BY ANDREW MARTIN KOLSTEE
Today is Election Day! Go out and vote! The Libertarian Party of New York and its chapters have a record number of Libertarian candidates on the ballot this year. A total of 18 nominated Libertarians candidates securing the Libertarian line or cross-endorsed by another party.
In Chautauqua County, Nathen Conrad is running for Town of Carroll Council. He is the first Libertarian in Chautauqua County to secure a spot on the ballot.
In Genesee County, LPNY Vice Chair Jim Rosenbeck, LPNY At-Large Committee Member Mark Potwora, and 3-time candidate Lisa Whitehead are running for Batavia City Council At-Large.
In Livingston County, Christopher McLouth is running for Town Justice as Livingston County’s first Libertarian to secure the ballot.
New York City has five candidates running for office. Aaron Commey is running for mayor, Devin Balkind for Public Advocate, Alex Merced for Comptroller, Don Garrity for City Council, and Brian Waddell for Manhattan Borough President.
In Onondaga County, Derek Shepard is running for County Legislature and Darcie Lesniak is running for Van Buren Town Board.
In the Town of Owego, Tioga County LP Secretary Rich Purtell is running for Town Council.
The City of Rochester has two candidates running for City Council at Large: Chris Edes and Andrew Hollister.
In Suffolk County, Peter J. Krauss is running for Sheriff while Nassau County LP Vice Chair Chris Garvey is running for District Attorney. Robert Schuon is running for Suffolk County Legislature’s District 17.
Additionally, the Suffolk County Libertarian Party endorsed several candidates that are on the ballot, but did not obtain the Libertarian line. “The Suffolk County Libertarian Party (SCLP) screened well over 100 candidates for election this year and found many that have the integrity We the People of Suffolk need,” said Mike McDermott, SCLP Chair. “We were not concerned with ‘Party’ as much as people having integrity.”
In addition to Peter Krauss, Chris Garvey, and Robert Schuon, these Suffolk County candidates are James Canale III (Brookhaven Town Council), Rosamaria Abbate (Brookhaven District Judge), Manuel Vilar (East Hampton Town Supervisor), Paul Giardina (East Hampton Town Council), Gerard Larsen (East Hampton Town Council), Tracey A. Edwards (Huntington Town Supervisor), James O’Connor (Islip Town Council), and John Dunleavy (RIverhead Town Supervisor) who is running a write-in campaign. Additionally, these candidates for Suffolk County Legislature: Rudolph Sunderman, Christine Rignola, Anthony Piccirillo, Douglas E. King, Tom Cilmi, Stephen J. Flotteron, Leslie Kennedy, Robert Trotta, Christopher Madden, and Hector Gavilla.
Go out and vote! Election results on our candidates will be announced as soon as they are in.
Andrew Martin Kolstee is a writer, genealogist, historian, and political activist. He has been registered as a Libertarian since 2010 and is a member of the Libertarian Party at the national, state, and local levels. He is the Editor of the LPNY Blog, Chair of the Chautauqua County Libertarian Party, and also serves as representative of his county to the Libertarian Party of New York State Committee. In 2017, he was appointed Communications Director for the LPNY and continues to serve in that capacity as well as a member of several committees.