Libertarian delegates, party members and candidates from across Texas gathered in downtown Abilene on April 10-12 to decide who would represent the Libertarian party at the state level this election cycle.
Unlike the Republican and Democratic parties, the Libertarian Party nominates its political candidates through a convention process every two years.
Delegates nominated candidates for major statewide races, including governor and U.S. Senate, along with down-ballot races and party leadership positions.
Elizabeth Miller, former delegate and current member of the Republican Liberty Caucus, says Abilene was a good place to hold the convention.
“We get to talk to a little bit different media and people get exposed to us and other parts of the state that might not be familiar with us, so I like that,” Miller said.
The U.S. government’s two-party system structure makes it difficult for Libertarians to compete in elections. Miller said some people don’t even know that the Libertarian Party exists.
“And there are people who know they’re Libertarians, but, you know, they realize that the duopoly, the way it’s constructed, the rules are designed against smaller parties,” Miller said. “The Republicans and Democrats write the rules, and they do it together to minimize their competition.”
Even though the Libertarian Party doesn’t participate in the primary election process, the Texas Legislature still requires its candidates to either pay filing fees or submit petitions to qualify for the party's convention ballot.
Pat Dixon, the Libertarian candidate for governor, says the high fees have been the most challenging part of the nomination process so far. (Pat Dixon's website: patdixon.org)
https://patdixon.org/https://patdixon.org/
But Dixon says he and other Libertarians will continue to run for office to show voters that there are options outside of the red and blue candidates.
“I do not think three choices on the ballot is a crowded ballot. I think voters want choice. So I want to offer that choice,” Dixon said.
A Libertarian is also running for U.S. Senate. Ted Brown ran against Ted Cruz in 2024 and got the record number of votes for a Libertarian Senate candidate in Texas. (Ted Brown's website: tedbrown.org)
“I wanted to provide an alternative, to show voters that they didn’t have to vote for candidates who believe in big government, that there’d be an alternative candidate who would say, no, we need limited government, personal freedom, economic freedom and a non-interventionalist foreign policy,” Brown said.
He said he is running for office again because things have gotten worse, and because our liberties are being violated on a daily basis by Donald Trump and his administration.
For example, most members of the Libertarian Party want America to end the war in Iran.
Scott Horton is an author who applies Libertarian economic analysis to foreign policy. He said that the majority of the conflicts that the government tries to solve through combat were caused by previous American military actions.
“If you ask the American people about the Iranian revolution, they’ll say, well, they burned our flag and called us the Great Satan and said, ‘Death to America,’” Horton said. “They don’t know that America supported a right-wing fascist dictatorship over that country for 25 years leading up to that revolution, which is the reason for it and the reason for all that enmity.”
The Libertarian Party first appeared on a Texas general election ballot in 1980, but has never won a statewide office. Libertarians usually make up around 1%-3% of the statewide vote, but are able to have some influence on policy by caucusing with Republicans.
Selected Libertarian nominees will begin their campaigning process now and be seen on the ballot in November during the general election.