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Libertarians Convene May 6 in Deadwood—Might They Support Open Primaries?

Joe Kirby did not mention yesterday whether the radical side of the Libertarian Party of South Dakota will be opposing his group’s open-primary initiative. Kirby and his friends could go find out where the Libertarian Party stands on the open primary (and perhaps recruit some petition circulators!) at the Libertarian Party convention at Cadillac Jacks in Deadwood May 6:

Join us early on Saturday morning at 10am before the Convention begins for some Activism Training, being presented by Lisa Marie Nolen who is the former Deputy State Director of Americans for Prosperity South Dakota. Lisa is a dedicated Liberty activist and has worked at the Capitol in Pierre for the previous four years lobbying the Legislature for more Freedom in South Dakota!

We are also pleased to announce that Emmett Reistroffer will be a guest speaker at our State Convention in Deadwood! Mr. Reistroffer is the owner of Genesis Farms, a medical Cannabis company with operations in many cities across South Dakota. He recently ran for City Council earlier this year in Sioux Falls and has also previously ran as a Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State in 2014.

Our last speaker of the day and closing out the Convention will be local rancher and recent US House of Representatives candidate Collin Duprel. Mr. Duprel is the current Vice-Chairman of the LPSD and recently received 22% of the vote in last years Congressional race here. What does he have planned for the future? Find out in Deadwood!

The LPSD State Convention is free to attend however we are asking that you please RSVP for the event (space is limited). We are asking just $10 a ticket to RSVP however that donation covers your sustaining membership in the LPSD for 2023 and you will also receive a small gift the day of Convention. To RSVP and become a sustaining member go to our Event page linked here.

Here is the tentative agenda for the Convention:

  • (10:00am – 11:00am) Activism Training with Lisa Marie Nolen
  • (11:15am – 11:59am) Credentialing/Check in
  • (12:00pm) Call to Order
  • Welcome from the Chair (year in review)
  • Credentials Report
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Lifetime Membership Award (plaque for John Stolle)
  • Amendments to the Bylaws
  • (2:30) Break
  • Executive Committee Officer Elections
  • (5pm) Adjourn
  • (5-6pm) Guest Speakers: Emmett Reistroffer & Collin Duprel [Libertarian Party of South Dakota, “LPSD 2023 State Convention,” 2023.01.03, retrieved 2023.04.20].

The Libertarian Party could choose to oppose the open primary proposal on technical grounds as a threat to its status as a recognized party. SDCL 12-1-3 says parties secure official recognition by having a candidate for any statewide office win at least 2.5% of the vote “in either of the two previous general election cycles”. If no Libertarian candidates survived an open primary, the Libertarians would not have the chance to get 2.5% of the vote in the general election and could not preserve their recognized party status. The circulating open-primary initiative does not directly address that issue, so the Legislature would need to redefine the party-status statute to provide for recognition based on participation and voter appeal in the primary.

However, I would hope that technical concern would not prevent the Libertarians from supporting a measure that promotes liberty. Open primaries mean more voters get to vote for more candidates. I would also suggest—though I am open to alternative analyses—that Libertarians and other conservative insurgents might have a better chance of winning second in an open primary against a divided Republican field than they do of placing first in a regular general election against a Republican Party united behind its closed-primary nominee.

7 Comments

  1. grudznick

    I suppose grudznick caught Libertarianism from my close personal friend Lar, who was inflicted by my other good friend Bob, who practices Stealthing in a political sense.

  2. The LPSD convening in a political dead zone is so on the nose.

  3. Well Cory, after they have their morning joint they might agree with you. Libertarians, Republican’s who smoke dope. By the time they have breakfast they’ll be under the influence of grudz.

  4. That grud spread its damaged genetics to PP’s offspring is everything that’s wrong with the SDGOP.

  5. Gideon Oakes

    “Libertarians, Republican’s who smoke dope.”

    Still spouting the same tired line. Sad.

  6. grudznick

    Mr. Oakes, do you envision the Messrs. Evans and Barton teaming up for a real power duo in the near future? grudznick predicts those two fellows will reunite.

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