Mecklenburg Libertarian Party Draws Record Crowd
On Wednesday February 22nd the Libertarian Party of Mecklenburg County (LPMeck) held its annual county convention at the Fox & Hound in uptown Charlotte. The event drew over 50 people, making it the most successful and popular convention in the local Party’s history.
Lee Wrights, a presidential candidate for the LP noted that the attendance was larger than many of the state conventions he has attended. Tim Doran, Mecklenburg Party Chairman, believed such high attendance was “an indication of both the strength of the LP message of free markets and individual liberty through limited government and a growing rejection by voters of the two major parties.”
The cast of speakers also included Barbara Howe, Thomas Hill, Curtis Campbell, Alex Monohan and was headlined by popular Charlotte radio host Keith Larson.
There were two candidate announcements made:
Barbara Howe announced her intention to file as a Libertarian Candidate for Governor of North Carolina. Howe has previously run for NC Governor and has also twice served as Chair of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC). She stressed the importance for voters to come out and vote for a candidate that won’t abandon her principles and help LPNC maintain ballot access by attaining 2% of the vote.
Curtis Campbell a local resident of Mecklenburg County announced his candidacy for Congress in District 9, a seat previously held by Republican Sue Myrick. Campbell, a registered nurse is currently pursuing a degree in Economics and believes that the current congress lacks both the knowledge and fortitude to make the tough economic choices necessary to help our country.
Lee Wrights, a candidate seeking the Libertarian Party nomination for President spoke on the eve of his cross country tour of LP State conventions. Wrights gave a rousing and impassioned speech about his campaign’s message of liberty and peace. He declared, “There is the War in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya. The War on Drugs, Poverty, and Terror. I am tired of war and I am tired of the failures and uselessness of these wars. I am at NOT at War.” He also pushed for voters to join him in his Million Vote March in which he hopes to see a million votes cast for the LP presidential candidate.
It was Keith Larson of WBT radio that provided many of the lighter moments of the evening with his take on current news events that focused on the often humorous yet tragic failures of government interventions. While declaring himself an independent, he admitted the he has voted for the LP presidential candidate in the last two elections because he doesn’t believe in the third party “wasted vote” myth. While often ironic and satirical, he did offer a serious word of advice for libertarians, “You have to think about the presentation and packaging of your message. That matters, especially in influencing independent voters.”
The evening was rounded out by Alex Monohan of the Coalition to Protect NC Families discussing the negative implications that NC Amendment One would have for the LGBT community and single people of all sexual orientations. Amendment One seeks to define marriage in the NC constitution.
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