Chard Reid in 5th District Debate
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Hamilton County Libertarians have an opportunity to witness perhaps the best Libertarian debate performer in the US in Chard Reid, in Carmel. Link to Facebook event page.
Event Details: Monday, Oct 22; 6:30 - 9pm
Congregation Shaarey Tefilla, 3085 W. 116th St. Carmel, IN 46032
|
Reid is a high school economics teacher, and he absolutely schools Republican Susan Brooks on economics every time they find themselves in the same room. It's kind of embarrassing how pathetic Brooks' knowledge is on the subject. Democrat Scott Reske will also participate.
Enjoy this exchange between Brooks and Reid on the Gary Snyder radio show out of Marion IN.
As much as I feel sorry for Brooks in knowing so little, I feel sorry for the rest of us if she is elected.
If you haven't gotten a Chard Reid yard sign yet, email me right away with your address! Just over two weeks left before the election!
Labels: Chard Reid, debate, District 5, Scott Reske, Susan Brooks, US House of Representatives
posted by Mike Kole @ 2:09 PM,
,
Libertarians At The 4-H
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Plan to stop by the Libertarian Party's tent at the 4-H Fair, today through Monday! We have some very special guests you'll want to meet and discuss policy with:
Thursday, 4-9:30pm: Rupert Boneham & Brad Klopfenstein
Friday, 1-4pm: Chard Reid
4-H Fair location: Follow this link
Rupert is our candidate for Governor, and Brad is our candidate for Lt. Governor. Chard is running for US House in the 5th District. You will never meet gentlemen who are as outgoing, friendly, and engaging. If you have policy questions, they will be happy to answer, and then some!
Labels: Brad Klopfenstein, Chard Reid, Rupert Boneham
posted by Mike Kole @ 10:00 AM,
,
Calling All Volunteers!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
The Libertarian Party has a slate of excellent candidates who will be on the ballot in November.
President - Gary Johnson
Vice President - Jim Gray
Indiana Governor - Rupert Boneham
Lt. Governor - Brad Klopfenstein
US Senate - Andy Horning
US Representative, District 5 - Chard Reid
One of our top objectives is to staff every polling place in Hamilton County with volunteers passing out palm cards and encouraging voters to vote for these superb candidates. The preference is to have people staff their home precinct polling place.
Get in touch with Mike Kole to get involved! Email: mikekole (a) comcast.net
We also have events upcoming such as the 4-H Fair, and the Atlanta Festival, which we will staff. We'll go door-to-door, host meet-n-greets, and engage in countless other ways to boost our candidates. Let's come together for liberty!
Labels: 4-H Fair, Andy Horning, Atlanta, Brad Klopfenstein, Chard Reid, election day, Gary Johnson, Jim Gray, polling place, Rupert Boneham
posted by Mike Kole @ 9:51 PM,
,
More Unofficial Returns
Friday, November 05, 2010
While we did not win our ultimate goals- election to office- in the recent general elections, the Libertarian Party can show that our base has grown significantly here in Hamilton County. Let us compare the countywide numbers with the same cycles from elections past:
2010 US Senate Results
Rebecca Sink-Burris
5380 votes, 6.66%
2004 US Senate Results
Al Barger
970 votes, 1%
(In 2006, there was no Democratic candidate for US Senate. Libertarian Steve Osborn got 4,226 votes, 8%, in a two-way race with Republican Dick Lugar.)
2010 Indiana Secretary of State Results
Mike Wherry
5,880 votes, 7.35%
2006 Indiana Secretary of State Results
Mike Kole
1,775 votes, 3%
2010 Indiana Auditor Results
Eric Knipe
3,360 votes, 4.31%
2002 Indiana Auditor Results
Bruce Parisi
1,535 votes, 4%
(The Libertarian Party did not field a candidate for Indiana Auditor in 2006.)
2010 US House, District 5 Results
Chard Reid
7,584 votes, 9.45%
2006 US House, District 5 Results
Shari Conover Sharlow
2,393 votes, 4%
Links to Hamilton County election results: 2010, 2006, 2004, 2002.
It has always been the experience of the Libertarian Party throughout Indiana that the candidates at the top of the ticket, for federal offices like President or US Senate, tended to get the lowest returns, with numbers improving further downticket in local races. So, the numbers pulled by Chard Reid and Rebecca Sink-Burris are positively encouraging.
Both Reid and Sink-Burris earned some broad name recognition, Reid having been endorsed by the Indianapolis Star, and Sink-Burris performing well in three televised debates. This clearly translated into votes for each.
These are huge gains that suggest to me that our base has grown significantly, and that the voters are increasingly comfortable with casting votes for offices perceived to be the most important. This is a source of great pride for me as County Chair!
The Secretary of State race is also very interesting to compare, as Mike Wherry more than doubled up my 2006 results, the Democrats stayed flat, while the Republicans took a hit.
2010 R: 67.03%
2006 R: 71%
2010 D: 25.62%
2006 D: 26%
No doubt the voter registration issues dogging Republican Charlie White were a factor here. Interesting, though, that White's status as Republican County Chair did not help overcome losing support to Wherry. But also, I suspect the fact of the Secretary of State race as the ballot status race for the Libertarian Party was also a factor.
In other races where we had candidates, Libertarians also fared well.
2010 County Council Dist 3 Results
Joe Tucker
2,761 votes, 17.08%
2002 County Council Dist 3 Results
Terry Baker
830 votes, 8%
There was no Libertarian in this race in 2006, and in 2002, Baker ran in a three-way race, so there isn't an apples-to-apples comparison available here. We can compare to a different district though. In 2002, in District 2, Gregg Puls ran in a two-way race for County Council and got 1,079 votes and 11%. It could be that the Noblesville area is more inclined to vote Libertarian than the Fishers area was at that time. It could simply reflect the party's growth, or more likely, some of both.
2010 County Council Dist 2 Results
Mike Kole
1,643 votes, 6.88%
2002 County Council Dist 2 Results
Greg Puls
1,079 votes, 11%
As with District 3, there was no Libertarian candidate in 2006, and there isn't an apples-to-apples comparison, because 2002 was a two-way, and 2010 was a three way race. I take stock in the increase in number of votes, especially considering there was a Democrat taking roughly 25%. No doubt in 2002, some Democratic voters cast votes for Puls lacking a candidate of their own to vote for. What I noticed right away, though, was that my 2010 vote total of 1,643 votes represents just three of the County's nine townships, my 2006 vote totals of 1,775 for the Secretary of State were taken from the entire County. That's pretty remarkable.
2010 Indiana House Dist 36 Results
Greg Noland
29 votes, 4.01%
2008 Indiana House Dist 36 Results
Greg Noland
36 votes, 3.41%
This is a nice one to compare, as we had the same candidate running against the same incumbent Democrat. While the Dem lost 10 points, we went up by more than half a point. This district is primarily in Madison County, but it does extend into White River and part of Jackson Townships.
2010 Indiana House Dist 87 Returns
Joe Hauptmann
1,638 votes, 16.76%
2008 Indiana House Dist 87 Returns
Pamela Hickman (Democrat)
4,991 votes, 31,19%
There isn't an apples-to-apples comparison for this race for 2002-2010, but this one is interesting. In 2008, there was no Libertarian candidate, and Republican Cindy Noe ran a two-way race with Democrat Pamela Hickman. Against the same candidate in 2010, Libertarian Joe Hauptmann got more than half the percentage of the Democrat, who was boosted by a national pendulum swing to the Democrats in 2008.
In Summary: Our numbers are going up despite our candidates not having huge advertising budgets. We do a fantastic job of taking advantage of earned media. The base of the Libertarian Party in Hamilton County is growing at all levels, but most significantly at the top of ticket, where voter confidence was previously very scarce. The key now is to translate more votes into more candidates for future ballots, and more volunteers to walk neighborhoods and work phone banks and polling places. We may be getting near to Malcolm Gladwell's tipping point, where we start electing officials to office in Hamilton County!
Labels: Chard Reid, Charlie White, Eric Knipe, General Election 2010, Greg Noland, Joe Hauptmann, Joe Tucker, Libertarian Party, Mike Kole, Mike Wherry, Rebecca Sink-Burris
posted by Mike Kole @ 9:05 PM,
,
Ready To Vote!
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
I'm up early and ready to vote. I hope you will be voting too! The votes we cast are crucial in getting policies that will grow our economies, or our governments. In my Fishers precinct I will be voting for:
Rebecca Sink-Burris, US Senate
Chard Reid, US House of Representatives, District 5
Mike Wherry, Indiana Secretary of State
Eric Knipe, Indiana Auditor
Mike Kole, Hamilton County Council, District 2
The rest will largely be a lot of blanks. Why? I won't vote for a candidate who doesn't represent my views in a high percentage. I don't expect 100% agreement. I know that isn't possible. But nor will I vote for someone I agree with less than half of the time, just because they are 'the lesser of two evils'. The lesser of two evils? Now that's a wasted vote!
Labels: Chard Reid, election, Eric Knipe, Mike Kole, Mike Wherry, Rebecca Sink-Burris, voting
posted by Mike Kole @ 4:59 AM,
,
Congratulations, Chard Reid!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Chard Reid is the Libertarian candidate for US House of Representatives in District 5. Reid is seeking to replace Republican Dan Burton, and his chances just got a healthy boost as the Indianapolis Star has endorsed him! From the Star endorsement article:
Reid, a young economics teacher at Plainfield High School, has taken the fight to Burton on taxes and the deficit. He maintains that the 14-termer has not worked for systemic change despite his conservative persona. Reid also offers thoughtful ideas for cutting spending, simplifying the tax code and reforming entitlements.I couldn't be more proud of Chard! Every Hamilton County voter will be able to vote for Chard, as the 5th District covers our county entirely.
Reid represents the best of Libertarian small-government ideals. He would be a refreshing departure from the incumbent's complacency and cavalier attitude toward ethics.
Labels: Chard Reid, endorsement, Indianapolis Star, Libertarian Party
posted by Mike Kole @ 7:20 AM,
,
Your Hamilton County Libertarian Candidates
Friday, October 15, 2010
Election Day is Tuesday, November 2. Be sure to plan to vote! Every resident of Hamilton County will have at least four Libertarian candidates to vote for.
US Senate - Rebecca Sink-Burris
US Representative, District 5 - Chard Reid
Secretary of State - Mike Wherry
Treasurer of State - Eric Knipe
There are additional candidates for portions of the county:
Indiana Representative, District 36 - Greg Noland (White River & Jackson Twps)
Indiana Representative, District 87 - Joe Hauptmann (part of Clay Twp)
Hamilton County Council, District 2 - Mike Kole (Delaware, Fall Creek, Wayne Twps)
Hamilton County Council, District 3 - Joe Tucker (Noblesville, Jackson, White River Twps)
Fall Creek Township Trustee - Lars Noldan
Election Day polling place staffing is also needed. A smiling face handing out palm cards can be worth a 5% boost! We especially need staffing for Joe Hauptmann in Clay Township, and Mike Kole in Fishers, although when you work your home precinct, you are most effective when you talk with your neighbors prior to their votes. We have materials for Rebecca Sink-Burris, Chard Reid, and Mike Wherry also.
Contact Mike Kole to schedule for AM rush (6-9am) and PM rush (4-6pm) and for materials pick-up.
Labels: Chard Reid, election, Eric Knipe, Greg Noland, Joe Hauptmann, Joe Tucker, Libertarian Party, Mike Kole, Mike Wherry, Rebecca Sink-Burris
posted by Mike Kole @ 3:11 PM,
,
Promote Libertarian Candidates
Thursday, September 30, 2010
We're about 5 weeks away from the upcoming elections. Sad to say, but many people are only now beginning to pay attention to candidates. Help them out! Get stickers for your vehicles and be a moving billboard for our Libertarian candidates
Does your car look like this yet?Contact me with a mailing address, and I'll send bumper stickers to you. I have them for Mike Wherry (candidate for Secretary of State and continued Libertarian ballot access) and Chard Reid (US Congress, District 5).
Labels: bumper stickers, Chard Reid, Libertarian Party, Mike Wherry
posted by Mike Kole @ 9:53 AM,
,
Chard Reid Billboard Ready
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Chard Reid is the Libertarian candidate for US House in Indiana's District 5. Reid is attempting to unseat long-time incumbent Dan Burton, a Republican. Reid will be on every ballot in Hamilton County. Link to District 5 map.
This billboard is going up in the Castleton area this week. Here's what it will look like:
Reid is running a very good campaign, reaching out to young voters in particular. He is a high school economics teacher, so this comes as no surprise.
If you want information on Reid's campaign, please follow this link!
Labels: Chard Reid, Dan Burton, US Congress, US House of Representatives
posted by Mike Kole @ 8:20 PM,
,
LPIN Convention Notes
Monday, April 26, 2010
I had the pleasure and privilege of serving as a Delegate from Hamilton County to the annual convention of the Libertarian Party of Indiana this weekend. I was honored by State Chair Sam Goldstein's personal request that I should open the convention with a reading from the Declaration of Independence. I had to stave off the emotion when I got to the phrase,
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
The important business of the convention was to nominate candidates for the ballot. I am happy and a bit relieved to pass the baton to Mike Wherry, who was nominated our candidate for Secretary of State. As was the case when I ran, Mike will have to achieve a minimum of 2% statewide in order to retain automatic ballot access for the Libertarian Party through 2014.
Mike Wherry's campaign website.
My podcast interview with Mike Wherry.
While all the races are important, the Secretary of State race is crucial to the Libertarian Party. The difference between having ballot access and not is the difference between real political party and supper club. It's huge. All Indiana Libertarians need to line up behind Mike Wherry and promote him. We need to plan to be at our home polling places on election day to hand out Wherry literature. The 2% result cannot be taken for granted.
Rebecca Sink-Burris won the nomination for US Senate, defeating Tamyra D'Ipolito in the contested race. When Evan Bayh announced he wasn't seeking re-election, it changed the thinking about that US Senate seat from 'safely blue' to 'up for grabs'. No doubt there will be much scrutiny paid the US Senate race. Rebecca has been an excellent Libertarian candidate in the past, and I am confident that she will do a great job once again.
Rebecca Sink-Burris' campaign website.
In the 5th Congressional District, high school economics teacher Chard Reid won the nomination. I had the opportunity to sit down with him for several hours prior to the convention to vet his views on Federal issues, and was very satisfied that he will be a solid candidate. He already has students that wish to walk door-to-door for him, which excites me a great deal.
I interviewed Rebecca and Chard for the podcast, and will post those as they are completed.
The Party has a candidate for all nine Congressional Districts, plus the Senate seat. Not all of the Indiana House & Indiana Senate positions were filled, which was a bit disappointing, but the Part leadership will continue to recruit candidates to fill vacancies.
Indiana's delegate count at the convention made the event the largest such in the USA. Indiana had more Libertarians in the room than even California or Texas had! A very good show of growing strength in every way this weekend!
Labels: Chard Reid, Evan Bayh, Libertarian Party of Indiana, Mike Wherry, Rebecca Sink-Burris, Sam Goldstein
posted by Mike Kole @ 10:59 AM,
,
