Mark Tuniewicz to the LNC
I’ll nominate Mr. Bill Redpath to become our next At-Large Member.
For those not familiar with Mr. Redpath’s service to the Libertarian Party, a brief summary is below. After reading it, I think you’ll agree he is by far our most qualified candidate.
If we are truly interested in meritocracy, we ought name Mr. Redpath to the At-large seat, then to the Executive Committee.
With best wishes,
Mark Tuniewicz (“tune-YEV-ich”)
Region 6 Representative
Bill Redpath has been a Libertarian Party member since April 30, 1984. He currently serves as State Chair for the Libertarian Party of IL, and is the Region 6 Alternate to the LNC.
He has served over 21 years on the LNC, from September 1989 to September 1993 and from March 2003 to July 2020. He was Chair of the LNC from 2006 to 2010 and was Treasurer three separate
occasions. He has also served as an At-Large Representative.
Bill was an eight time candidate for public office, including:
Virginia House of Delegates, 34th District, 1993
Virginia Senate, 33rd District, 1998
Governor of Virginia, 2001
US Senate, Virginia, 2008
US House, Virginia, 10th District, 2010 & 2014
US House, Illinois, 6th District, 2020
US Senate, Illinois, 2022.
Redpath is best known for his work on ballot access in the LP. He is the current National Ballot Access Coordinator for the Libertarian Party. He began doing volunteer petitioning in Virginia in 1988 and became involved in national ballot access in 1990 when he was on the LNC. The LP presidential ticket made the ballot in all 50 states and DC in 1992 and 1996, which was the first time that a minor party presidential ticket made the ballot across the nation in successive presidential elections.
Since 1990 and in great measure due to his commitment, the LP has placed a presidential ticket on the ballot in all 50 states and DC in five of eight presidential elections.
Redpath gathered 7,181 volunteer signatures and spent over $45,000 of his own money over a three month period in 2022 to help place the 2022 LPIL statewide candidate slate on the ballot in Illinois.
Recently retired, Redpath has an active Certified Public Accountant license in Illinois and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He is an Accredited Senior Appraiser in Business Valuation in the American Society of Appraisers and holds the Accredited in Business Valuation designation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Mark Tuniewicz to the LNC
Friends,
Since we’ve had a couple of resolutions offered in a row, I’d like to offer a couple brief suggestions on the subject based on past experiences on the LNC during its time of greatest effectiveness and impact, as well as my time on 5 different state affiliate boards of directors.
While I support the resolutions against lockdowns and mask mandates, experience shows that simply offering up a resolution on these topics does little more than make us feel good about supporting a position we are all already invested in. It’s a wasted vote, unless we make it part of an organized plan to get the word out.
To be an effective resolution, there needs to be a pre-panned, multi-element PR approach. Those elements can include:
Press Release. The press release should summarize the resolution, explain the party’s reasoning for passing it, and highlight the key points of the resolution. It should also be sent to relevant media outlets, including local, state, and national newspapers, magazines, and websites.
Hold a press conference & get the word out on social media. A press conference is a great way to get the word out about the resolution and to answer any questions that journalists may have. A press conference should be supported by a robust social media effort using LP and aligned channels.
Get our state and local parties involved. Coordinating with our state and local parties can help to extend and amplify the message of the resolution by passing their own resolutions, holding their own press conferences, and getting local earned media. Get the resolution out to them, provide talking points, and coordinate a kickoff date for these efforts.
Get influencers involved: As we know, influencers can be a powerful way to reach a large audience with the message of the resolution. The party should reach out to those influencers who are relevant to the issue and who have a large following, again with a focus on our talking points and timing.
Organize grassroots events. Grassroots events are a great way to get people involved in the issue and to build support for the resolution. The party should encourage the organizing of timely events such as rallies, protests, and town halls.
Measure the results: How do you know if a resolution is a successful one? What did it actually get you in terms of results? Unless metrics are established, you don’t and won’t know. That’s probably the biggest take-away with these last two resolutions, and resolutions as a whole. Unless we’re measuring the impact, they can be of limited value.
By following these tips, the LP can extend and amplify the message of a resolution in favor or against a public policy. This can help to raise awareness of the issue, build support for the Party’s position, and hopefully put pressure on decision-makers to take action.
Hopefully, our future resolutions will be more effective ones, incorporating these elements and more.
With best wishes,
Mark Tuniewicz (“tune-YEV-ich”)
Region 6 Representative
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.