Category Archives: Elections and Local Politics

NW MI Libertarians Do Well on 2020 Ballot

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Northwest Michigan Libertarians celebrated success during the November 2020 election, as Mancelona Township elected Donna Gundle-Krieg as the first Libertarian to ever win in a partisan race in northern Michgan. The five other Libertarian candidates in NW MIchigan also performed respectably, as did Ben Boren, who ran as a Libertarian for U.S. Congress in District #1.

In addition to Gundle-Krieg, other local candidates had impressive showings:

Frank Pelky, who ran for Homestead Township Clerk, received 43% of the votes against his Republican challenger;
David Holmer ran as Manistee County Comissioner, and received 25% of the votes against his Democrat challenger;
Cory Dean ran against 4 Republicans for Blair Township Clerk, and received 9% of the vote.

The other Libertarians all ran tri-partisan races, and received 2% of the vote, including Ben Boren, who ran for U.S. 1st District Representative in Congress; Racin’ Jason Crum, who ran for State Representative in the 104th district; and Thomas Bosch, who ran for Long Lake Township Trustee against eight other candidates.

Thanks to all of the candidates! Running for office is hard work, but spreading liberty is very important.

Click here to see how other candidates fared across Michigan.

Racin’ Jason Crum

 

David Holmer

Ben Boren

 

 

Frank Pelky

 

Cory Dean

 

 

 

Thomas Bosch

Donna Gundle-Krieg

Mancelona Trustee is 1st Northern MI Libertarian to Win Partisan Election

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Donna Gundle-Krieg, a real estate broker from Mancelona Township, became the first Libertarian ever to win a partisan election in northern Michigan.  She beat Democrat Yousef Jabara by less than 100 votes in a three-way race for two spots for Mancelona Township Trustee.

“It is always an uphill battle to compete as a third party,” stated Gundle-Krieg, who went door-to-door to explain to voters why they should consider options outside the duopoly.

Gundle-Krieg credits her victory to very hard work during the campaign. “Going door-to-door is brutal, but necessary. I thought that I knew a lot of people in town, but it was humbling that I was wrong! I loved meeting so many new friends while campaigning.”

Gundle-Krieg also believes her work as a realtor helped her in the election. She was recently voted the “Red Hot Best” Realtor in Northern Michigan by readers of MyNorth Magazine. She has sold over 300 properties in the area since moving here several years ago.

“Mancelona has been good to me, and I have fallen in love with the people in this town,” she said. “I want to continue to find new ways to give back. I really think that my leadership and communication skills will serve the township residents well.”

Donna is also very involved in the community. She is a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, and the Mancelona Chamber of Commerce. Last year, she helped start the Mancelona Area Professionals Networking group, as well as Citizens Who Want a Vote on the Antrim County Jail

Donna was born and raised in the Detroit area, and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Wayne State University, as well as Master’s level business and law classes at Wayne State and Eastern Michigan University.

Donna lives with her husband Dennis on the Cedar River in Mancelona. They have two adult children. Son Steven and his wife Tori live in Chicago, and daughter Ellie and her husband Jared reside in Interlochen.

The Libertarian Party celebrated other local victories throughout the state of Michigan. 

Michigan Elects Local Libertarian Candidates

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The Libertarian Party of Michigan ran 60 candidates for Federal, State, and local public office in this unusual election season marked by a global pandemic, a large percentage of absentee votes, and a hyper partisan political climate.

Libertarian Presidential Candidate Jo Jorgensen came in third place with 60,286 votes, or 1.09%. While this is less than a third of Gary Johnson’s record 3.59% of the vote in 2016, it was still the second best showing in party history.

Michigan Libertarian Defeats a Democrat

In Antrim County, Donna Gundle-Krieg was one of two candidates elected to the Mancelona Township Board of Trustees. Gundle-Krieg, owner of a well-known real estate agency, came in second place by defeating a Democrat by just under 100 votes. Donna became only the second Libertarian in Michigan, and first since 1988, to be elected to office by defeating a major party opponent.

In Fruitport Township, Richard Riekse was one of three candidates elected to the Township Parks Commission. Richard, along with a Democrat and Republican will serve on the commission.

In Detroit, Scotty Boman was elected to the 4th District Detroit Community Advisory Council. Boman, a community college professor, helped to create this commission via petition gathering in 2019. A second Libertarian, Gregory Creswell, filed as a write in candidate and is expected to be elected after the results are certified.

The nine Libertarian candidates for US Congress averaged 1.68% or 6,644 votes. The best showing was Jeff DePoy running in District 6 who received 2.75% (10,396 votes). The nine Libertarian candidates for State House averaged 1.91% or 963 votes. The best showing was Norm Peterson running in District 64 who received 2.61% (1,071 votes). The six Libertarian candidates running for the various statewide education boards averaged 1.14% or 112,699 votes. The best showing was Jon Elgas running for Wayne State Board of Governors who received 1.30% (125,792 votes).

For Michigan Supreme Court the Libertarian Party nominated two candidates who appear on the ballot as nonpartisan. Kerry Morgan received 339,195 votes (4.61%) and Katherine Nepton received 289,844 votes (3.94%).

A Worthy top vote getter

The top vote Libertarian vote getter in a partisan race was Dan Ziemba who received 125,944 votes for Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney in a two-way race against Democrat Kym Worthy. This is the best showing for a countywide candidate in party history. It’s also the first time the top Libertarian vote getter was not a statewide candidate. Ziemba currently has 152 votes more than Jon Elgas received for WSU Board of Governors.

Ziemba’s result will create an unusual election law interpretation for the Bureau of Elections. Retaining ballot status is based on the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes for that party in the preceding election. The top vote getting has always been a statewide candidate and county results are not even reported to the state.  Will the Bureau report that the retention of the LPM ballot status is based on Elgas or Ziemba’s vote?

Thanks again to all of our candidates!
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This article was written By Greg Stempfle and originally published by the Michigan Libertarian Party.

Why Voting Libertarian is Not a Wasted Vote

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As published in the Northern Express  Why are Americans still stuck with the same dysfunctional two parties year after year?

In other words, why won’t many Americans look beyond the duopoly to vote for some of the alternative candidates?

“It’s silly that a country that prides itself on choice allows only two choices for president,” said Bill Maher, political analyst and comedian.

The reasons for this are complicated, but the argument that Libertarians constantly hear is that people “don’t want to waste their votes” on the third-largest party, or any of the other alternatives. The idea of this argument is that your vote doesn’t count if you vote for someone who probably will not win.

Despite these arguments, Libertarians and other third-party voters are increasingly voting for candidates outside the duopoly. We’re doing this for many reasons. The progress that Libertarians have made in recent years has us hopeful. We also feel that even if our candidate doesn’t win, our votes will make a difference in other ways. Last but not least, most Libertarians feel that it is important to vote for principles and beliefs, rather than following the crowd.

According to Ballot Access News’ March 2018 edition, between 2008 and 2018, the number of U.S. voters registered as Libertarian surged by 92 percent. Over that same period, the number of voters registered as Democrats fell by 8 percent. Republicans are down by 5 percent. And the number of voters registered as independent or with other parties increased by 19 percent.

Also notable: In 2016, eight times as many people voted for the Libertarian presidential candidate than in 2008. According to Ballotpedia, 523,713 voted for Bob Barr in 2008, while almost 4,489,233 voted for Gary Johnson in 2016.

Most importantly, third-party candidates for small local offices have an excellent chance of winning. In these instances, your vote for Libertarian candidates really does make a difference.

The Libertarian Party has several township and county candidates on Northern Michigan ballots in 2020. These are all high-caliber people who have a great chance of winning and are active in their communities. These candidates have made an effort to get out and meet voters, since creative grassroots efforts are the best ways that Libertarians can overcome the obstacles. As Libertarian candidate for Mancelona Township trustee, I have been knocking on doors every day, introducing myself to my neighbors, and talking to them about their concerns.

On the other hand, Libertarian presidential candidates have a bigger challenge. As Kristina Nwazota, a former editor with the PBS online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, reported, “Third party candidates are at a disadvantage because of federal campaign finance laws, rules that dictate who can enter presidential debates, and a lack of media attention.”

However, despite these obstacles, Nwazota believes that “Third parties have had a major influence on U.S. policy and political debate.”

John McAlister, former Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate, agrees.

“The most successful third party in the 20th Century was the Socialist Party. First the Democrats and then later the Republicans piecemeal adopted just about every major tenet of the 1916 Socialist Party platform,” he stated in his online article “The Wasted Vote Myth” at www.freepress.org.
Libertarians are the opposite of the Socialists, but the pattern is the same: “The radical ideas about liberty that we started with in 1971 are now being seriously debated or, in some cases, implemented by the other parties,” said McAlister.

“There’ll be an issue that’s being neglected or that is being purposely excluded from national debate because neither party wants to face the political criticism that it would bring,” explained Sean Wilentz of Princeton University. “Third parties are the ones that raise the issues that no one wants to raise.”

As Libertarians continue to grow the party and influence politics, it is insulting when people actually get angry at us because of how we vote. They assume that our vote takes away from their favorite candidate.

Yet surely no one thinks that we owe it to anyone to be sure that their candidate wins. In fact, I feel that my vote would be wasted if I voted for someone who does not represent my values and beliefs. It’s important for me to be true to myself and not follow society blindly, like a sheep.

Things would change if everyone read the platforms of the alternative parties and took a leap of faith.

“Even if once in your life you missed the chance to cast that mythical deciding ballot, the harm from selecting the wrong person in one election is more than offset by a lifetime of giving voter support to the lesser of two evils rather than standing up for what you believe,” said McAlister.

Voting for the lesser evil sends the wrong message. Remember, if we keep voting the way we have been voting, we will keep getting what we have been getting.

Research alternatives. Dare to be different. Vote for the person who truly represents your principles and beliefs.

How Would Libertarians Reform the Police?

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As written by Donna Gundle-Krieg and published in the Northern Express July 4, 2020

Americans are finally seeing the need to reform the way our society enforces laws, as the issue of police force has been placed front and center before us.

The Libertarian Party has been ahead of the game for decades on the issues of reforming our criminal justice system.

Since the 1960s, we have advocated for getting rid of laws that create “victimless crimes.” We have long believed in holding police accountable. Last but not least, Libertarians believe that the job descriptions, policies, and procedures of the police departments need to be reformed.

In fact, back in 1969, Lanny Friedlander, founder of the leading Libertarian magazine, Reason, said, “The police of a free society, engaging in retaliatory force only, enforcing laws of a defensive nature only, would be bound by the same laws they enforced and would stand fully accountable for their actions.”

Achieving this free society starts with getting rid of “victimless crimes.” In other words, we need to minimize the opportunity for the police to act against the public. This means fewer laws and less intrusive enforcement of the laws that we do have.

In 1971, the fledgling Libertarian Party called for “the repeal of all ‘crimes without victims,’ such as the prohibitions on drug use that have driven so much of the escalation in aggressive police tactics.”

Fifty years later, the Libertarian Party platform states: “Government force must be limited to the protection of the rights of individuals to life, liberty, and property, and governments must never be permitted to violate these rights.”

“We favor the repeal of all laws creating ‘crimes without victims,’ such as gambling, the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes, and consensual transactions involving sexual services.”

Voters in Michigan took a huge step toward repealing drug laws when they voted for recreational marijuana to be legal. According to Pew Research, in 2018, 40 percent of all arrests in the United States were for marijuana offenses. Making this drug legal certainly helps reduce the opportunity for the police to act against the public.

In addition to repealing victimless crimes, Libertarians favor holding government agencies and their employees accountable for their actions.

“We support full restitution for all loss suffered by persons arrested, indicted, tried, imprisoned, or otherwise injured in the course of criminal proceedings against them which do not result in their conviction,” the Libertarian Party declared in 1979.

“Law enforcement agencies should be liable for this restitution unless malfeasance of the officials involved is proven, in which case they should be personally liable.”

More recently, Grand Rapids’ Justin Amash, the only Libertarian in the U.S. Congress, introduced the first-ever “tri-partisan bill,” which would eliminate qualified immunity.

“The Ending Qualified Immunity Act will … restore Americans’ ability to obtain relief when police officers violate their constitutionally secured rights,” stated Amash.

“The brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police is merely the latest in a long line of incidents of egregious police misconduct. This pattern continues because police are legally, politically, and culturally insulated from consequences for violating the rights of the people whom they have sworn to serve.”

In addition to holding police officers accountable and eliminating victimless crimes, Libertarians believe that we must take back some of the tremendous power that society has given to police.

“Over the last 25 years, America has seen a disturbing militarization of its civilian law enforcement, along with a dramatic and unsettling rise in the use of paramilitary police units for routine police work,” warned the Cato Institute’s Radley Balko in his 2013 book, “Rise of the Warrior Cop.”

He explained that he was referring to Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT, teams. These types of teams perform “no-knock raids,” which so often end in tragedy when police kick in the wrong door, or when a suddenly awakened resident tries to defend against intruders.

This month, libertarian-leaning Senator Rand Paul introduced legislation to stop the use of no-knock warrants, an idea that Democrats are also pushing in their calls for police reform. The bill requires law enforcement officers to give notice of their authority and purpose before entering a home.

In addition to qualified immunity and ending no-knock warrants, there are many other reforms that need to happen. Nearly all Americans favor at least some level of change to the nation’s criminal justice system, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which concluded that “Americans overwhelmingly want clear standards on when police officers may use force and consequences for officers who do so excessively.”

Thankfully, Americans are finally agreeing with Libertarians and implementing many of the reforms and policy changes that we have been fighting for decades.

The Libertarian party might have the deck stacked against it during elections. However, we have always been the first — and often the only — party to fight the battle against abusive government power.

 

Donna Gundle-Krieg 2020 Libertarian for Mancelona Township Trustee

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Donna Gundle-Krieg is running as a Libertarian candidate for Mancelona Township Trustee on the November 3rd ballot. Mancelona voters can choose two trustees. Vote for Donna and also choose either Republican Rod Vesey or Democrat Yousef “Yogi” Jabara.

Donna, a real estate broker, lives with her husband Dennis on the Cedar River in Mancelona. They have two adult children. Son Steven and his wife Tori live in Chicago, and daughter Ellie and her husband Jared reside in Interlochen.

Donna, born and raised in the Detroit area, loves Mancelona. As broker and owner of DEK Realty, she has sold over 300 properties in the area since moving here several years ago. Recently Donna was voted 2020 “Red Hot Best” Realtor in the Charlevoix/Chain of Lakes area.  

“Mancelona has been good to me, and I have fallen in love with the people in this town,” she said. “I want to continue to find new ways to give back. I really think that my leadership and communication skills will serve the township residents well.”

She is also a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, and the Mancelona Chamber of Commerce. Last year, she helped start the Mancelona Area Professionals Networking group.

Donna’s biggest volunteer job is Political Director of the 9-county Northwest Michigan Libertarian Party. This affiliate was officially recognized last year as part of the Libertarian Party of Michigan. In recent years, many new Libertarian Party affiliate groups are forming as state party membership has grown, especially among freedom-loving millennials.

The Libertarian Party’s goal is to provide voters with options beyond the two-party system. Libertarians believe in limited government, so are considered financially conservative and socially liberal.

Donna also writes about Libertarian issues, primarily as a guest columnist for the Northern Express.

Donna has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Wayne State University, as well as Master’s level business and law classes at Wayne State and Eastern Michigan University.

David Holmer 2020 Libertarian for Manistee County Commissioner District #7

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David Holmer

David Holmer, who has filed for Manistee County Commissioner District 7, ran an impressive race in 2018. He is currently running a two-party race, against a Democrat.

David is a veteran and an author, and actively works with over a dozen non-profit organizations, including President of the Manistee Civic Players, Board Member of United Church of Christ, Manistee Choral Society, Co-Founder of Manistee Writers’ Group, and Manistee County Council on Aging.

Click here for more information about David Holmer. He can be reached at 231-590-8290 or cory0269@yahoo.com.

David is running as a Libertarian and member of the Northwest Michigan Libertarian Party. This affiliate was officially recognized last year as part of the Libertarian Party of Michigan.

In recent years, many new Libertarian Party affiliate groups are forming as state party membership has grown, especially among freedom-loving millennials. The Libertarian Party’s goal is to provide voters with options beyond the two-party system. Libertarians believe in limited government, and are considered financially conservative and socially liberal.

Cory Dean 2020 Libertarian for Blair Township Trustee

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Cory Dean is running as a Libertarian candidate for Blair Township Trustee on the November 3rd ballot. There are five trustee candidates running, and Blair Township voters can vote for up to four.

Cory and his wife Stephanie raised four sons and have lived in the township for 40 years. He works as an Account Manager for Star Truck Rental. He is very active in his community, especially as a Board Member for American Legion Baseball and Director of Operations for AA high school baseball.

Cory, born and raised in the Traverse City area, is a staunch believer in the Constitution. “I apply the Constitution to every issue, every time. No exceptions, no excuses!” he stated.

He is running for office because he loves freedom and wants to promote it for the sake of his children and grandchildren.

“It’s important that we start at the bottom, lowest level of government closest to the people,” he said. “That’s what my goal and mission in life is to do…get back to our founding freedoms.”

Click here to see Cory’s Candidate Facebook page. He has many videos and statements of beliefs on his page. He can be reached at 231-590-8290 or cory0269@yahoo.com.

Cory is running as a Libertarian and member of the Northwest Michigan Libertarian Party. This affiliate was officially recognized last year as part of the Libertarian Party of Michigan.

In recent years, many new Libertarian Party affiliate groups are forming as state party membership has grown, especially among freedom-loving millennials.The Libertarian Party’s goal is to provide voters with options beyond the two-party system. Libertarians believe in limited government, and are considered financially conservative and socially liberal.

Thomas Bosch 2020 Libertarian for Long Lake Township Trustee

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Thomas Bosch is running as a Libertarian candidate for Long Lake Township Trustee on the November 3rd ballot. Voters can vote for up to four of the nine candidates who will be on the ballot.

Thomas has an engineering and management background.  He studied Industrial Management at Purdue University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Thomas has spent 25 years working in the Automotive Manufacturing Industry, including one year in Japan while learning the Japanese language and culture.  He worked seven years in Design Engineering and then 12 years in Supervision of the design group.  Finally, he spent seven years Managing 25 personnel within the Tool and Die trades.

Thomas is married to Jill.  They, along with their two dogs, like to spend time outdoors; hiking, biking, kayaking or just walking around the neighborhood.  Thomas also enjoys casual and competitive sailing.  He is currently caring for his parents during this pandemic.

Thomas can be reached at 231-881-8801 or bosch_tom@yahoo.com.

Thomas is running as a long-time Libertarian and member of the Northwest Michigan Libertarian Party. This local affiliate was officially recognized last year as part of the Libertarian Party of Michigan.

In recent years, many new Libertarian Party affiliate groups are forming as state party membership has grown, especially among freedom-loving millennials. The Libertarian Party’s goal is to provide voters with options beyond the two-party system. Libertarians believe in limited government, and are considered financially conservative and socially liberal.

Frank Pelky 2020 Libertarian for Homestead Township Clerk

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Frank Pelky of Honor, Michigan, has filed for Homestead Township Clerk on the November 3rd 2020 ballot.  

Frank is a former Great Lakes sailor and commercial captain. He has six children and 13 grandchildren, most who live in the area.

Frank is adamant about government overreach, and can often be found at the township meetings fighting against too-strict noise and blight ordinances.

Frank is running as a Libertarian and member of the Northwest Michigan Libertarian Party. This affiliate was officially recognized last year as part of the Libertarian Party of Michigan.

In recent years, many new Libertarian Party affiliate groups are forming as state party membership has grown, especially among freedom-loving millennials.

The Libertarian Party’s goal is to provide voters with options beyond the two-party system. Libertarians believe in limited government, and are considered financially conservative and socially liberal.

Frank can be reached at 231-383-2643 or franksfords@aol.com