Early word out of yesterday’s Libertarian convention seem to indicate that the South Dakota Libertarian party has nominated a couple of candidates for office. And while they’ve been nominated, whether they stand the snowball’s proverbial chance in hades or not is entirely another thing altogether.
Libertarian Party Communications Director and past pot petitioner Devin Saxon reportedly appears to have won the nod to run for the Public Utilities Commission on behalf of the state’s only third party against whomever state Democrats may nominate, as well as current Republican Public Utilities Commissioner Gary Hansen.
The only Gubernatorial candidate to have been ejected as nominee by his party in State History in 2018, Libertarian CJ Abernathey has apparently climbed back on the horse and will supposedly be running for District 23 State Senate against the winner of the race between Republicans Bryan Breitling and Larry Nielsen.
Abernathey had been claiming he intended to burn a flag in 2018, a move in which the Libertarian party itself disavowed at the time as dredging up “many painful images of those who hate America and seek its destruction.” Since that time, Abernathey has spent time looking for donations to pay bail for some criminal acts he was arrested for in another state. And instead of threatening to burn the flag, lately Abernathey has been making overtures of a different nature:
So, instead of burning the flag, Abernathey moved to statements about how law enforcement officers need to be hung by the neck, and made similar statements about Governor Noem.
Somehow I don’t think that’s going to earn him sufficient support to win election. And The South Dakota Senate might not be the institution he needs to be spending time in.
Who else is running? Libertarian party Chair Gideon Oakes is said to be making another run for District 30 State Senate. And there had been rumors of perennial candidate Kurt Evans offering himself up as a sacrificial lamb once again for US Senate.
We’ll have to wait for the official release to see what the complete list of candidates will bring from the island of misfit toys.
But suffice it to say that once again, every indication is there that another election will pass without anyone being elected to office in South Dakota with an (L) behind their name.
Their high water mark was 2014 when they filled their statewide slate and the Dems did not.
Looks like they have failed to achieve their high water mark.
I tried to recruit some good candidates for the ballot. Oh well what do I know. I guess there is certain criteria in order to be accepted. I believe in the big tent of independent thinkers and freedom to be yourself.
Thanks for the coverage, Pat. We’ll be sure to send you a release with the full slate.
The Libertarian party is alive and well.
Did CJ Abernathey ever burn the Star and Stripes at our state Capitol? Does he even recognize that we have a state Capitol given the reality he lives in?
No he never did burn the flag. A long complicated situation that involves his child. Guys don’t always get a fair deal when it comes to seeing their children.
deadbeat dads?
Or how about deadbeat mothers?
Evans was asked to be the Libertarian nominee for governor in 2002 before being ejected in favor of Nathan Barton, so Abernathey has some company.
Honestly asking…. has a libertarian ever won a legislative or statewide race in South Dakota?
Not yet. But ask me again in November. I’ll hopefully have a different answer for you. 🙂
CJ sounds like quite the nutjob. If the Libertarian Party hopes to gain traction they need to shake the tree a bit and hope certain ones roll a long ways away.