Libertarians are Libertarians.  Period. Dot. End. The Libertarian Party is its own partisan political party.  It has its own platform (Platform page - Libertarian Party, Platform - Libertarian Party of Florida).  It exists to recruit and support Libertarian Candidates (Meet Our Candidates - Libertarian Party) to achieve that platform. Period. Dot. End. 

The Libertarian Party is NOT the Liberal (or to some peoples thinking more conservative) Republicans.  The Libertarian Party is NOT the Conservative Democrats. The Libertarian Party, while having some issues in common with both Republican and Democratic parties, and Republicans and Democrats routinely use Libertarian talking points as they campaign, there is a very key difference – the Libertarian Party is the party of Principle – Libertarians mean it!

Money and party politics have completely captured the Republicans and Democrats.  First, the money.  Since the Citizens United case, the incredible sums of money from corporate interests and lobbies have poured into the Democrat and Republican Parties.  Astronomical sums of money.  Here in Hillsborough County, the Friends of Bob Buckhorn PAC had over $1.4 million (mostly from developers) -- BEFORE he formally announced his candidacy for mayor of Tampa in the 2027 election (Friends of Bob Buckhorn - Florida Committee - Transparency USA, Buckhorn PAC raises $1.43 million for undeclared Tampa mayoral bid).  This is just the Democratic Candidate for mayor in a medium metro with a population of 413K residents.  The 2024 Presidential Election cost individual candidates over $2 BILLION according to USAFacts and that was only through April of 2024 (Tracking 2024 election contributions and spending | USAFacts).  With this much money funding their politics, it is impossible for them not to be influenced, beholden, and really corrupted by it.  This is not the case for the Libertarian Party, which is almost exclusively funded by members and the grassroots.  You would be shocked by the delta between Libertarian Candidates’ funds vs. their Democratic and Republican challengers.  Libertarians are uncorrupted.

“But I hear Republican candidate X say… and I hear Democrat candidate Y say… and it sounds libertarian, it makes sense, he/she is an outsider, and a good person.”  Yes.  Yes, they are.  Bob Buckhorn is a wonderful person.  He has great intentions and is a genuinely nice and patriotic gentleman.  But he’s taking the money.  Oh, and he’s a Democrat.  Which means he is beholden to the Democratic party.  What does that mean?  Well, look at the current primary fights in Florida.  The Republican Party of Florida is doing everything in its power to exclude “non-anointed” Republican challengers from primary events or through legislation to keep them off the ballot (Social media influencer, political candidate says new election law targets him | wtsp.com).  They’re doing the same thing to “third party” challengers through lawsuits (Judge dismisses lawsuit to remove candidate from Jacksonville City Council ballot).  If a Republican or Democrat is an independent thinker, they are marginalized by the party, defunded, and primaried out.  It is worse for those independent thinkers in representative office.  At the state and federal level, the party caucuses control committee assignments and legislative agenda.  If a member doesn’t toe the party line, they are kept from key positions and their legislation never advances – then they’re primaried out.  Libertarian candidates do NOT have this issue.

All that to say, the Libertarian Party is a political home for Libertarians.  We’re a different animal all together (a porcupine to be precise!).  If you’re independent.  If you agree with our platform. If you agree to the NAP. If you believe liberty is the best path and belongs to EVERYONE – then welcome home, you’re a LIBERTARIAN.  #VoteGold!

In Liberty,

Frank W. Moneymaker

Chair, Libertarian Party of Hillsborough County