Libertarian Party of New York Holds 50th Convention in Niagara Falls
and Elects New Executive Committee
NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, September 20, 2022 – This weekend, the Libertarian Party of New York held its 50th convention at the Sheraton Hotel in Niagara Falls. There, the newly elected State Committee convened, following a series of speakers: Larry Sharpe, the party’s 2022 candidate for Governor of New York; Jim Ostrowski, Libertarian attorney and author; Steve Felano, 2nd Amendment Activist; Melissa Heinrich, Homeschooling activist; Lyn Ulbricht, political activist and mother of Ross Ulbricht; Hesham El-Meligy, political and national security analyst and Libertarian Party candidate and leader; Mike ter Maat, Libertarian candidate for President in 2024; Patrick Ford, Region 8’s representative to the Libertarian National Committee; and Angela McArdle, Chair of the Libertarian National Committee.
The business session was called to order on Saturday afternoon by then-Chair W. Cody Anderson, in which the State Committee elected a new Executive Committee.
Andrew Kolstee was elected Chair. He previously served as State Secretary (2020-2022) and State Communications Director (2017-2019) and is currently Chautauqua County Libertarian Party Chair (since 2015). In 2020, he was the party’s candidate for Congress in New York’s 23rd Congressional District.
Duane Whitmer was elected 1st Vice-Chair. He previously served as 2nd Vice-Chair (2020-2022) and is currently Chair of the Erie County Libertarian Party (since 2019). In 2020, he was the party’s candidate for the 27th Congressional District in both the special and general elections; in 2021 he ran for Erie County Comptroller.
Rich Purtell was elected 2nd Vice-Chair. He previously served as an At-Large State Committee Member (2020-2022) and State Political Director (2018-2019) and has run as the Libertarian Party candidate for local and state-level races.
Mark Braiman was elected Secretary. He is the current Chair of the Madison County Libertarian Party and was the party’s candidate for the 22nd Congressional District in 2022.
W. Cody Anderson was elected Treasurer. He previously served as State Chair (2020-2022) and Columbia County Libertarian Party Chair (2019-2021).
Rounding out the Executive Committee includes five Members At-Large: Maura Botsford, Erie County Libertarian Party Secretary; Justin Carman, Albany County Libertarian Party Vice-Chair; Keith Redhead, Oneida County Libertarian Party Contact; William Schmidt, 2022 Libertarian Party candidate for State Comptroller; and Karyn Thompson, Saratoga County Libertarian Party Treasurer.
The Libertarian Party of New York is a political party in New York State, which has as its primary objective the extension of individual freedom to its furthest limits. In recognition of the fact that the initiation of force by government has been the chief instrument for the expropriation of individual rights and freedom, the Libertarian Party of New York enters the political arena for the avowed purpose of eliminating the intervention of government in moral, social and economic affairs by functioning as a libertarian political entity separate and distinct from all other political parties or movements and moving public policy in a libertarian direction by building a political party that elects Libertarians to public office. Learn more at LPNY.ORG.