Survival a primary concern

OLYMPIA – Don’t hold your breath for the inauguration of a Libertarian governor in January, but the state’s third major party has nonetheless managed to field dozens of candidates for political office this year.

Some 33 Libertarians are running for the state Legislature. Several are running for Congress. And nearly every statewide office – from governor to insurance commissioner – has at least one Libertarian contender.

“Every time I do this, I swear to myself I’m never going to do it again,” said John Gearhart, a 65-year-old Palouse Libertarian who’s run for state representative, state senate and City Council. “But I’m really uncomfortable with the way the country’s going. I keep running so I’ll have somebody to vote for.”

Washington Libertarians won major-party status four years ago, when three of its candidates won more than 5 percent of the statewide vote. That meant that the party no longer had to gather hundreds or thousands of signatures in order to get a candidate on the ballot.

Now, however, the party’s biggest hurdle is for its candidates to simply survive Washington’s new primary election. The party was among those who successfully sued to toss out the old “blanket primary,” a 1930s-era system that allowed voters to select among candidates from different parties.

“However, it may turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory,” said Laren McLaren, the state party chairman.

Here’s why: Under state election rules, “major party” candidates must get at least 1 percent of the primary vote in order to appear on the November ballot. And with hotly contested races on both the Democrat and Republican ballots, Libertarians worry that not enough people will pick their ballot.

Once voters realize what the party stands for, candidates say, they’re often supportive. The state party’s platform embraces the Constitution, private property rights, and the freedom to choose abortion. It rejects gun control and the war on drugs, and calls for a public vote for any new taxes, fees or fines.

“I really feel we’re drifting into fascism in this country,” said Gearhart. “When my dad died, he was angry and frustrated. I want to feel that I at least tried to do something.”

“The more people understand our underlying principles and see how far our government has strayed from those principles, the more they’ll be voting Libertarian,” said Spokane County party chairwoman Janice Moerschel. “Republicans may say they’re the party for smaller government and less taxes, but we don’t see any evidence of their rhetoric matching their actions.”

Still, the list of office-holding Libertarians is pretty brief. The top-ranking one is Bob Bromley, mayor of the city of Sumas, population roughly 1,100. Others hold seats on city councils, parks and recreation commissions, a school board, and a cemetery district.

“Libertarians have trouble getting candidates for office,” said Dave Wordinger, a Medical Lake Libertarian running for the state House of Representatives. “Libertarians don’t want to tell people how to live their lives, whereas Democrats and Republicans have people stumbling over each other to do that.”

“I paid my $334 (filing fee) because I want to keep the free market of ideas open,” said Gary D. Rhodes, a Spokane stay-at-home dad raising two daughters. He’s running as a Libertarian for a seat in the state House of Representatives. His platform includes lower taxes, smaller government, school vouchers, charter schools and replacing the foster-care system with orphanages.

“Orphanages, whatever their bad side, were at least a stable home that kids could count on,” he said.

Party leaders and candidates acknowledge the long odds against Libertarian candidates in November. The state party numbers only about 2,500 members and donors over the past several years, according to its latest newsletter. It can’t muster anything near the millions of dollars that Republicans and Democrats can.

Winning isn’t necessarily the goal, some Libertarian candidates and leaders said. In many cases, their main hope is influencing America’s political debate.

“To me, winning is getting one vote less than the person who goes to Olympia,” said Wordinger. He said he hopes “to scare the Democrats and Republicans into respecting” Libertarian values.

“I don’t care who passes – or rescinds – the laws,” he said. “But as long as that happens, it doesn’t have to be me.”