Electoral history of the Libertarian Party (United States)

This is a list detailing the electoral history of the Libertarian Party (United States), sorted by office. The list currently consists of candidates who ran for partisan office.

Best major race results

Bold indicates race where Libertarian candidate was elected to office OfficePercentDistrictYearCandidatePresident11.7%Alaska1980Ed Clark9.3%New Mexico2016Gary Johnson6.2%North Dakota20163.3%United States2016US Senate33.5%Arkansas2020Ricky Dale Harrington Jr.29.2%Alaska2016Joe Miller18.4%Massachusetts2002Michael CloudUS House31.6%Kansas District 32012Joel Balam30.7%Texas District 262022Mike Kolls28.8%Mississippi District 21998William ChipmanGovernor14.9%Alaska1982Dick Randolph11.4%Indiana2020Donald Rainwater10.5%Wisconsin2002Ed ThompsonOther statewide43.1%Montana Clerk Of The Supreme Court2012Mike Fellows34.2%Georgia Public Service Commission 52012David Staples33.4%Georgia Public Service Commission 22016Eric HoskinsState Senate44.4%Nevada District 21992Tamara Clark43.6%Nebraska District 322018Laura Ebke37.6%Arkansas District 102018Bobbi HicksState Representative53.6%Wyoming District 392020Marshall Burt49.4%Wyoming District 55Bethany Baldes49.0%2018

United States Senate elections In 2020, Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. received 33% of the vote in a two-way race in Arkansas, the highest percentage ever for a Libertarian candidate in a Senate election. In 2016, Joe Miller received 29% of the vote in a four-way race in Alaska. In 2002, Michael Cloud received 18% of the vote in a three-way race in Massachusetts. In 2018, Gary Johnson received 15% of the vote in a three-way race in New Mexico.

United States House of Representatives elections In 2012, Joel Balam received 32% of the vote in a two-way race in Kansas's 3rd congressional district, the best ever for a Libertarian candidate in a House election. In 2022, Mike Kolls received 31% of the vote in a two-way race in Texas's 26th congressional district. In 1998, William Chipman received 28% of the vote in a two-way race in Mississippi's 2nd congressional district.

Gubernatorial elections In 1982, Dick Randolph received 15% of the vote in a four-way race in Alaska, the best ever for a Libertarian candidate in a gubernatorial election. In 2020, Donald Rainwater received 12% of the vote in a three-way race in Indiana. In 2002, Ed Thompson received 10% of the vote in a three-way race in Wisconsin.

Other statewide elections In 2012, Mike Fellows received 43% of the vote in a two-way race in Montana for clerk of the Montana Supreme Court, the best ever for a Libertarian candidate in a statewide election. In 2008, John Monds received 33% of the vote in a race in Georgia for Georgia Public Service Commission, joining William Strange (running for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals) that same year as the first Libertarians to ever to receive more than one million votes. Two later candidates for the same position, David Staples in 2012 and Eric Hoskins in 2016, received 34% and 33% of the vote, respectively.

State Senate elections In 2018, Laura Ebke received 44% of the vote in a non-partisan race in Nebraska's 32nd Legislative district in the Nebraska Legislature, the best ever for a Libertarian candidate in a state senate election. Also in 2018, Bobbi Hicks received 38% of the vote in a race in Arkansas's 10th Senate district in the Arkansas Senate, the best ever for a Libertarian candidate in a partisan state senate election.

Legend + Abbreviations and their definitions Abbrev. DefinitionSESpecial election, or an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections.BPBlanket primary, or a primary where all candidates from all parties are on the same ballot, and those candidates that net the highest number of votes among those candidates of their own party advance to the general election.RERecall election, a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended.W/IWrite-in candidate, with the abbreviation marked next to the vote total. These candidates did not appear upon the election ballot but were still eligible to receive votes by voters writing in the candidate's name.(*)The candidate, while a member of the party, was for some reason or another not able to get onto the ballot as a Libertarian.

Elections of party officers National committee chairman and vice-chairman 2008 National Committee Chairman balloting 2008 National Committee Vice-Chairman ballotingCandidates1st2ndCandidates1stBill Redpath183204Mike Jingozian224Ruth Bennett113147Chuck Moulton137Ernest Hancock71-None6None24JR Enfield-1Vote total369356Vote totals367Needed to nominate185178Needed to nominate184 2010 National Committee Chairman balloting 2010 National Committee Vice-Chairman ballotingCandidates1st2nd3rdCandidates1stMark Hinkle114208281Mark Rutherford285Wayne Allyn Root201223228Carolyn Marbry201Ernest Hancock8289-John Jay Myers70--George Phillies56--None10919Vote total533529528Vote totals490Needed to nominate267265265Needed to nominate246 2012 National Committee Chairman balloting 2012 National Committee Vice-Chairman ballotingCandidates1st2nd2ndAdjusted2ndRevote3rd4th5th6thCandidates1stGeoff Neale----149167212264R. Lee Wrights228Mark Rutherford 2282692702781531552055Bill Redpath179None 101273266277131229159George Phillies20Mark Hinkle221-------None6Bill Redpath 1---128119--Mark Rutherford1Jennifer Lopez -----22-Emma Dearest -----2--Sam Sloan ---1----Total vote551542536556473457448428Total vote434Needed to nominate276272269278237229225215Needed to nominate218

Other 2012 Chairman candidates were: R. Lee Wrights (withdrew his name from consideration) Chuck Moulton (declined to be nominated) Wes Wagner (declined to be nominated) Jim Lark (declined to be nominated) Ernie Hancock (didn't receive votes)

Other 2012 Vice-Chairman candidates were: Mark Rutherford (declined to be nominated)

Federal elections President

Year Presidential nominee Home state Previous positions Vice presidential nominee Home state Previous positions Votes Notes 1972 John Hospers Tonie Nathan 3,674 (nil%)1 EV Hospers and Nathan received one electoral vote from Roger MacBride, a faithless elector from Virginia who was pledged to the Republican ticket of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew. 1976 Roger MacBride David Bergland 172,553 (0.2%)0 EV 1980 Ed Clark David Koch 921,128 (1.1%)0 EV 1984 David Bergland James A. Lewis 228,111 (0.2%)0 EV 1988 Ron Paul(campaign) Andre Marrou 431,750 (0.5%)0 EV 1992 Andre Marrou Nancy Lord 290,087 (0.3%)0 EV 1996 Harry Browne Jo Jorgensen 485,759 (0.5%)0 EV 2000 Harry Browne(campaign) Art Olivier 384,431 (0.4%)0 EV In Arizona, Browne and Olivier did not appear on the ballot; instead, L. Neil Smith and Vin Suprynowicz appeared as the Libertarian presidential and vice presidential nominees, respectively. Smith and Suprynowicz received an additional 5,775 votes. 2004 Michael Badnarik(campaign) Richard Campagna 397,265 (0.3%)0 EV 2008 Bob Barr(campaign) Wayne Allyn Root 523,713 (0.4%)0 EV 2012 Gary Johnson(campaign) Jim Gray 1,275,923 (1.0%)0 EV 2016 Gary Johnson(campaign) Bill Weld 4,489,233 (3.3%)0 EV While Johnson and Weld did not receive any electoral votes, Libertarian Ron Paul received one vote for President from a Texas faithless elector; the vice presidential vote went to Mike Pence, the Republican nominee. 2020 Jo Jorgensen(campaign) Spike Cohen 1,865,724 (1.2%)0 EV 2024 Chase Oliver(campaign) Mike ter Maat 650,126 (0.4%)0 EV

Presidential ballot access Historically, Libertarians have achieved presidential candidate ballot access in all 50 states and DC six times: 1980, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2016, and 2020. (In 2000, L. Neil Smith was on the Arizona ballot instead of the nominee, Harry Browne) That level of ballot access has only been achieved by a third-party candidate four other times (John Anderson in 1980, Lenora Fulani in 1988, and Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996.) Although the territory of Guam has no electoral votes, it began holding presidential preference elections in 1980. The Libertarian Party presidential candidate has appeared on the ballot in Guam in every election from 1980 through 2020, except for 2016. Anderson and Fulani were also on the ballot in Guam.

The following is a table comparison of ballot status for the Libertarian Party presidential nominee from 1972 to 2024. In some instances the candidate appeared on the ballot as an independent. 19721976198019841988199219962000200420082012201620202024States231 (and D.C.)50 (and D.C.)38 (and D.C.)46 (and D.C.)50 (and D.C.)50 (and D.C.)50 (and D.C.)48 (and D.C.)4548 (and D.C.)50 (and D.C.)50 (and D.C.)47Electoral votes16348538403496538538538527503515538538477% of population (EVs)3% (15%)65% (79%)100%75% (81%)92% (97%)100%100%100%98% (99%)93% (94%)96% (99%)100%100%88% (100%)Alabama colspan="13" Alaska colspan="13" Arizona colspan="13" Arkansas colspan="2" colspan="12" California colspan="13" Colorado colspan="14" Connecticut colspan="2" colspan="5" colspan="4" Delaware colspan="2" colspan="12" Florida colspan="10" Georgia colspan="10" Hawaii colspan="13" Idaho colspan="13" Illinois colspan="12" Indiana colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="9" Iowa colspan="13" Kansas colspan="13" Kentucky colspan="2" colspan="10" Louisiana colspan="8" colspan="4" Maine colspan="2" colspan="5" colspan="4" Maryland colspan="2" colspan="12" Massachusetts colspan="2" colspan="11" Michigan colspan="9" colspan="3" Minnesota colspan="13" Mississippi colspan="13" Missouri colspan="2" colspan="9" Montana colspan="2" colspan="12" Nebraska colspan="13" Nevada colspan="13" New Hampshire colspan="13" New Jersey colspan="13" New Mexico colspan="13" New York colspan="12" North Carolina colspan="3" colspan="9" North Dakota colspan="13" Ohio colspan="13" Oklahoma colspan="2" colspan="6" colspan="3" colspan="3" Oregon colspan="2" colspan="10" Pennsylvania colspan="2" colspan="12" Rhode Island colspan="13" South Carolina colspan="2" colspan="12" South Dakota colspan="2" colspan="10" Tennessee colspan="12" Texas colspan="10" Utah colspan="13" Vermont colspan="12" Virginia colspan="2" colspan="10" Washington colspan="14" West Virginia colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="4" colspan="4" Wisconsin colspan="13" Wyoming colspan="12" District of Columbia colspan="8" colspan="3"

Presidential and vice presidential nominations

Candidates seeking to win the Libertarian Party nominations either for president or vice president must gather thirty "tokens", or supporting delegates, and their votes in order to be put onto the actual nominating ballot. However, that still does not prevent write-in votes when the balloting is being held.

1996 1996 Libertarian presidential nomination vote 1996 Libertarian vice presidential nomination voteCandidates1st ballotCandidates1st ballotHarry Browne416Jo Jorgensen459Rick Tompkins74None36None60Irwin Schiff32Doug Ohmen20Scatter3Total vote605Total vote495Needed to nominate303Needed to nominate248

Note: Jo Jorgensen was nominated by a voice vote.

2000 2000 Libertarian presidential nomination vote 2000 Libertarian vice presidential nomination vote Candidates1st ballotCandidates1st ballot2nd ballotHarry Browne493Art Olivier333418Don Gorman166Steve Kubby303338Jacob G. Hornberger120Ken Krawchuk70-Barry Hess53Don Gorman29-None23None10-Dave Hollist8Gail Lightfoot7-Scatter6Scatter7-L. Neil Smith5Richard Boddie2George W. Bush1Russell Means1Total vote877Total vote759756Needed to nominate439Needed to nominate380379

2004