 | |
| Campaign | 2024 Libertarian Party presidential primaries 2024 United States presidential election |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Chase Oliver Mike ter Maat |
| Affiliation | Libertarian Party |
| Status | Announced: April 4, 2023 Official nomination: May 26, 2024 Lost Election: November 5, 2024 |
| EC formed | December 2, 2022 |
| Key people |
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| Receipts | US$467,209[2] (November 25, 2024) |
| Slogan(s) | Empower Your Future Chase Your Dreams |
| Website | |
| https://www.votechaseoliver.com/ | |
 2024 U.S. presidential election |
|---|
| Republican Party |
| Democratic Party |
| Third parties |
| Related races |
The2024 presidential campaign of Chase Oliver formally began on April 4, 2023, following the formation of anexploratory committee in December 2022. He officially received the presidential nomination of theLibertarian Party on May 26, 2024.Oliver is alibertarian political activist, as well as a sales account executive, andHR representative.[3] He was the Libertarian nominee in the2022 United States Senate election in Georgia and the2020 Georgia's 5th congressional district special election.[4]
Oliver's first campaign for public office was in 2020, as the Libertarian nominee for the2020 Georgia's 5th congressional district special election to replaceJohn Lewis, who had died earlier that year. Oliver won 2% of the vote in that race and was eliminated during theblanket primary.[5]
He then became Libertarian nominee for the2022 U.S. Senate election in Georgia, where he faced off against the incumbent DemocraticRaphael Warnock andRepublican Party challengerHerschel Walker.[3][6] Oliver participated in an October 2022 debate hosted byGeorgia Public Broadcasting and debated against Warnock, as well as an empty podium representing Walker, who had declined to take part in the debate.[7] Oliver received over 2% of the popular vote in that race. Opponents contended that he was aspoiler candidate and that his votes forced the race, which was ultimately won by Warnock, into arun-off.[8]
On December 2, 2022, Oliver formed anexploratory committee to inquire into a possible run for theLibertarian presidential nomination in the2024 United States presidential election.[9]
On April 4, 2023, Oliver formally declared his candidacy for the Libertarian presidential nomination.[10][11]
Oliver's campaign was supported by theClassical Liberal Caucus (CLC) during the primaries as a counterweight to the growing influence of theMises Caucus.[12][13] The CLC denounced efforts byRobert F. Kennedy Jr. andDonald Trump to seek the Libertarian nomination, stating that neither align with libertarian values, and that inviting them to speak at theconvention would poach voters away from the Libertarian Party.[14]
Oliver was described byThe Christian Science Monitor as a potential "opening in the middle" that may deliver a reprieve to "voters unhappy with both major-party front-runners" looking for representation from a younger generation.[15]
Throughout the summer of 2023, Oliver campaigned extensively inIowa.[16][17]The Gazette described him as a "pro-gun,pro-police reform,pro-choice Libertarian" who is "armed andgay."[18] On August 19, 2023, he spoke at theDes Moines Register Political Soapbox, becoming the first-everthird-party presidential candidate to speak at the event.[19]
Oliver filed to run inOklahoma's "first Libertarian presidential primary election since the party was formally recognized in 2016". Alongside fellow Libertarian primary candidateJacob Hornberger, Oliver achieved ballot access by collecting signatures from voters in eachCongressional district.[20][21] He won theOklahoma primary, which was held onSuper Tuesday, on March 5, 2024, with 61% of the vote.[22]
In January 2024, Oliver and fellow Libertarian presidential primary candidateLars Mapstead successfully collaborated to securemajor party status andballot access for theLibertarian Party of Maine.[23] Afterwards, Oliver went toIowa in order to campaign ahead of the2024 Iowa Libertarian presidential caucuses.[24][25] He won the Iowa caucus with 42.7% of the vote.[26]
On February 29, 2024, Oliver participated in a presidential candidates debate hosted by theFree & Equal Elections Foundation, alongsideParty for Socialism and Liberation nomineeClaudia De la Cruz,Green Party candidatesJill Stein and Jasmine Sherman, and fellow Libertarian candidate Lars Mapstead.[27][28]
On May 26, 2024, Oliver officially received the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination at the party'sNational Convention.[29] That same day,Mike ter Maat was selected as the Libertarian party's vice-presidential nominee and Oliver's running mate.[30]
On June 3, 2024, party chairAngela McArdle, a member of the Mises Caucus, released a video stating that she endorsed Oliver as a vehicle for Donald Trump's victory.[31][32] McArdle later said of Oliver's candidacy that he's "going to pull two to one from Biden, as opposed to Trump", and that since it would be challenging to get libertarians and right of center independents to vote for Oliver, "what makes the most sense is to lean into the spoiler effect for Joe Biden and the Democrats."[33]
Four state Libertarian parties, inColorado,Montana,New Hampshire, andIdaho, have publicly "denounced" Oliver's nomination.[34] In the weeks following Oliver's nomination, the state Libertarian parties of Colorado and Montana formally rejected the LNC ticket, with the Colorado affiliate refusing to place him on the ballot.[35][36] In July 2024, it was announced the Libertarian Party of Colorado would placeRobert F. Kennedy Jr. as its presidential nominee, rather than Oliver, whom they reportedly said was "insufficiently aligned with their principles."[37] However, the secretary of the national party submitted the required paperwork recognizing the Oliver/ter Maat slate, which theColorado Secretary of State accepted. Kennedy will be listed on the ballot there as "Independent."[38]
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On July 12, 2024, Oliver participated in another presidential debate hosted by the Free & Equal Elections Foundation alongsideGreen Partypresumptive nomineeJill Stein andConstitution Party nomineeRandall Terry at Freedom Fest[39] The debate was moderated by the foundation's chairChristina Tobin, alongside congressmanThomas Massie.[citation needed]
TheNew York Times reported in October 2024 that Democratic-linkeddark money groups were funding ads promoting Oliver, with the goal of eating intoDonald Trump's vote share.[40]
Oliver self-identifies aspro-choice but is opposed to taxpayer funding for abortion clinics. He has supported theHyde Amendment in his 2022 senate campaign[41] and would support legislation to make it available nationwide.
Oliver supports letting thefree market find the solution toclimate change. He contends that if businesses are left alone, they will be incentivized to develop technologies that will eventually replace currentcarbon-based fuels.[42]
Oliver is a strong supporter ofranked-choice voting in the United States, which he has said would have prevented the2022 U.S. Senate election in Georgia from going to a run-off by allowing voters to rank their preferred candidates when they voted the first time. He has also stated that ranked-choice voting would save millions of taxpayer dollars by allowing run-offs to be instant, while ensuring that winning candidates always get above 50% of the vote.[43]Rolling Stone called him the most influential Libertarian of the year.[44]
Oliver supports free trade and opposes tariffs. He supports a balanced federal budget and reducing inflation, and has supported the idea of returning to thegold standard. He also supports ending theFederal Reserve.[45][46]
Oliver promotes anon-interventionist foreign policy, stating that "It's just not a great combination when you're exporting our weapons to autocrats around the world".[47] He has criticized both PresidentsBiden andTrump for their foreign policy, believing that the both of them are "authoritarians" in nature. He supports the closure of all military bases and opposes foreign aid.[48]
Oliver has condemned theOctober 7th attacks. Still, he has also been critical of theIsraeli government on multiple occasions and has labeled theGaza war asa "genocide". Oliver has called for aceasefire.[49]
Oliver has additionally stated he would end all support toIsrael andUkraine, stating "While we offer moral support to our friends currently engaged with the enemy, we should not be contributing to extending the fight."[50]
Oliver supports an "Ellis Island-style immigration" system, stating: "If you're coming here to work and be peaceful, it's not my business."[17]
Oliver achieved ballot access in 47 states.
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2024) |
As of May 2024, Oliver has been included in twonational presidential polls:[needs update]
| Poll source | Date | Sample size[a] | Margin of error | Joe Biden Democratic | Donald Trump Republican | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Independent | Cornel West Independent | Chase Oliver Libertarian | Jill Stein Green | Other/ Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data for Progress (D)/Zeteo[57] | May 1–2, 2024 | 1,240 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 40% | 41% | 12% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 5% |
| Data for Progress (D)[58] | March 27–29, 2024 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 41% | 42% | 8% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 6% |
And one poll inIowa:
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[a] | Margin of error | Donald Trump Republican | Joe Biden Democratic | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Independent | Chase Oliver Libertarian | Other / Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selzer & Co.[59] | June 9–14, 2024 | 632 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 50% | 32% | 9% | 2% | 7%[b] |
Oliver has been criticized by someconservative pundits as being "woke".[60] His nomination was considered polarizing within theLibertarian Party, with members of theMises Caucus declaring their opposition. This led state parties to refuse to add him to the ballot, such as theLibertarian Party of Colorado which tried to placeindependent candidateRobert F. Kennedy Jr. on the Libertarian ballot line instead.[61][62] The Libertarian Party Secretary Caryn Harlos sent Certificates of Nomination to state secretaries of state herself, and Oliver gained ballot access in Colorado as well, against the wishes of state party leadership.[63] This and other disputes with Harlos led to the Libertarian National Committee initiating proceedings to remove her from office, which has been opposed by many non-Mises Libertarians.
In September 2024, Oliver condemned a post byLibertarian Party of New Hampshire'sX account which appeared to favorably consider the prospect of someone murderingDemocratic nomineeKamala Harris.[64] In response, the party's account referred to Oliver with thehomophobic slur "faggot" and labeled him an "infiltrating leftist snake".[65][66][67][68]
Chase Oliver received 635,551 total votes and 0.42% of the national vote, coming fifth in the nation. He achieved the Libertarian Party's lowest vote since the2008 presidential election.
Oliver received 1.69% in North Dakota, his best state by percentage. Oliver also received over one percent of the vote in Utah and Wyoming.
Following the election, in an interview withReason, Oliver stated the possibility of potentially running again in the2028 elections.[69]
THIRD-PARTY CORNER — Libertarian Chase Oliver, who ran for Georgia Senate last year and earned 2 percent of the vote, pushing the contest to a runoff, filed to run for president. He announced his bid last week.