Updated on January 25, 2024
I am proud to announce that I dragged James and our friend, Jess, out into the cold to make the trip to Cedar Rapids for the Libertarian Party Caucus for Benton County on January 15th!
Normally the Benton County Libertarian Caucus would have been held in Benton County… But, as I learned just a few days earlier, Benton County did not have an affiliated county party and so we were grouped into Linn County. I tried to change it, but it was too late and we didn’t want there to be confusion!
We are grateful to the Linn County Libertarian Party for graciously hosting us! It was thrilling to be a part of some great conversations, even if we were the only three that made the drive. (It’s okay, guys! It was brutally cold… So ig we will let it slide… This time!!).
We discussed the pool of potential Libertarian Presidential candidates and the three of us cast our paper ballots. After we called to adjourn the caucus, we rolled right into our County Convention proceedings…
And so, the Iowa Libertarian Party of Benton County (IALPBC) was born!
IALPBC
Between the three of us, we discussed who wanted to hold an office, knowing we needed to establish a county chair and secretary in order to become an official affiliate with the Iowa Libertarian Party.
If you think you would like to join us, or ya just wanna peek at the documents that outline what we are all about, click the links below 🙏🙂
OUR CONSTITUTION
OUR PLATFORM
THE BYLAWS
Learn More
Join our discord server or follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on Libertarian Party news and upcoming events!
Our next meeting is February 18th around 630pm on ZOOM. We are committing to virtual meetings every 3rd Sunday of the month, and hopefully move forward with in-person meetings as soon as possible!
DISTRICT/STATE LIBERTARIAN PARTY CONVENTION is next month- February 23-25th- in DES MOINES- Road trip anyone?!?
Feel free to reach out to Jess or James- and of course you can always contact me! -any of us would be happy to answer your questions!
Original Post
The story about my decision to register with the Libertarian Party starts over a year ago, when my friend Sarah and I made the last minute decision to join a statewide Trucker’s Convoy to support America’s Truck Drivers. She saw a flyer just a few days before the event, in a facebook group she joined during our recent trip to Des Moines for a rally against vaccine mandates.
There hadn’t been any mention of it on the local news, which is unfortunate because no one we talked to had even heard about it! My dad has been a truck driver as long as I can remember, and he’s been on the road for Walmart for almost 20 years now, so I know how important truckers are to keep our country going. No one else could take off work and go, and that made it feel all that much more important for us to go!
The Trucker’s Convoy
We loaded up and headed out to Waterloo. We were a little discouraged to see that there were only a few other vehicles at that first rendezvous point, and the dreary skies weren’t encouraging, but those feelings didn’t last long after we talked with the others and got set up on the CB radio app.
At each meet-up location, more and more trucks and semi-trucks joined the convoy. For all the confusion and uncertainty we felt at the beginning of the day, we were impressed that groups coming from all corners of the state arrived to the last truck stop pretty close to right on schedule!
The sun even came out for a bit and we could feel the excitement in the air as we walked around to look at the other vehicles and take pictures. Instead of displaying an American flag as requested by event promoters, we opted to fly a large, yellow Gadsden flag behind Sarah’s Jeep, and we were very pleased to see that it complemented all the red, white, and blue perfectly! We counted over 60 vehicles and 15 semi-trucks in all at that last stop!
For about 20 minutes, our convoy made victory laps around the capital square with our horns blaring! There was no doubt that we made our presence heard that day! The brisk wind and occasional sprinkles did not stop us from standing outside the capital building to show support for our country’s truck drivers as we listened to a few people speak. Before heading back home, some of the group decided to stop for lunch at Denny’s.
Lunch at Denny’s
When we got to the restaurant, the group walked in and were seated together. Though we didn’t know it yet when we sat down, Sarah and I were lucky to pick a table with our new friend, Rick Stewart. He was one of the people we originally met up with at that first stop outside Waterloo. After placing our orders, we asked about the trailer he was pulling. As you can see in the photos, this was no ordinary trailer!
Can you believe it?! We were having lunch with the guy that could potentially be the next Governor of Iowa!
Sarah encouraged me to share my family’s story with him, and I was flustered as I tried to explain my experiences with the Department of Human Services. It was hard not to get emotional, and I felt so… unprepared! At first, we weren’t sure that Rick understood where I was coming from, but we realized very quickly how close our points of view were on a wide range of issues.
I noticed several others leaning in and listening to our conversation specifically as Rick discussed the Libertarian Party and his own platform ideas. I was aware that other political parties existed, but I was intrigued by the thought of a Libertarian Governor in IOWA! I was on the edge of my seat, listening to him patiently answer our questions. Despite Sarah’s best efforts, Rick even bought our lunch!
The Election
Despite all the excitement at an event like this, the excitement fades quickly when one wakes up the next day to the demands of reality. Sarah and I talked about the Trucker’s Convoy several times after that day. We had both shared about our lunch with Rick and what we learned about the Libertarian Party with other people, but before we knew it, election day was just around the corner.
I got a random notion from the universe just a few days before election day that I should ask Rick to interview with me. Here are the messages that I sent him.
I requested an interview with my friend Rick Stewart two days before the election. … 1 of 4 
I requested an interview with my friend Rick Stewart two days before the election. … 2 of 4 
I requested an interview with my friend Rick Stewart two days before the election. … 3 of 4 
I requested an interview with my friend Rick Stewart two days before the election. … 1 of 4
I will save the content of that interview for another post, and you can read that here. Please also check out the article I was able to get published the day before election day.
With that I will move on to the real point of this article, as it relates to…
A Major Victory
The 2022 election results! While I am disappointed that Rick Stewart did not win in his gubernatorial campaign, I am super proud of my friend for his MONUMENTAL achievement!
Iowa voters showed up with record numbers in 2022- which is kinda sad because total voter turnout was only at 55%- with a total of 1,221,096 Iowans. The 28,997 people that voted for Rick helped him break a crucial barrier! In order for the Libertarian Party to secure MAJOR PARTY STATUS, Rick had to receive at least 2% of the votes…And he succeeded with just 2.4%!
“We don’t feel like we lost. We were in the ring with two big gorillas, the Republicans and the Democrats. We snuck into the ring, and we survived. That is not a loss. That’s a victory.”
Rick Stewart, in response to 2022 Election results
That means for this election, we have another option besides Republicans and Democrats… This year you can register with the Libertarian Party!
Use It! Don’t Lose It!
If you have been paying attention, you should have anticipated that there’s a catch- of course there is, right? The major political parties that have divided our country do not want a third wheel coming it to mess up the good thing they got going.
In order to maintain its major party status, a Libertarian gubernatorial or presidential candidate must also receive at least 2% of the votes in the following election year. The next election for the US President and our state Governor, both having four-year terms, is 2024.
So this major victory won’t last forever, unless we show up on election day! This is exactly how the ruling class has kept it a TWO PARTY SYSTEM!
A Little Libertarian History
This isn’t the first time Iowa has managed to get the Libertarian Party on the ballot. “In 2012, a panel made up of Republican Secretary of State Matt Schultz, Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller, and Warren Jenkins, the chief deputy for Republican Auditor David Vaudt, voted unanimously to allow Johnson’s name to be listed,” concluding “that a state law requiring a convention to get on the ballot is too vague.”
Unfortunately, the party was unable to secure enough votes in the following election, and lost their status.
Your Vote DOES Matter
For those of you that roll your eyes, insisting that “my vote doesn’t matter” because the “election is rigged,” I encourage you to hear me out!
Between the faulty electoral college system, corruption within the two parties, the vast network of lobbyists and influencers, the high likelihood of foreign interference, and the shadow government that is actually running the show in Washington… When it comes to the Presidential and national level elections, I would actually be inclined to agree with you.
That being said…
When it comes to local, county, and state elections, however, I will
Register to Vote Today!
Don’t wait til election day to update your voter registration! To register to vote in Iowa, you:
- Must be at least 17 years old.
- Must be a United States Citizen.
- Must be an Iowa Resident.
- Cannot be a convicted felon (unless your voting rights have been restored by the Governor, including through Executive Order, after a felony conviction—for more information visit RestoreYourVote.Iowa.Gov).
- Cannot be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law.
- Cannot claim the right to vote in any other place.
You can register to vote online, through the mail, or at your local county auditor’s office. Visit https://voterready.iowa.gov/registertovote/ for more information!
What Is A Libertarian?
I found an excellent article that answers that very question in detail. It starts with the following:
“A libertarian is committed to the principle that liberty is the most important political value. Liberty means being free to make your own choices about your own life, that what you do with your body and your property ought to be up to you. Other people must not forcibly interfere with your liberty, and you must not forcibly interfere with theirs.”
Read more about What Is a Libertarian?
The Libertarian Party Platform
Libertarian Bylaws
A Libertarian’s Resolutions
Originally published online in 2019, the Libertarian’s New Years Resolutions were written by LP Presidential candidate (1996, 2000) Harry Browne. I hope you will join me in adopting them for yourself!
Learn More
To find out more about the Libertarian Party, you can check out these websites.
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I Challenge YOU
Please head over to the National Liberty Alliance to educate yourself learn more about the grassroots efforts taking place all over the country! Take advantage of the free courses they offer, so you can understand the role that the Committees of Safety played in establishing this country and uniting our founding fathers to fight back against the tyranny. It is time you learn the truth about our history and the founding principles that shaped our nation!
WE THE PEOPLE have the POWER to TRULY make America great again!
Get Involved!
Nothing will change the trend towards totalitarianism and oligarchy in America unless we stand peacefully united! Learn more about National Liberty Alliance !
Check out their FREE COURSES about our constitution and fighting for our civil rights!
Read more about the movement that has established a network of Committees of Safety in every county in the United States!
Click the following link to download a detailed explanation of their plan!
Support my work by sharing this blog post! Thank you in advance for your help spreading the word about this important information!
Iridescent Alchemyst 
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