The Libertarian Party of Florida, or LPF, is the state of Florida's official affiliate with the Libertarian National Committee. The organization was founded in 1987 and its executive committee was incorporated in 2012.
Current Officers: Josh Hlavka (Chair), Tim Crosby (Vice-Chair), Edward Appler (Secretary), Patrick Leistner (Treasurer), Robert Vinson (at-large), Hector Roos (at-large), and Lee Korotzer (at-large).
Voter Registration
Libertarian voter registration in the state of Florida has experienced significant growth.
Local Chapters and Affiliates
County affiliates:
Alachua County
Bay County
Brevard County
Broward County
Clay County
Charlotte County
Duval County
Escambia County
Hillsborough County
Lake County
Lee County
Manatee County
Miami-Dade County
Monroe County
Okaloosa County
Orange County
Osceola County
Palm Beach County
Pinellas County
Polk County
Santa Rosa County
Seminole County
St Lucie
Volusia County
Elections
2016 elections
In 2016, the Libertarians held their first statewide primary for the US Senate. The primary featured two main candidates: attorney Augustus Sol Invictus and veteran Paul Stanton. This election gained significant attention due to notable controversies and developments:
- **Augustus Sol Invictus**: Invictus garnered attention for his controversial cultural views associated with the alt-right. Additionally, reports surfaced alleging that he had been involved in a ritualistic act of sacrificing a goat and consuming its blood. These allegations led to significant controversy within the party and contributed to the resignation of then-chairman Adrian Wyllie.
- **Paul Stanton**: Stanton, a veteran, emerged as the other candidate in the primary. He ultimately secured victory with a substantial margin of nearly 50%.
This primary marked a significant moment in the history of the Libertarian Party, demonstrating its growth and evolving influence in statewide elections.
2014 elections
In 2014, the Libertarian Party ran their first state executive ticket, with Adrian Wyllie for governor, Greg Roe for lieutenant governor, and Bill Wohlsifer for attorney general. The Wyllie/Roe ticket garnered 3.8% of the vote, a record for the Libertarians in Florida. Wohlsifer got under that, with 2.9% of the vote. The highest percentage that the Wyllie/Roe ticket got in a county was in Citrus County, where they received 7% of the vote.
Down ballot, Lucas Overby got the second highest percentage a Libertarian has ever gotten in a house election, with 24.7% of the vote. Many people at the time attributed it to the lack of a Democrat on the ballot.
Statewide and Congressional Election Results
2010–2012 Elections
In 2010, the Libertarian Party of Florida (LPF) made significant strides by fielding a statewide candidate for the first time, namely Alexander Snitker, who ran for U.S. Senate.
In the subsequent 2012 election, the Libertarian Party of Florida fielded multiple candidates for various positions: Calen Fretts for Florida's 1st congressional district. Peter Richter. Franklin Perez. Jonathan Loesche for the Florida House of Representatives. Additionally, the LPF fielded several candidates for various county and municipal races across the state.
In 2012, the Libertarian Party of Florida faced legal action when Franklin Perez, the 2012 Libertarian candidate for the Florida State House of Representatives (District 28), sued the party. The lawsuit arose from the LPF's failure to refund a candidate filing fee after de-vetting Perez and removing him from the party's state website. The courts ultimately awarded Perez $620.
Presidential nominee results
Since 1972, the Libertarian Party has run a candidate for President of the United States. The candidate who has received the highest vote total in Florida was Gary Johnson in 2016. In every election year after 1984 the Libertarian Party has gained ballot access in Florida.