{{Short description|State affiliate of the Libertarian Party}} {{Infobox political party | name = Libertarian Party of Wisconsin | logo = File:LPofWI.jpg | colorcode = {{party color|Libertarian Party (US)}} | chairman = Stephen Ecker <ref>{{cite web |title=Leadership |url=https://lpwi.org/about/leadership/ |website=Libertarian Party of Wisconsin |access-date=26 September 2022}}</ref> | foundation = 1973 | state = Wisconsin | ideology = Libertarianism | headquarters = Greenfield, Wisconsin | national = Libertarian Party (United States) | colors = {{colour box|{{party color|Libertarian Party (US)}}}} Gold-yellow | seats1_title = Seats in the Senate | seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|33|hex={{party color|Libertarian Party (United States)}}}} | seats2_title = Seats in the Assembly | seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|99|hex={{party color|Libertarian Party (United States)}}}} | seats3_title = Seats in the U.S. Senate | seats3 = {{Composition bar|0|2|hex={{party color|Libertarian Party (United States)}}}} | seats4_title = Seats in the U.S. House of Representatives | seats4 = {{Composition bar|0|8|hex={{party color|Libertarian Party (United States)}}}} | seats5_title = Other elected officials | seats5 = 1 {{As of|2026|04|alt=(March 2026)}}<ref name="Elected Officials">{{cite web|url=https://triopolitan.com/2026/04/18/neenah-voters-send-libertarian-brian-defferding-to-city-council-in-narrow-election-outcome/|access-date=June 1, 2024|title= Elected Officials}}</ref> | website = {{URL|http://www.lpwi.org}} }} The '''Libertarian Party of Wisconsin''' is the Wisconsin affiliate of the Libertarian Party. Founded in 1973, it is one of the oldest state affiliates in the Libertarian Party. In 2002, Ed Thompson, brother of Tommy Thompson and the Mayor of Tomah, Wisconsin, ran for Governor of Wisconsin, garnering over 10% of the vote. This was a record for a Libertarian gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin running against both a Democratic and Republican candidate. {{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

Wisconsin requires parties to poll at least 1% in a statewide election in order to be recognized for ballot status and to conduct party primaries. The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin met this test in 2014 with the candidacies of Madison attorney Tom Nelson for Attorney General (3%), Milwaukee political consultant Andy Craig for secretary of state (3%), and former Mayor Jerry Shidell of Rhinelander for state treasurer (2%).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/results/2014/fall-general |title=2014 Fall General Election Results &#124; Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commissions |access-date=2016-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914172743/http://www.gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/results/2014/fall-general |archive-date=2016-09-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2022, the sitting state chair of the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, Jacob VandenPlas, ran for Congress (U.S. House of Representatives, WI District 8) and received 10.5% of the vote in a 3-way race, a state of Wisconsin record. (the Democratic candidate was listed on the ballot as an Independent due to failing to meet ballot access paperwork requirements). <ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-11-08 |title=Wisconsin Eighth Congressional District Election Results |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-wisconsin-us-house-district-8.html |access-date=2023-02-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> == Current office holders == * '''Mark Hepfinger''' -- Cottage Grove Municipal Court Judge<ref name = ElectedOfficials>{{cite web|url=https://www.lp.org/elected-officials-2/|title=Elected Officials|access-date=2017-07-11|archive-date=2018-02-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213112003/https://www.lp.org/elected-officials-2/|url-status=dead}}</ref> * '''Dennis Kenealy''' -- Erin Town Council Chairperson<ref name = ElectedOfficials /> * '''Dave Ripp''' -- Dane County Board of Supervisors, District 29<ref name = ElectedOfficials /> * '''Kevin Scheunnemann''' -- Kewaskum Village Board * '''Brad Sponholz''' -- Greenfield Planning Commission * '''Andy Williams''' -- Cleveland Village Board<ref>{{cite web | url-access=limited |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/115265661854131/1035101169870571 |archive-date = 2022-04-30| url = https://www.facebook.com/LPWIS/posts/1035101169870571 |title = Libertarian Party of Wisconsin on Facebook |website=Facebook}}{{cbignore}}{{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref> * '''Brian Defferding''' -- Winnebago County Board of Supervisors, District 6<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.co.winnebago.wi.us/county-board|title = County Board &#124; Winnebago County}}</ref>

==Vote totals for Libertarian candidates in Wisconsin== ===Federal elections=== ====U.S. President==== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Candidate !Votes !Percentage |- |1972 |John Hospers (Write-in) |101 |0.01% |- |1976 |Roger MacBride |3,814 |0.18% |- |1980 |Ed Clark |29,135 |1.28% |- |1984 |David Bergland |4,884 |0.22% |- |1988 |Ron Paul |5,157 |0.56% |- |1992 |Andre Marrou |2,877 |0.11% |- |1996 |rowspan="2"|Harry Browne |7,929 |0.36% |- |2000 |6,640 |0.26% |- |2004 |Michael Badnarik |6,464 |0.22% |- |2008 |Bob Barr |8,858 |0.30% |- |2012 |rowspan="2"|Gary Johnson |20,439 |0.67% |- |2016 |106,674 |3.58% |- |}

====U.S. Senate==== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Candidate !Votes !Percentage |- |1980 |Bervin J. Larson |9,679 |0.44% |- |1992 |William Bittner |9,147 |0.4% |- |1994 |James R. Dean |15,439 |1.0% |- |1998 |Tom Ender |5,591 |0.32% |- |2000 |Tim Peterson |21,348 |0.8% |- |2004 |Arif Khan |8,367 |0.28% |- |2012 |Joseph Kexel |62,240 |2.07% |- |2016 |Phillip Anderson |87,531 |2.97% |- |}

===State elections=== ====Gubernatorial==== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Candidate !Votes !Percentage |- |1982 |Larry Smiley |9,734 |0.62% |- |1994 |David Harmon |11,639 |0.74% |- |1998 |Jim Mueller |11,071 |0.63% |- |2002 |Ed Thompson |185,455 |10.45% |- |2010 |Terry Virgil |6,790 |0.31% |- |2014 |Robert Burke |18,720 |0.78% |- |2018 |Phillip Anderson |20,320 |0.76% |- |}

== Conventions == *'''2016''' – The 2016 convention was held on April 16 in Wisconsin Dells, and included speaker David Boaz and presidential candidate Gary Johnson.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lpwi.org/events/state-events/178-2016-convention |title=2016 Libertarian Party of Wisconsin Convention - Libertarian Party of Wisconsin |access-date=2016-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217185827/https://www.lpwi.org/events/state-events/178-2016-convention |archive-date=2017-02-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> *'''2017''' – The 2017 LPWI convention was held in Tomahawk on April 21, and included speaker Gavin Seim. *'''2018''' – The 2018 LPWI convention was held in Madison on April 14. *'''2019''' – The 2019 LPWI convention was held in Sturgeon Bay from May 3–5. Mary Ruwart was a speaker.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lpwi.org/event/2019-lp-wisconsin-state-convention-2019-05-03/|title=2019 LP Wisconsin State Convention}}</ref> *'''2021''' - The 2021 LPWI convention was held in Eau Claire, Wisconsin from April 23–25. Speakers include Jo Jorgensen, Spike Cohen, Adam Kokesh.

==See also== {{Portal|Libertarianism}} * Political party strength in Wisconsin * Comparison of politics of parties of the United States

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.lpwi.org/ Libertarian Party of Wisconsin]

<nowiki/>{{WisconsinPoliticalParties}} {{Libertarian Party (United States)}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Libertarian Party Of Wisconsin}} Wisconsin Category:Political parties in Wisconsin