Popular vote Contests won Campaign Ref

Ken Armstrong
April 25, 1957
(age 66)
Pasadena, California
U.S. Coast Guard commissioned officer
(1977–1994)

Former nonprofit executive
Former member of the Honolulu County, Hawaii Neighborhood Board

Oregon

May 10, 2019
April 29, 2020
(Ran for Vice President)
(Endorsed Amash)
3,509
(7.7%)
0 FEC Filing

Mark Whitney
Podcaster and political satirist
Founder and CEO of TheLaw.net
Nominee for Vermont State Senate in 1996

California

December 20, 2019
April 24, 2020
(Endorsed Gray)
10
(nil%)
0 Campaign
FEC Filing

Lincoln Chafee
March 26, 1953
(age 70)
Providence, Rhode Island
Governor of Rhode Island (2011–2015)
U.S. Senator from Rhode Island (1999–2007)
Mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island (1993–1999)
Democratic candidate for President in 2016

Wyoming

January 5, 2020
April 5, 2020 441
(1.1%)
0 Campaign

Max Abramson
April 29, 1976
(age 47)
Kent, Washington
New Hampshire State Representative
(2014–2016; 2018–present)

Nominee for Governor of New Hampshire in 2016

New Hampshire

June 30, 2019
March 3, 2020
(Ran for Reform nomination and for Veterans' nomination)
2,040
(4.5%)
0
FEC Filing

Kim Ruff
Peoria, Arizona Vice chair of the LPRadical Caucus
Write-in candidate for Arizona State Mine Inspector in 2018

Arizona
March 25, 2019 January 11, 2020
(Endorsed Supreme)
3,045
(6.7%)
0
FEC Filing
Running mate: John Phillips Jr.

Withdrew before the primaries

Candidate Born Experience State Campaign
announced
Campaign
suspended
Popular vote Ref.

Joe Exotic
March 5, 1963
(aged 54)
Garden City, Kansas
Zookeeper
independent candidate for president in 2016

Oklahoma
January 13, 2017 June 1, 2017(ran for Governor of Oklahoma) 0

Zoltan Istvan
March 30, 1973
(aged 45)
Los Angeles, California
Transhumanist activist and futurist
Candidate for Governor of California in 2018
Transhumanist nominee for President in 2016

California
November 25, 2017 January 11, 2019
(ran for Vice President)
0

Formed exploratory committee but did not run

Candidate Born Experience State Exploratory committee announced Exploratory committee disbanded Popular vote Contests won Ref

Justin Amash
April 18, 1980
(age 43)
Grand Rapids, Michigan
U.S. representative from MI-03
(2011–2021)

Michigan State Representative from MI-72
(2009–2011)

Michigan

April 28, 2020
May 16, 2020 3
(nil%)
0

Declined to be candidates

These individuals have been the subject of presidential speculation, but have publicly denied or recanted interest in running for president.

Timeline of the race

2017

2018

  • January 18: Adam Kokesh officially launches his campaign at an event in Texas, having already announced his intention to run for president during a jailhouse interview in 2013. On the day of his announcement, Kokesh was stopped twice by Texas state troopers, and placed under arrest and charged with possession of a controlled substance and tampering with evidence.
  • May 28: Perennial candidate and performance artist Vermin Supreme files to run.
  • June 3: Contrary to an assertion he made at the 2016 convention, John McAfee announces via Twitter that he would run for president again in 2020, either with the Libertarian Party or under the banner of a party of his own creation.
  • July 3: Former Vice Chair of the Libertarian National Committee, Arvin Vohra announces his candidacy, after an unsuccessful bid for re-election to his position as vice chair.
  • August 26: Chair of the Horry County Libertarian party and 2016 presidential candidate Keenan Dunham files to run.
  • October 19: After having been asked during a Q&A session a few days prior if he would be interested in running for president as a Libertarian, Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne indicates that he "almost definitely" was not going to run for president in 2020.
  • December 12: Vice chair of the L.P. Radical Caucus Kim Ruff expresses interest in a run.

2019

  • January 3: Biomedical researcher and candidate for the party's 2008 presidential nomination Mary Ruwart confirmed on Twitter that she was not planning on seeking the nomination on 2020 in order to focus on writing.
  • January 11: Zoltan Istvan announced via his website that he had left the Libertarian Party some time before this date, and was no longer seeking its presidential nomination in 2020.
  • January 20: At-the-time Republican representative Justin Amash warns the Libertarian Party against nominating a "squishy Republican" at LibertyCon, a comment widely seen as directed at 2016 vice-presidential nominee and presumptive frontrunner Bill Weld.
  • January 21: Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who had been suggested as a Libertarian candidate, makes clear that any presidential run by him would be as an independent.
  • January 22: McAfee announces via Twitter that he would be continuing his campaign "in exile", following reports that he, his wife, and four of his campaign staff were being indicted for tax-related felonies by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). McAfee indicated that he was in "international waters", and had previously tweeted that he was on his way to Venezuela. The IRS has not commented on the alleged indictments.
  • January 23: McAfee confirmed on Twitter that he had docked in the Bahamas, where he would remain for the foreseeable future.
  • January 30: Podcaster and software engineer Dan Behrman files to run.
  • February 5: Weld, who had served as Gary Johnson's running mate in 2016, is the subject of rumours that he had left the Libertarian Party and rejoined the Republican Party to challenge Donald Trump in the Republican primary.
  • February 15:
    • Weld confirmed the rumors that he had left the Libertarian Party on February 15 by announcing the formation of an exploratory committee for the Republican nomination. Weld officially launched his campaign for the Republican nomination on April 15.
    • Justin Amash declines to rule out running for the Libertarian nomination.
  • April 1: Software engineer and former naval officer Sam Robb files to run.
  • April 22: Larry Sharpe, who had been a candidate for vice president in 2016 and the nominee for Governor of New York in 2018, told The Niagara Gazette that he was unlikely to run for office in 2020, and was instead looking at running for Governor again in 2022.
  • May 3: Souraya Faas files to run.
  • May 10: Former U.S. Coast Guard officer Ken Armstrong announces his candidacy.
  • May 18: Congressman Justin Amash broke ranks with the Republican Party and became the first Republican in all of Congress to call for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. In an interview with Salon, Libertarian National Committee chairman Nicholas Sarwark concurred with Amash's conclusions, saying, "of all the members of Congress, his [Amash] positions seem to most closely match those of the Libertarian Party.", fuelling speculations about a possible bid by Amash for the Libertarian nomination On May 22, Sharpe reported receiving two calls from "people close to Amash" inquiring about the Libertarian Party.
  • May 23: Entrepreneur Erik Gerhardt files to run.
  • June 30: New Hampshire state representative Max Abramson announces his candidacy for the Libertarian nomination.
  • July 4: Amash announces via an op-ed in The Washington Post that he had left the Republican Party, becoming an independent.
  • August 22: Former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee, who announced he had joined the Libertarian Party in a Boston Globe op-ed published in July, expressed interest in making another bid for the presidency, this time as a Libertarian.
  • October 29: Founder and president of the Future of Freedom Foundation Jacob Hornberger filed to seek the Libertarian nomination for president, announcing his candidacy days later.
  • November 2: At the South Carolina Libertarian Party convention, 1996 vice presidential nominee Jo Jorgensen announces her candidacy seeking the nomination for president. Jorgensen participated in the subsequent presidential debate held off the convention site.
  • December 20: Podcaster and satirist Mark Whitney announces his campaign.

2020

  • January 5: Former Governor and Senator Lincoln Chafee files to run.
  • January 11:
    • Vermin Supreme wins the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire's internally-held and funded presidential preference primary.
    • Kim Ruff suspends her campaign.
  • January 27: 2010 Georgia gubernatorial nominee John Monds files to run.
  • February 8: Jacob Hornberger wins the Libertarian Party of Iowa's internally-held and funded presidential preference caucus.
  • February 25: Jacob Hornberger wins the Libertarian Party of Minnesota's internally-held presidential preference caucus.
  • March 3;
  • March 4: John McAfee suspends his presidential campaign and announces his candidacy for the Libertarian vice-presidential nomination, endorsing Vermin Supreme for president.
  • March 5: McAfee resumes his presidential campaign.
  • March 10: Jacob Hornberger wins the unopposed Missouri primary.
  • April 5: Lincoln Chafee suspends his campaign.
  • April 11: Hornberger wins the Ohio caucus.
  • April 13: Judge Jim Gray announces his candidacy, with Larry Sharpe as his running mate.
  • April 24: Mark Whitney suspends his campaign and endorses Gray.
  • April 26: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the JW Marriott Downtown Austin cancels all reservations for the 2020 Libertarian National Convention.
  • April 28;
    • Hornberger wins the Connecticut primary.
    • Justin Amash opens a presidential exploratory committee for the Libertarian nomination.
  • April 29: Ken Armstrong announces that he will withdraw from the presidential race and instead seek the nomination for vice president, following Amash's declaration for the Presidential nomination.
  • May 9: The Libertarian Party of Kentucky sponsors the 5th in a series of televised debates held by the state party, featuring the top four vote-getting candidates from previous debates, Hornberger, Supreme, Jorgensen, and Jim Gray, plus Justin Amash.
  • May 11: Ken Armstrong endorses Amash.
  • May 12: Jo Jorgensen wins the Nebraska primary with 28% of the vote.
  • May 16: Despite forming an exploratory committee, Justin Amash announces that he will not seek the 2020 presidential nomination.
  • May 22: The 2020 Libertarian National Convention begins online, set to run digitally from May 22–24.
  • May 23;
    • In the nominating round, Blevins, Vohra, McAfee, Dunham, Gerhardt, Faas, Robb, and Behrman are eliminated. Vohra endorses Kokesh, Robb endorses Jorgensen, and Faas and Behrman endorse Supreme. (Behrman nevertheless announces he will continue his presidential run as an independent.)
    • In subsequent rounds, Kokesh, Gray, Monds, Supreme, and Hornberger are eliminated. All of them subsequently endorse Jorgensen.
    • The Libertarian Party officially nominates Jo Jorgensen as its presidential candidate, making her the party's first female presidential nominee.
  • May 24: The Libertarian Party nominates Spike Cohen as its vice presidential nominee.

Overview

Active campaign
Exploratory committee
Withdrawn candidate
Midterm elections
New Hampshire primary
Super Tuesday
COVID-19 pandemic
national emergency
declaration
Libertarian convention
Final primary
General election
Zoltan IstvanMax Abramson#2020 presidential campaignLincoln Chafee 2020 presidential campaignJustin Amash#2020 presidential exploratory committeeJohn McAfee 2020 presidential campaignAdam Kokesh#2020 presidential campaignJim Gray (jurist)#2020 presidential campaignJohn MondsVermin Supreme 2020 presidential campaignJo Jorgensen#2020 presidential campaign

Endorsements

Jim Gray
Federal legislators
Statewide officials
Municipal officials
  • Jeff Hewitt, member of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors (Previously endorsed Whitney)
Jacob Hornberger
Party officials
Individuals
Adam Kokesh
Federal legislators
Party officials
Vermin Supreme
State legislators
Individuals
Justin Amash
State legislators
Individuals
Lincoln Chafee
Individuals
  • Steve Kerbel, businessman, author, and candidate for President in 2016
  • James P. Gray, Former presiding judge for the Superior Court of Orange County, California, Nominee for Vice-President in 2012 (Later ran for President)
Kim Ruff
State legislators
Mark Whitney
Municipal officials

Primaries and caucuses

The Libertarian Party will be eligible to participate in presidential primaries in numerous states.

Other primaries and caucuses

  • Cancellations: Arizona

Ballot access

Primaries and Caucuses
State/
Territory
Date
Behrman
Dunham
Hornberger
Jorgensen
Kokesh
McAfee
Robb
Supreme
Vohra
Armstrong
Whitney
Chafee
Abramson
Ruff
Other
Reference
NH January 11 Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes
IA February 8 No official candidate list
MN February 25 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
CA March 3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Withdrawn Yes
MA March 3 Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Withdrawn No
NC March 3 Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Withdrawn Yes
MO March 10 No No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No
OH March 16 Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes
CT April 28 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Withdrawn Withdrawn No No Yes
NY April 28 No No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No
NE May 12 Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No Withdrawn Withdrawn No No
NM June 2 Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Withdrawn Withdrawn Withdrawn Withdrawn No Yes

Candidates listed in italics have suspended their campaigns.

  1. ^ Erik Gerhardt, Arlen Lawson Wright
  2. ^ Sorinne Ardeleanu, Souraya Faas, Steve Richey
  3. ^ Souraya Faas, Erik Gerhardt, Steve Richey
  4. ^ Kenneth Blevins, Souraya Faas, Erik Gerhardt, Jedi Hill, James Ogle, Steve Richey
  5. ^ Steve Richey
  6. ^ Brian Ellison, Erik Gerhardt, James Ogle, Jedediah Hill, John Monds, Kenneth Blevins, Louis Vanacore, Phil Gray, Rhett Smith, Sorinne Ardeleanu, Steve Richey
  7. ^ Sorinne Ardeleanu, John Monds, James Ogle

Results

Date Contest 2020 Libertarian Party presidential primaries Source
Jo
Jorgensen
Jacob Hornberger Vermin Supreme Adam Kokesh Dan Behrman Sam
Robb
Ken Armstrong Kim Ruff Max Abramson None of
the above
Others Total
January 11 New
Hampshire
17
(12.1%)
9
(6.4%)
26
(18.6%)
1
(0.7%)
13
(9.3%)
8
(5.7%)
5
(3.6%)
22
(15.7%)
1
(0.7%)
13
(9.3%)
25
(17.7%)
140
February 8 Iowa 18
(6.4%)
133
(47.3%)
9
(3.2%)
17
(6.1%)
14
(5.0%)
7
(2.5%)
2
(0.7%)
6
(2.1%)
8
(2.9%)
67
(23.8%)
281
February 25 Minnesota 32
(40.5%)
47
(59.5%)
eliminated eliminated eliminated
in round 1/7
eliminated eliminated eliminated eliminated 79
March 3
(Super Tuesday)
California 3,534
(12.4%)
5,530
(19.4%)
3,469
(12.2%)
2,161
(7.6%)
1,695
(5.9%)
1,722
(6.0%)
3,011
(10.6%)
2,330
(8.2%)
1,605
(5.6%)
3,478
(12.2%)
28,535
Massachusetts 141
(3.4%)
369
(8.9%)
399
(9.6%)
125
(3.0%)
294
(7.%)
127
(3.1%)
145
(3.5%)
224
(5.4%)
98
(2.4%)
804
(19.3%)
1,433
(34.5%)
4,159
North
Carolina
267
(4.4%)
584
(9.6%)
387
(6.3%)
163
(2.7%)
144
(2.4%)
346
(5.7%)
469
(7.7%)
160
(2.7%)
2,022
(33.1%)
1,568
(25.7%)
6,110
March 10 Missouri 1,695
(74.8%)
571
(25.2%)
2,266
March 16-April 11 Ohio 55
(31.6%)
97
(55.7%)
eliminated
in round 8/9
eliminated
in round 5/9
eliminated
in round 2/9
eliminated
in round 7/9
22
(12.6%)
174
April 25-28 Connecticut eliminated
in round 18/19
85
(50.9%)
eliminated
in round 16/19
eliminated
in round 17/19
eliminated
in round 12/19
eliminated
in round 10/19
eliminated
in round 7/19
eliminated
in round 13/19
82
(49.1%)
167
April 28 New
York
default
winner
May 12 Nebraska 539
(28.1%)
483
(25.2%)
274
(14.3%)
180
(9.4%)
170
(8.9%)
270
(14.1%)
1,916
June 2 New Mexico 520
(33.1%)
154
(9.8%)
124
(7.9%)
58
(3.7%)
90
(5.7%)
330
(21.0%)
281
(18.1%)
1,557
Popular vote
(Percentage)
5,123
(11.2%)
9,186
(20.3%)
4,290
(9.4%)
2,865
(6.3%)
2,398
(5.3%)
1,954
(4.3%)
3,509
(7.7%)
3,045
(6.7%)
2,040
(4.5%)
3,770
(8.3%)
45,389

Debates and forums

Schedule

Map of United States showing sites of all Libertarian presidential debates in 2019–2020.
L1 Issaquah
L1
Issaquah
L2 Bay City
L2
Bay City
L3 Colorado Springs
L3
Colorado Springs
L4 Tampa
L4
Tampa
L5 Toledo
L5
Toledo
L6 Somerville
L6
Somerville
L7 Florence
L7
Florence
L8 Olean
L8
Olean
L9 Concord
L9
Concord
L10 Douglasville
L10
Douglasville
L11 Culver City
L11
Culver City
L12 Orlando
L12
Orlando
L13 Birmingham
L13
Birmingham
L14 Philadelphia

L14
Philadelphia
L15 East Peoria
L15
East Peoria
L18 McAllen
L18
McAllen
L19 Austin
L19
Austin
Sites of the Libertarian Party presidential debates.
No. Date Time
(ET)
Place Sponsor(s) Moderators Ref
1 March 31, 2019 Holiday Inn Seattle–Issaquah,
Issaquah, Washington
Libertarian Party of Washington Randy McGlenn II
2 April 13, 2019 Courtyard by Marriott Bay City,
Bay City, Michigan
Libertarian Party of Michigan Jeff Wood
3 April 27, 2019 Hotel Eleganté Conference & Event Center,
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Libertarian Party of Colorado
4 May 5, 2019 1–2 pm Hotel Alba Tampa-Westshore,
Tampa, Florida
Libertarian Party of Florida C. Michael Pickens
5 June 1, 2019 Radisson Hotel at The University of Toledo,
Toledo, Ohio
Libertarian Party of Ohio Larry Sharpe
6 July 13, 2019 VFW Post 529 – George Dilboy Post,
Somerville, Massachusetts
Libertarian Party of Massachusetts Matt Welch
7 November 2, 2019 7–9 pm Francis Marion University,
Florence, South Carolina
Libertarian Party of South Carolina
8 November 9, 2019 7–9 pm Olean High School,
Olean, New York
Cattaraugus County Libertarian Party James Weeks II, Daniel Donnelly, and Luke Wenke
9 January 11, 2020 Holiday Inn,
Concord, New Hampshire
Libertarian Party of New Hampshire Daniel Fishman
10 January 18, 2020 Douglasville Convention Center,
Douglasville, Georgia
Libertarian Party of Georgia Jessica Szilagyi
11 February 16, 2020 10 pm–12 am DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles,
Culver City, California
Libertarian Party of California Matt Welch
12 February 22, 2020 Holiday Inn & Suites,
Orlando, Florida
Libertarian Party of Florida
13 February 28, 2020 6:30–9 pm Birmingham Marriott,
Birmingham, Alabama
Libertarian Party of Alabama TBD
14 March 7, 2020 Renaissance Philadelphia Airport Hotel,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania Larry Sharpe
15 March 13, 2020 9:15–11:30 pm Embassy Suites East Peoria,
East Peoria, Illinois
Libertarian Party of Illinois TBD
16 April 17, 2020 McAllen Convention Center,
McAllen, Texas
Libertarian Party of Texas TBD
17 April 23, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Kentucky Chris Wiest
18 May 2, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Kentucky Chris Wiest
19 May 9, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Kentucky Chris Wiest
20 May 16, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Kentucky
Libertarian Party of Missouri
Matt Welch
21 May 18, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Texas Timothy Martinez
22 May 21, 2020 Online Libertarian Party National Convention John Stossel

Debates

Libertarian Party-sponsored debates among candidates for the 2020 Libertarian Party U.S. presidential nomination
Date Place Host Participants
 P  Participant.  I  Invitee.  A  Absent.  N  Confirmed non-invitee.  O  Out of race (exploring, suspended, or not yet entered)
Abramson
Amash
Armstrong
Behrman
Chafee
Gray
Hornberger
Jorgensen
Kokesh
Monds
Robb
Ruff
Supreme
Vohra
Whitney
others
March 31, 2019 Issaquah, Washington Libertarian Party of Washington O O O A O O O O P O O A A P O none
April 13, 2019 Bay City, Michigan Libertarian Party of Michigan O O O A O O O O A O A A P P O Marks
April 27, 2019 Colorado Springs, Colorado Libertarian Party of Colorado O O O A O O O O P O A A P P O none
May 5, 2019 Tampa, Florida Libertarian Party of Florida O O O P O O O O P O A A A P O Faas
June 1, 2019 Toledo, Ohio Libertarian Party of Ohio O O O A O O O O P O A P P P O Marks
July 13, 2019 Somerville, Massachusetts Libertarian Party of Massachusetts P O O P O O O O P O A P A P O none
November 2, 2019 Florence, South Carolina Libertarian Party of South Carolina N O P P O O N P P O N P P N O none
November 9, 2019 Olean, New York Cattaraugus County Libertarian Party P O P P O O A A A O P A P P O Christmann
Hill
January 11, 2020 Concord, New Hampshire Libertarian Party of New Hampshire P O A P A O A P A O P A P P P Ashby
Dunham
Gerhardt
January 18, 2020 Douglasville, Georgia Libertarian Party of Georgia A O A P P O A P P O P O P A P Blevins
Gerhardt
February 16, 2020 Culver City, California Libertarian Party of California N O N N P O P P P N N O P N P none
February 22, 2020 Orlando, Florida Libertarian Party of Florida A O A P P O P P P P A O P P P none
February 28, 2020 Birmingham, Alabama Libertarian Party of Alabama A O A P P O P P P P A O A P P none
March 7, 2020 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania O O P A A O P P P A A O P A A none
March 13, 2020 East Peoria, Illinois Libertarian Party of Illinois O O P P A O P P P P P O P A A Blevins
Williams
April 17, 2020 McAllen, Texas Libertarian Party of Texas O O N I O N I I I I N O I N I none
April 22, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Kentucky O O A A O P P P P A A O A A P none
May 2, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Kentucky O A O A O P P P N P N O P N O none
May 9, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Kentucky O P O N O P P P N N N O P N O none
May 16, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Kentucky
Libertarian Party of Missouri
O A O N O P P P P P N O N N O none
May 18, 2020 Online Libertarian Party of Texas O O O P O P P P P P A O P A O none
May 21, 2020 Online Libertarian Party National Convention O O O N O P P P N P N O P N O none

Forums

Forums among candidates for the 2020 Libertarian Party U.S. presidential nomination
Date Place Host Participants
 P  Participant.  A  Absent.  O  Out of race (exploring, suspended, or not yet entered) Armstrong Behrman Chafee Hornberger Jorgensen Kokesh Robb Supreme Whitney others
September 23, 2019 Dayton, Ohio Libertarian Party of Ohio P A O O O A A P O Faas
January 25, 2020 Tucson, Arizona Libertarian Party of Arizona P P A P P P A P P none
February 29, 2020 Des Moines, Iowa Libertarian Party of Iowa P P P P P P P A P none

Primary election polling

National polling

Poll source Sample size Date(s) Abramson Armstrong Behrman Blevins Chafee Faas Hornberger Jorgensen Kokesh McAfee Monds Robb Ruff Seder Supreme Vohra Whitney Others
The Torch of Liberty 511 Mar 1–21, 2020 <1% 9% 1% 5% <1% 39% <1% 5% 2% 4% 12% 15% 3% 3%
The Torch of Liberty 567 Jan 31–Feb 24, 2020 1% 5% 17% 2% 4% 1% 31% 1% 5% 1% 13% 8% 1% 1%
The Torch of Liberty 634 Jan 1–25, 2020 3% 1% 14% 2% 1% 26% 3% 6% 1% 7% 9% 17% 10%
The Torch of Liberty 319 Dec 1–26, 2019 4% 1% 18% 8% 22% 2% 8% 1% 7% 20% 3% 1% 7%
The Torch of Liberty 475 Nov 1–25, 2019 6% 1% 23% 2% 5% 2% 11% 1% 7% 21% 9% 12%
The Torch of Liberty 251 Oct 2019 2% 3% 34% 1% 1% 8% 9% 8% 11% 6% 0.5% 17%
Third Party Watch 730 RV Mar 10–14, 2019 34.0% 20.8% 42.7% 2.1% 0.4% N/A

National polling of delegates to the Convention

Both of these polls were conducted using ranked choice voting, progression down the table indicates later rounds of voting as the candidate with the lowest total is eliminated.

Poll source Sample size Date(s) Amash Gray Hornberger Jorgensen Kokesh Monds Supreme Others
OpaVote Archived June 3, 2020, at the Wayback Machine Released May 19, 2020 350 (V) 17.4% 22.9% 22% 7.7% 9.1% 12.6% 8.3
17.4% 22.9% 22% 7.7% 9.1% 12.6% 8.3
17.7% 23.1% 22.3% 7.7% 9.1% 12.6% 7.4%
17.7% 23.4% 22.3% 7.7% 9.7% 12.9% 6.3%
17.7% 24.0% 22.3% 8.6% 10% 13.7% 3.7%
19.2% 24.4% 23% 8.8% 10.5% 14.2%
20.4% 25.7% 26% 11.5% 16.3%
22% 27.6% 31.8% 18.7%
26.5% 32.4% 41.1%
39.5% 60.5%
36.2% 6.1% 17.1% 12.8% 7% 5.5% 9.9% 5.4%
36.2% 6.1% 17.1% 12.8% 7% 5.5% 9.9% 5.4%
36.2% 6.1% 17.4% 12.8% 7% 5.5% 10.1% 4.9%
36.2% 6.4% 18% 13% 7% 5.5% 10.1% 3.7%
36.8% 6.7% 18.1% 13.2% 7% 5.6% 10.2% 2.3%
37.1% 6.7% 18.7% 13.2% 7.6% 5.8% 10.8%
37.7% 7% 19.9% 15.2% 7.9% 12.3%
39.4% 20.6% 19.1% 8.2% 12.6%
41.1% 21.9% 22.2% 14.7%
44.9% 25.6% 29.4%
52.8% 47.2%

Online straw polls

The following are early unofficial online polls that have included various speculative and potential candidates, including some that are not members of the Libertarian Party.

Poll source Date(s) Amash Campbell Ince Istvan Johnson Kerbel Kokesh McAfee Miron Paul Perry Petersen Ruwart Sanford Supreme Sarwark Schiff Sharpe Ventura Weld Others
The Libertarian Vindicator Jan 2–4, 2018 2% 3% 6% nil% 9% 1% 4% - 8% - 55% - 6% None of the Above 6%
TheJackNews Aug 13–19, 2017 29.1% 2.9% 0.9% 3.9% 1.1% 2.8% 8.2% - - 28.5% - N/A
TheJackNews July 9–15, 2017 6% 6% 10.2% 10.2% - - - 16% - 43% Undecided 8%
A Libertarian Future Mar 2017 8% 4% 2% 3% 26% 1% 18% - 1% - - 25% 3% 8% None of the Above 1%
A Libertarian Future Nov 2016 5% 10% 1% 3% 33% 1% 27% 6% 4% 9% - - None of the Above 1%

Campaign finance

This is an overview of the money used by each campaign as it is reported to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and released on October 15, 2019. Totals raised include loans from the candidate and transfers from other campaign committees. Some of the Libertarian candidates have not filed with the FEC, and financial data for those candidates are therefore not available.

 Withdrawn candidate
Candidate Total raised Individual contributions Debt Spent COH
Total Unitemized Pct
Jorgensen $32,148 $22,365 $7,615 34.1% $9,874 $30,257 $1,891
Abramson filed Statement of Candidacy
Armstrong $20,360 $16,608 $4,909 29.6% $1,867 $17,054 $734
Behrman $42,064 $7,767 $1,500 17.2% $18,660 $42,064 $0
Chafee $62,546 $2,496 $1,996 80.0% $0 $50,119 $12,427
Dunham filed Statement of Candidacy
Gerhardt filed Statement of Candidacy
Hornberger $65,420 $42,079 $23,140 55.0% $44,770 $3,797 $20,650
Kokesh $218,770 $112,070 $14,929 13.3% $13,742 $218,694 $76
Marks filed Statement of Candidacy
McAfee did not file
Robb filed Statement of Candidacy
Ruff $18,958 $9,812 $2,363 37.5% $6,117 $9,264 $9,695
Supreme $32,049 $28,794 $18,535 64.4% $700 $29,407 $2,642
Vohra filed Statement of Candidacy
Whitney $67,001 $5,600 $575 9.3% $60,726 $2,998 $64,028

See also

National Conventions

Presidential primaries


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