We quote from a public statement by Libertarian Party member Dave Canny:
Following the killing of a U.S. citizen by ICE agents in Minnesota, and the immediate defense of those actions, while openly attacking the victim as well as our 2A rights, by the President and senior administration officials, I ask LPMI members to seriously consider what is being defended in our name. The Libertarian Party has passed a resolution opposing ICE; that position is incompatible with continued Mises/MAGA/Republican influence within the Libertarian Party of Michigan.
At Saturday’s convention, delegates were addressed by a Republican speaker invited by Convention Committee Chair Trevor Step. That speaker urged Libertarians not to run candidates against Republicans in close races and suggested that anyone seeking office should do so as a Republican. This occurred after Mr. Step was directed by the LEC not to invite Republican speakers, and after the topic of the presentation was misrepresented. I feel that Mr. Step and our guest speaker were at the wrong convention.
We are a political party. Our mission is to recruit, support, and elect Libertarian candidates advancing limited and restrained government—not to serve as a support network for the GOP or to associate our brand with the defense of this administration’s actions.
I also question why Mr. Step was permitted to reserve a breakout room in LPMI’s name for exclusive use by the Mises Caucus, with non-Mises members barred from entry. This reflects a broader pattern of prioritizing caucus interests over those of the state party.
Mr. Step also failed to attend LEC meetings including the final meeting prior to the convention, where board questions went unanswered and final issues not addressed. This lack of communication with the board was compounded when Mr. Step withdrew AV support at the last minute.
What troubled me most was seeing an LPMI officer publicly praise Mr. Step and nominate him for Vice Chair despite these actions. While the convention itself was largely successful, many members were unaware of what occurred behind the scenes.
If the membership ultimately supports this direction, I will respect that decision even while disagreeing.
However, given the lack of full information, I ask the board to appoint a different candidate for Vice Chair or leave the seat vacant until the next convention.
The Libertarian Party has always allowed a wide range of views within our core principles, but never expanded federal overreach at the expense of individual liberty.
I intend to run again for Congress in Michigan’s 8th District this year in a competitive race against both a Republican and a Democrat. I should not have to defend our party’s perceived support for the GOP or this administration while doing so.
I was unsure how to handle that part of the convention with the “straw poll”. Most of my issues with Mr. Step which are quite huge were done in executive session. Therefore because some love their secrecy, I was bound by such.
Yes. There’s so much more that the membership did not know because the board refused to allow us to unseal the Executive Sessions.
Seeing long time Libertarians cozying up to some of the absolute worst actors in the state is an absolute betrayal of the members who worked so hard to get them out in the first place.