The Libertarian Party of New York mourns the loss of James “Jim” Rosenbeck, who passed away on September 8, 2025 at the age of 71. Jim was a dedicated activist, leader, and longtime advocate for liberty whose contributions were especially influential in the late 2010s.
A retired school counselor and Genesee County resident, Jim earned his Master of Science in Educational Counseling from SUNY Brockport in 1981 and served as Counseling Department Chairperson at Pembroke High School before retiring. He then devoted much of his time to political and community activism.
Jim’s involvement in the Libertarian Party began in the early 2010s with the Genesee County Libertarian Party. He served as Secretary, chaired the City of Batavia Libertarian Committee, and represented the county affiliate on the State Committee. From 2015 to 2018 he served as Vice-Chair of the LPNY, working closely with State Chair Mark Glogowski.
In 2018, Jim was elected State Chair, serving until April 2020. He led the party during a pivotal period when Larry Sharpe ran for Governor for the first time, and subsequently achieved ballot access for the party for the first time. He also briefly represented Region 8 on the Libertarian National Committee in 2018. He was a Delegate to the 2014, 2016, and 2018 Libertarian National Conventions and served as New York’s Delegation Chair in 2018.
In addition to leadership in the party, Jim ran as a Libertarian candidate for Batavia City Council twice, in 2013 and 2017. He was also a Presidential Elector for Gary Johnson/Bill Weld in 2016.
Jim was active in the party alongside his wife, Deborah Kerr-Rosenbeck, and encouraged others to take part in the political process. Jim was committed to building the Libertarian Party, through working to develop new county affiliates, support candidates for public office, and petition to secure ballot access, and other activities.
His advocacy left a lasting mark and will be remembered by his family, friends, and many fellow Libertarians.