Libertarian results by state

Gary Johnson got over 4 million votes, some 3.24% of the total, a far better result than any previous Libertarian presidential candidate. Not only did he raise more money, get more media attention, and get more votes than any LP nominee has before, he also secured ballot access for 2018 to an extent that no alternative party has enjoyed in the past hundred years. So while the Hillary supporters alternatively cry and riot, and the Trump backers try to comprehend just what they have done, let’s take a look at what the LP has accomplished in 2016 in each state. Listings are headed by the state and then the total number of votes for Gary Johnson followed by the percentage.

New Mexico 73,669 votes for 9.3%
Major party status in the Land of Enchantment is dependent upon voter registration and on the presidential vote. Both objectives have been achieved.

North Dakota 21,351 votes for 6.3%
Johnson’s result in the state of his birth beats the 5% requirement for ballot access, propelling the NDLP onward with full official status. The Libertarians and Republicans were the only two parties to run a full slate for statewide offices.

Alaska 14,593 votes for 5.9%
Ballot access for the next presidential election is secured. Additionally, US Senate candidate Joe Miller garnered 29.6% of the vote against Lisa Murkowski(R). Miller is the first Libertarian to outpoll an establishment party nominee for Congress, because Democrat Ray Metcalfe only got 11.1%

Oklahoma 83,334 votes for 5.7%
The requirement used to be 10% to retain ballot access, but that was changed last spring to 2.5% and the OKLP can be expected to run a sizeable slate of alternative party candidates for state legislature in a mid-term election for the first time since WWII. In District 35 of the state Senate Frank Grove got 35%, and in the Oklahoma County Clerk race Chris Powell pulled over 36% and had a higher vote count than Gary Johnson.

South Dakota 20,845 votes for 5.6%
The SDLP will need to attain at least 2.5% in the next gubernatorial election to stay on the ballot. Earlier this year voters repealed a law that would have made ballot access more difficult.

Montana 27,264 votes for 5.6%
Ballot access is well in hand after Johnson’s strong showing in Big Sky Country. After the unfortunate death of Mike Fellows, Rick Breckenridge stepped in and polled 3% for US House.

Wyoming 13,285 votes for 5.3%
Lawrence Struempf received 9,031 votes for US House, enough to maintain ballot access for the Wyoming LP.

Maine 37,764 votes for 5.1%
10,000 registered Libertarians needed to participate in the general election to keep the Maine LP on the ballot, but they will probably fall short. However, the Pine Tree state did pass the initiative to use Instant Runoff Voting for congressional and state offices, and they passed the initiative to legalize recreational marijuana.

Colorado 128,811 votes for 5.0%
Ballot access through 2020 required 1% of the vote, which Johnson quintupled. Speaking of 1%, the number of registered Libertarians in Colorado exceeds that.

Indiana 133,856 votes for 4.9%
The Indiana LP has maintained ballot access since 1994 and will continue to do so. Gubernatorial candidate Rex Bell won a township in Wayne County.

Oregon 86,306 votes for 4.8%
1% retains ballot access in Oregon, so the LP is in good shape in the state. Josh Howard took 8% of the vote in a three way race for State Senator in District 21, and Tamie Kaufman got 10% in State Representative District 1 against a Democrat and a Republican.

Kansas 53,648 votes for 4.7%
With only 1% required for ballot access in Kansas, the Jayhawk LP is well set for 2018. Johnson did well, but the LPKS ran a full slate for Congress and all but one of those five candidates outperformed the presidential ticket. Joey Frazier was endorsed by the Kansas State Rifle Association and Kansans for Life and pulled 11% in a three candidate race for state House district 71, only 7 percentage points behind the Democrat.

Nebraska 37,6154 votes for 4.7%
Thanks to candidates who received above 5% of the vote in Nebraska for statewide office in 2014, the LP Cornhusker contingent remains a recognized party for 2018. In the past six years Libertarian registration in Nebraska has grown from 320 to nearly 11,000. Among those making the switch was state Senator Laura Ebke.

Washington 112,520 votes for 4.5%
Major party status can be gained by getting 5% of the vote, but all candidates are technically non-partisan and can put any party label they choose by their names, so the WALP has ballot access, after a fashion. The problem is that the ‘top two’ primary system makes it very difficult for anyone but the alternative parties. Joshua Trumbull was the only candidate to file against the incumbent for state Attorney General and garnered 557,302 votes, over 30%.

Massachusetts 136,784 votes for 4.2%
With former Governor Bill Weld on the ticket, Bay Staters gave the LP more than enough votes to maintain ballot access. Recreational use of marijuana passed in the state. Thomas Simmons garnered over 27,000 votes for Congress in a three-way race.

New Hampshire 39,530 votes for 4.2%
Ballot access here hinges on the gubernatorial vote. Max Abramson scored 4% and the NHLP is recognized for 2018. This could do much to regain the foothold they once had in the state House where Don Gorman was the Libertarian Minority Leader in the early 1990s.

Idaho 28,256 votes for 4.1%
Johnson beat the percentage needed to maintain ballot access by a full point. Sierra Carta took 7% in the race to represent District 29 in the state Senate, holding the balance of power as Mark Nye won with only a plurality of 48%.

Minnesota 112,944 votes for 3.9%
Minnesota requires 5% of the presidential vote to maintain ballot access. Johnson was closer than any other alternative candidate, but the state that elected Jesse Ventura governor is one of eleven that have only the two establishment parties on the ballot. The city of Crystal, run by a city council with a Libertarian majority, eschews bonds and pays cash for capital improvements.

Illinois 204,491 votes for 3.8%
With 5% required for ballot access, it was not quite enough. However, earlier this year the law requiring parties qualifying by petition to run a full slate of candidates was struck down. The removal of this burden will allow greater participation by the LP. Candidates for US Senate and for state Comptroller earned historically high vote totals this year.

Arizona 75,082 votes for 3.8%
Ballot access for the next presidential election required 5% of the vote, so AZLP is a little short. But the number of registered Libertarians in the state has increased by over 6,000 since May to a current total of 31,358.

Iowa 57,322 votes for 3.7%
Johnson blasted past the 2% requirement for maintaining ballot access. Bob Boyle took over 10% against a Republican, Democrat, and another alternative candidate in state House district 20.

Hawaii 14,854 votes for 3.7%
Ballot access is in hand for several years. The Hawaii LP ran more candidates for state Senate than the Republicans did. Altogether Libertarians polled over 40,000 votes in the islands.

Michigan 173,023 votes for 3.6%
Michiganders supported Johnson enough to move the LP from just ballot access to qualifying to have primary elections. Scotty Bowman, running for the State Board of Education, and Justin Burns, a candidate for Trustee of Michigan State University, also polled over 2% to meet the primary election status threshold.

Wisconsin 106,442 votes for 3.6%
The land of cheese requires 1% to maintain ballot access, so Johnson delivered for 2018. In a three way race for US House District 4, Andy Craig received 11% of the vote. State Assembly candidate Jordan Hansen captured 30% in district 54.

Missouri 96,404 votes for 3.5%
By coming close to doubling the requirement, Johnson provides Missourians a Libertarian choice through the next presidential election. A ban on sales tax on services passed with LP support. Lora Young snagged over 12% of the vote in a three-way race for state Senate.

Vermont 10,043 votes for 3.4%
A robust amount of organization is required for ballot access in Vermont, but just that, so the VTLP should have no trouble continuing to be recognized. The Caledonian Record endorsed Gary Johnson. V. Chase took almost 13% against a Democrat and a Republican for state House.

Nevada 37,299 votes for 3.3%
1% was required to maintain ballot access and Johnson was well ahead of that. Recreational marijuana will be legal in the Silver state on Jan. 1.

Utah 27,735 votes for 3.3%
The Utah LP is on the ballot through 2020 thanks to Johnson’s result. Over the summer State Senator Mark Madsen left the GOP for the LP. W. Andrew McCullough tallied 6.4% in a four way race for Utah Attorney General.

Delaware 14,751 votes for 3.3%
Ballot access in Delaware is based on voter registration and there are more than double the number of registered Libertarians required at this time. Scott Gesty achieved 57% more votes for Congress this time than he did in 2012.

Texas 282,524 votes for 3.2%
5% in any statewide race is required to maintain ballot access. Mark Miller hit the mark running for Texas Railroad Commission, preserving official status for the TXLP. Jeffery Blunt and Ed Rankin both got double-digit percentages in three-way races for US House and 34 Libertarians ran for state legislative seats.

California 281,922 votes for 3.2%
Ballot access in the land of fruits and nuts is based on voter registration and the LP has been a permanent fixture in the state since 1978.
The CALP has over a dozen elected officials, now including Aaron Starr who was elected to the Oxnard City Council. Two other Libertarians were re-elected to their posts as well.

Ohio 168,599 votes for 3.2%
3% is the requirement to have ballot access in Ohio, but thanks to the thuggish political maneuvers of John Kasich in 2014 to pass a restrictive ballot access bill and keep Charlie Earl off the gubernatorial ballot, Johnson was on in Ohio as an Independent and his result doesn’t count for party status. The Ohio LP is fighting in federal and state court.

West Virginia 22,798 votes for 3.2%
The gubernatorial race is where ballot access retention is determined. David Moran made it to over 2% to keep the WVLP in the game. In the race for Agricultural Commissioner Buddy Guthrie received 10%, leaving the winner with a plurality of 48%.

Rhode Island 14,642 votes for 3.2%
Rhode Island requires 5% for ballot access, so they’ll have to petition for 2018.

Georgia 123,641 votes for 3.1%
Ballot access in Georgia is stupid hard. Freddie Odom continues to serve as Mayor of Bluffton, and Walter Reynolds holds his post on the Milledgeville City Council.

Virginia 116,600 votes for 3.0%
It’s hard to get to the 10% required to maintain ballot access in Virginia. A bill to cut the requirement in half was killed in the state House early this year.

Connecticut 45,999 votes for 3.0%
Ballot access for the 2020 presidential election is secured. The Libertarians of the Nutmeg state also got a law that hindered ballot access petitioning overturned in court earlier this year.

Maryland 71,107 votes for 2.9%
With a 1% requirement for ballot access, the LP is secure in the state. Jon Bombach received nearly 25,000 votes for Comptroller in Baltimore.

North Carolina 127,794 votes for 2.8%
Ballot access is secured through 2020 with the better than 2% result for gubernatorial candidate Lon Cecil. In a four-way race for Rowan County Commissioner, Mark Lyerly took 11% of the vote.

Tennessee 70,084 votes for 2.8%
The Volunteer state doesn’t volunteer much on ballot access, requiring 5% for a party to stay official. They have a much higher requirement for parties than for independent presidential candidate, recently upheld in a questionable court decision, which essentially prevented any party from even trying.

Kentucky 53,749 votes for 2.8%
Johnson has secured ballot access in Kentucky through 2020. In a first, two Libertarians now hold partisan office in the Bluegrass state. Shannon Denniston is now a Magistrate in Montgomery County and Tracy Roberts was elected to the same position in Marshall County.

Arkansas 29,518 votes for 2.6%
Ballot access for the next presidential election required 3% of the vote so the Arkansas LP will have to petition for 2018, but they are used to doing that. They did run candidates in each of the four US House seats in the state, and their candidates together received over 200,000 votes.

Pennsylvania 142,653 votes for 2.4%
Needing approximately 1% to maintain ballot access, Johnson delivered more than twice that. The LPPA is fighting a county signature distribution requirement on statewide petitions in court.

New York 161,836 votes for 2.3%
Party status in New York is based on the gubernatorial election, so the NYLP will have to try to get 50,000 votes in 2018. Johnson was the nominee of a recognized party in the Empire State, the Independence Party, and received about two thirds of his total votes on their ballot line.

South Carolina 48,715 votes for 2.3%
Ballot access in the Palmetto state merely requires an existing party to continue be organized and file it’s paperwork. Bill Woolsey is the Libertarian Mayor of James Island.

Florida 206,007 votes for 2.2%
Florida recognizes any party recognized by the Federal Election Commission, which is goofy, but LP ballot access is the Sunshine state is quite safe. Florida became the first southern state to legalize medical marijuana. And earlier this year Paul Stanton defeated an embarrassment of a candidate to win the LP nomination for US Senate.

Alabama 43,869 votes for 2.1%
Alabama’s stringent ballot access laws makes it one of only nine states in which only the establishment parties are currently recognized. It’s tough to be a Libertarian in the Yellowhammer state, but in October they did have a second county affiliate form(which for some reason requires court filings and such). And the presidential ticket scored the best result for an alternative candidate there in twenty years.

New Jersey 68,695 votes for 1.9%
Major party status is nearly impossible in New Jersey, but the NJLP retains ballot access. And the numbers of registered Libertarians in the Garden State has made a big jump in the past year. Mike Roche received 24% of the vote for a spot on the Ocean Township Committee, and back in September he was appointed to the township’s Planning Board.

Louisiana 37,950 votes for 1.9%
More than a thousand people registered Libertarian in a month’s time during the lead up to the general election. This keeps the LALP far above the requirement to maintain ballot access. Currently there are seven Libertarians holding office in the Bayou state.

District of Columbia 4,501 votes for 1.6%
A vote total of approximately 2.5% was needed to maintain ballot access, so Johnson fell a little short in the belly of the beast. But he did beat the formerly ballot qualified Green Party’s candidate, Jill Stein, by 506 votes.

Mississippi 13,789 votes for 1.2%
When you feel bad about your own state, well, there’s always Mississippi. That said, the LP presidential ticket received 2,529 votes in the state in 2008, and 6,676 votes in 2012. So they are trending up! And ballot access only requires that the party be organized, so the MSLP can soldier on and that puts them ahead of many other states.