The 2024 Libertarian Party presidential primaries and caucuses were a series of current electoral contests to indicate non-binding preferences for the Libertarian Party (LP) presidential nominee in the 2024 United States presidential election. These differed from the Republican or Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses in that they do not appoint delegates to represent a candidate at the party's convention to select the party's presidential nominee.
The party's nominee was chosen directly by registered delegates at the 2024 Libertarian National Convention on May 26 in Washington, D.C. Chase Oliver was chosen as the party's nominee in the seventh round of voting.
Results
Candidates and ballot options listed on multiple ballots and receiving at least 1% of the national popular vote are listed individually on the table. All remaining votes are detailed under the other column.
Candidates
Major candidates
Prior to the LP 2024 National Convention, 38 candidates filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination in 2024.
Eliminated at convention
This section includes candidates who filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission with intent to run under the Libertarian Party and who met one or more of the following criteria: a) meet Wikipedia's notability guidelines; b) participated in at least three Libertarian Party-sponsored debates; or c) received non-trivial media coverage as a candidate in this election cycle.
Other candidates
The following candidates achieved at least one of the following in the 2024 election cycle: appeared on a primary ballot, received votes in a LP-sanctioned contest that did not require ballot access, were invited to a party-sanctioned debate or forum, or were included on the Libertarian National Committee's list of candidates.
LNC delegates are not bound to votes in primary elections, so while voters are able choose a candidate, it has no direct effect on the nominee selection at the party's nominating convention.
- Joshua "Toad" Anderson (NC, PA) (nominated on floor of the national convention as "Toad")
- Joseph Collins Jr., broadcaster from California (AL, MS, PA, CT)
- David Reed DeSilva III of Arizona (MN)
- David "TrimeTaveler" Dunlap (NC) from Florida
- Beau Lindsey (NC), "anonymous candidate" from Tennessee
- Mario Perales (IA), alien hunter from Iowa
- Robert Sansone (IA), Air Force veteran and government contractor from Colorado
- Jody Jones, activist and economist from Florida
- Joshua Rodriguez, computer scientist from Colorado
Declined to be candidates
The following notable individuals had been the subject of speculation about their possible candidacy, but either publicly denied interest in running, or ultimately did not run.
- Justin Amash, former U.S. representative from MI-03 (2011–2021), member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 72nd district (2009–2011) (ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican, eliminated in primary)
- Spike Cohen, political activist, entrepreneur, podcaster, and Libertarian vice presidential nominee in 2020
- Chris Fronzak, lead musician for Attila
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental lawyer and founder of Children's Health Defense (previously ran for the Democratic nomination; ran as an independent before withdrawing and endorsing Trump)
- Vivek Ramaswamy, executive chairman of Strive Asset Management (2022–2023) and CEO of Roivant Sciences (2014–2021) (ran as a Republican; endorsed Trump)
- Dave Smith, stand-up comedian, libertarian political commentator, and podcaster (endorsed Rectenwald)
- Vermin Supreme, performance artist, activist, political satirist, perennial candidate, and candidate for the 2020 Libertarian presidential nomination (ran for the Democratic and Legal Marijuana Now nominations, now running as the US Pirate Party nominee)
Endorsements
Chase Oliver
- Ronald Bailey, libertarian science writer
- Nick Gillespie, libertarian journalist, editor of Reason
- Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico (1995–2003), 2012 and 2016 Libertarian candidate for president
- Robby Soave, libertarian journalist, editor of Reason
- John Stossel, television personality and political pundit
- Jacob Sullum, columnist, senior editor of Reason
- Jesse Walker, books editor of Reason
Timeline of the race
2021
- March 23: Co-founder of Friend Finder Networks Lars Mapstead files to run.
2022
- April 18: Mike ter Maat files to run.
- December 2: Nominee for Georgia's 2022 U.S. Senator race, Chase Oliver forms an exploratory committee for the party's nomination.
2023
- February 8: Vermin Supreme, a perennial candidate and satirist who had previously vied for party's nomination, announces his departure from the party, citing disagreements with party leadership.
- February 20: Jacob Hornberger, the runner-up for the party's 2020 nomination announces on X that he is seeking the nomination once again.
- March 10: Having been arrested in 2020 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot, Joe Exotic, from his prison cell, launches his campaign for the nomination via X
- April 5: Following a months long exploratory committee, Chase Oliver announces his candidacy for the presidential nomination on X.
- April 11: Following condemnation from party chair Angela McArdle and his own frustrations about party infighting and views on weapon ownership, Exotic suspends his campaign to instead run for the Democratic nomination.
- July 24: Former Vice Chair of the Libertarian National Committee Joshua Smith formally begins his campaign for the nomination.
- August 19: After campaigning extensively in Iowa throughout the summer, Oliver makes history as the first third-party presidential candidate to speak at the Iowa State Fair.
- August 24: Otolaryngologist Charles Ballay files to run for the nomination.
- August 28: Author and former New York University professor Michael Rectenwald files to seek the Libertarian presidential nomination, announcing his candidacy days later.
- December 11: 2000 vice presidential nominee Art Olivier files to run for the presidential nomination.
2024
- January 13 Chase Oliver wins the Arizona Libertarian Party straw poll.
- January 15: The Libertarian Party of Iowa held its first ever caucus as a recognized party in the state.
- January 16: Chase Oliver is announced as the caucus' winner via a plurality with 42.7% of the vote.
- February 3 Michael Rectenwald wins the Libertarian Party of Alabama straw poll.
- February 24 Rectenwald wins the Libertarian Party of Mississippi.
- February 27 Joshua Smith wins the Libertarian Party of Minnesota's internally-held presidential preference caucus.
- March 2;
- Oliver wins the Libertarian Party of Indiana internally-held presidential preference caucus.
- Oliver wins the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania internally-held presidential preference caucus.
- March 5;
- "No preference" wins the North Carolina Libertarian primary.
- As the only candidate on the ballot, Charles Ballay wins the California Libertarian presidential primary.
- Oliver wins the Oklahoma Libertarian presidential primary.
- "No preference" wins Massachusetts Libertarian presidential primary.
Debates and forums
Debates
The following table lists debates which were sponsored by an affiliate of the Libertarian Party.
Campaign finance
According to campaign finance laws, an individual must begin filing reports once they raise or spend more than $5,000. This fundraising table includes money raised and spent as of June 30, 2023. As Smith had not officially announced his campaign as of that date, he had not reported any fundraising. Fundraising reports for the third quarter had to be filed by October 15, 2023.
Schedule
Ballot access
The following is a table of which candidates have received ballot access in which states. indicates that the candidate was on the ballot for the primary contest, indicates that the candidate was a recognized write-in candidate, and indicates that the candidate did not appear on the ballot in that state's contest. indicates that a candidate withdrew before the election but was still listed on the ballot. States not appearing in the table did not hold Libertarian presidential primaries.