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Libertarians Redo Gubernatorial Nomination June 9 in Pierre

Last updated on 2018-05-20

Turns out the Libertarian Party of South Dakota doesn’t have an official candidate for Governor… at least not yet:

For anyone who has not heard, the Libertarian Party of South Dakota will be having another state convention, on June 9th, in Pierre, SD. The specific details on location will be coming out within the next week.

Keep in mind that we can also nominate more candidates at this convention! So, if you’ve thought about running for office at all, you’re a registered Libertarian, and you’d like to give it a go, we’d love to have you.

Also, we’ll be voting for a Gubernatorial nominee again, along with whoever wants to run as a Lt. Governor. During our first convention, no one ended up taking the nomination, due to no one taking a majority of the votes. As of right now, CJ Abernathey is the only one who will again be asking for your vote, and he’s currently in talks with a couple of potential Lt. Governor candidates [Libertarian Party of South Dakota, Facebook post, 2018.04.25].

How a candidate fails to get a majority vote at convention but still comes charging out claiming he’s the nominee is beyond me. But CJ Abernathey campaigns on undeterred, promising to exercise his “Adult Common Sense when it come to Cannabis” by making “Cannabis and Hemp Lawful on DAY 1.” Abernathey is also one-upping Krebs, McNickle, and other pistol packers by signaling his support for legalizing fully automatic machine guns:

CJ Abernathey, Facebook post, 2018.04.26.
CJ Abernathey, Facebook post, 2018.04.26.

Abernathey says he’s hoping the June convention will have better turnout than April 14’s snowstorm convention in Sioux Falls. We can all hope for better turnout… including turnout of a new Libertarian candidate for Governor who won’t grind the Libertarian brand into the dirt.

52 Comments

  1. Cory writes:

    How a candidate fails to get a majority vote at convention but still comes charging out claiming he’s the nominee is beyond me.

    I’d guess the vote results were something like three for Abernathey, two for Novotny, and one for none-of-the-above. I’m glad this happened, because I had no idea state government prohibited alternative parties from nominating our candidates by a plurality of the vote (and still have no idea why state government should prohibit it).

  2. Chairman Aylward provides the details! The vote was 4 for Abernathey, 3 for Novotny, and 3 for “none of the above”. Abernathey thus persuaded only 36% of the eleven voting delegates.

    I sincerely hope the Libertarians can recruit more members to attend the Pierre convention. Get a hundred delegates in the room, field another gubernatorial candidate, have another debate. Those events are good for democracy, and having to face and convince more people will be good for the candidates and the party.

  3. Debbo

    “A machine gun in every house.” Abernathy

    “A chicken in every pot.” Hoover

    I’ll vote for the chicken. Machine guns are hard on teeth, offer little nutrition and have a metallic taste.

  4. Well, that’s 4% better than I did when I persuaded 10 of 31 Libertarian delegates (32%) to support me for attorney general in 2014…

    That reminds me that the vote count initially reported in the Argus Leader was as follows:
    Chad Haber, 15 votes
    Kurt Evans, 10 votes
    Bob Newland, 3 votes
    none of the above, 2 votes

    If the 16th vote for Haber hadn’t come in via online balloting, he would have 15 of 30 votes instead of 16 of 31, which wouldn’t have been a majority, and we would have had yet another legal issue on our hands:
    http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/government-and-politics/3327960-secretary-state-rules-one-libertarian-candidate-can-be-ballot
    http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/government-and-politics/3335448-judge-rules-against-libertarian-ballot-lawsuit

  5. If the 16th vote for Haber hadn’t come in via online balloting, he would have 15 of 30 votes instead of 16 of 31, which wouldn’t have been a majority, and we would have had yet another legal issue on our hands…

    Here’s an archived version of the original Argus Leader article reporting Haber with 15 of 30 votes: https://archive.li/3wcAA

  6. An online vote?! Was that allowed in the [state Libertarian Party’s] bylaws?

    I wasn’t directly involved, but I believe they’d arranged for some members to vote by proxy.

  7. CJ Abernathey

    Thanks for the coverage. It’s inaccurate but what can you except from fake news.

  8. Not one word I said is inaccurate. But I invite your factual explanation of any inaccuracies that have gone undetected.

  9. CJ Abernathey

    I am not going to waist my time with this type of type of media. You want actual credibility the interview me and bring your questions instead if killing your own integrity.

  10. mike fom iowa

    Not gonna “waist” yer time? Oh the horrors!

  11. Roger Cornelius

    CJ Abernathy is in need of a 4th grade remedial spelling and grammar course.
    The last thing South Dakota needs is a politician that spells like Trump

  12. CJ Abernathey

    I don’t worry about grammar when I’m talking to idiots.

  13. CJ Abernathey

    I simply use talk-to-text and hit enter and then I leave this stupid page. So if there’s any grammatical errors, you’re going to have to deal with that. Just like I have to deal with this obvious fraud of a media entity.

  14. Roger Cornelius

    Trump doesn’t care about spelling and grammar when talking to his idiots.

    It is easy to lose the substance of your comments when I am correcting spelling and grammar.

  15. grudznick

    What these fellows really need to do to fix their brand is nominate grudznick, a true Conservative with Common Sense, who will smite out the demon weed from their platform planks and focus on less government intrusion into people’s lives. Self-sufficiency, that is the key. Work harder, stop whining, and pull yourself upwards.

  16. CJ Abernathey

    It’s spelt Capitis Diminutio Maxima… Go do some research into that and then tell me if you still care about Grammer on a post that 5 people view. Idiots.

  17. Roger Cornelius

    Capitis Diminutio Maxima is a poor excuse for willful ignorance.

  18. mike fom iowa

    Just like I have to deal with this obvious fraud of a media entity.

    Prove fraud or STFU! Cory would never say that, but I will! Yer integrity??? is at stake. ROTFLMAO

  19. CJ Abernathey

    It’s sad that the Dakota Free Press is nothing more than “Prostitution Journalism”. But hey, there is a reason why some People are wilful prostitutes, and others run for Governor. How do I unsubscribed from this fake news?

  20. mike fom iowa

    and you have obviously been viewing this page. Guess that makes you an idiot, amirite?

  21. bearcreekbat

    Reading candidate CJ Abernathey’s comments makes one wonder what he is trying to accomplish by posting here. His insults don’t seem to be trying to win votes or support from Cory and his readers. And why would he post on a site he declares to be viewed by only 5 idiots. What an intriguing way to spend libertarian time and political capital!

  22. Roger Cornelius

    mike from iowa
    I really shouldn’t “waist” my time with illiterate politicians.

  23. Roger Cornelius

    Bear

    “How to Win Friends & Influence People” comes to mind.

  24. mike fom iowa

    Roger, OT I read on the internet somewhere, someone calls Tomi Lahren “Nazi Barbie.”

    He certainly has taken liberties with free speech, bcb.

  25. Porter Lansing

    Doggone it, CJ … you got style, buddy. Your message is strong. A little more rehearsal and a couple more bananas for the boy and you’ll be ready. ‘Cause you know what you got? You got integrity, CJ. And you ain’t afraid to run for Governor. The people are slaves and they need to be told that every damn day!! Most people don’t get the subtlety of referencing the ancient Roman grain (spelt) when speaking Latin but you do. “It’s spelt Capitis Diminutio Maxima.” Brilliant.
    I’m on board and I’ll tell every knuckle dragger readin’ this, “The boat is filling up fast. Don’t be left on shore when we shove off!!”

  26. Debbo

    Good answer Porter. 😁

  27. mike fom iowa

    What is it with these drive by butt chewers? They don’t want to stick around and get the abuse they know they have coming. Wimps and cowards all.

    Cory is the man- he doesn’t need anyone to defend him, but it feels good to sink rhetorical fangs into someone’s deserving hide on occasion.

  28. Roger Cornelius

    “How do I unsubscribe(d) from this fake news?”.
    If you can’t figure out how to unsubscribe from Dakota Free Press you aren’t smart enough to hold political office, it is like spelling, you learn.
    Although Cory does excellent hard news coverage and investigative journalism, Dakota Free Press is primarily opinion. If you don’t know the difference between fake news and opinion you aren’t smart enough to hold political office.

  29. grudznick

    Mr. bat, 5 idiots are more idiots than voted for Mr. Abernathy at the last convention. Heck, grudznick had the support of dozens of Libertarians across the state, and greater name recognition. Vote Abernathy if the demon weed is your only concern, write in grudznick if you want government out of your business. Spoiler alert: I will likely pick my good friend Bob as a running mate.

  30. Roger Cornelius

    Don’t Libertarian candidates have to use their name on ballots?

  31. grudznick

    Yes.

    [ ✔ ] grudznick
    [ ] Abernathy
    [ ] Newland

  32. Porter Lansing

    Roger. I think Grudzie got some new meds, today. Think we can teach the old goat some new tricks?

  33. mike fom iowa

    Roger C for Potus 2020!
    \Grudz for gravy/tater expert at Guns and Ammo magazine.

  34. Roger Cornelius

    Porter,
    New meds might explain grudz’s erratic behavior or it could be he’s grousing because Cory beat him in a debate on another thread.

  35. Roger Cornelius

    Thanks mike, that should drive Jason up a wall.

  36. I understand CJ’s frustration with the inaccurate dictaphone. Still, it’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools.

  37. “How do I unsubscribed from this fake news?”

    1. My records indicate that the e-mail address provided by CJ Abernathey to accompany his comments is not subscribed to my daily updates and is not among the many generous supporter/subscribers who make automatic contributions via PayPal [thank you, friends!].

    2. Nothing I have said is fake. CJ Abernathey has not shown one fact presented in this report that is false. He’s just throwing insults and misspellings (even my dictaphone knows that grammar has no e). I prefer a governor who offers facts and honest arguments without childish insults.

  38. jerry

    4 for Abernathy and 3 for Novotny! What a horse race to the glue factory. Wow, and I thought Novotny was a shoo in. Turns out there was one voter, that one vote for sanity that put Abernathy as the lead horse. No wonder he shows a cartoon as his logo. Please Libertarians, come out and be counted. These kind of goof offs, like your first and second place showings, really sour your brand. Take yourselves seriously!

  39. A nomination decided by a small convention crowd concentrates the importance of a single vote. I feel that importance in my own vote that I’ll get to cast as a delegate for the Democratic nominee for attorney general. We have a great chance to beat any one of the relative lightweights that the Republicans are considering nominating. (I say that with no disrespect to Lance Russell or John Fitzgerald—I simply refer to the fact that neither of them comes to the job with the same heft that Marty Jackley wielded in his 2010 and 2014 campaigns.) We need all counties to fill their delegate slots so we can hear as many voices as possible and choose the better candidate.

  40. Porter Lansing

    Kurt Evans switches parties and enters contest.

  41. Cory had written:

    Chairman Aylward provides the details! The vote was 4 for Abernathey, 3 for Novotny, and 3 for “none of the above”. Abernathey thus persuaded only 36% of the eleven voting delegates.

    I’d replied:

    Well, that’s 4% better than I did when I persuaded 10 of 31 Libertarian delegates (32%) to support me for attorney general in 2014:
    https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2014/08/10/haber-challenges-jackley-attorney-general/13853971/

    Hey Cory, am I correct that we both earned baccalaureate degrees studying mathematics? And am I correct that we both indicated above that 4+3+3=11?

  42. Uh oh. Yes. I guess the only logical conclusion is… Go ‘Yotes? :-D

    Kurt, would I be correct in noting that 2018 House Bill 1286 did not amend SDCL 12-5-18, which requires parties to use weighted voting on nominations? HB 1286 made various exceptions for alternative parties, but did it address the weighted-voting requirement?

  43. Kurt, would I be correct in noting that 2018 House Bill 1286 did not amend SDCL 12-5-18, which requires parties to use weighted voting on nominations? HB 1286 made various exceptions for alternative parties, but did it address the weighted-voting requirement?

    As far as I know, HB 1286 didn’t amend SDCL 12-5-18 or otherwise address the requirement for weighted voting.

    Now I’m expecting you to dig up the statute that tells delegates what to eat for breakfast on convention day.

  44. Fortunately, no such statute exists, and my conservative tendencies forbid me from mandating nutrition standards for adults in statute. However, I strongly encourage all delegates to all conventions to eat a hearty breakfast the day of nominations so they can operate at peak mental capacity and make good decisions.

  45. … I strongly encourage all delegates to all conventions to eat a hearty breakfast the day of nominations so they can operate at peak mental capacity and make good decisions.

    Now if the Republican legislature would only “strongly encourage” alternative parties to run our conventions the way they think we ought to run them, instead of resorting to mandates and coercion …

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