DES MOINES, IOWA (January 16, 2024) — In the heart of the Hawkeye State, where the significance of retail politics and the cultivation of grassroots teams is deeply ingrained, Chase Oliver, former Libertarian Party candidate for the US Senate in Georgia, emerged as the winner of the 2024 LPIA Presidential Preference Straw Poll.
Despite the frigid temperatures that swept across the state, Libertarians convened for the 2024 Libertarian Party of Iowa Caucus. These resilient individuals not only exercised their democratic rights but actively contributed to the formation of county parties, the election of delegates to district/state conventions, and the expression of their preferences for the eventual LP Presidential nominee. This marked the first time the Libertarian Party of Iowa has held a caucus during a Presidential campaign as a major party.
Jules Cutler, Chair of the LPIA, emphasized the importance of growing brands and support teams in the prelude to the Libertarian National Convention, stating, “We firmly believe in the process that is the Iowa Caucuses, the proving-ground of campaigns. It has been extremely exciting to witness candidates actively building their brands, expanding their teams, and fortifying our party well in advance of the LP nominee's selection by delegates at the Libertarian National Convention.”
With 98 of 99 counties reporting results of the straw poll stand as such:
- Chase Oliver — 42.70%
- Michael Rectenwald — 16.85%
- Michael ter Maat — 13.48%
- Joshua Smith — 13.48%
- Vivek Ramaswamy -— 4.49%
- Mario Perales — 2.25%
- Robert Sansone — 2.25%
- Jacob Hornberger — 1.12%
- Lars Mapstead — 1.12%
- Art Olivier — 1.12%
- NOTA (None of the Above) — 1.12%
This result for the Oliver campaign highlights they didn't just weather the literal storms but embraced the heart of Iowa's democratic tradition — a process that rewards hard work, grassroots connections, and genuine engagement. Oliver has been the most frequent visitor to Iowa, dating back to last Spring’s LPIA State Convention, and then returning to campaign at multiple county fairs, and the Iowa State Fair, where he took part in the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox.
“Too often our candidate in the past was starting way behind the other two major parties because they had only campaigned to Libertarians at various State Conventions and didn’t have the structure and organization in place to move into the general election at full speed,” continued Cutler. “With the results of our Straw Poll last night, it’s clear that those with support teams in place, putting in the groundwork, are beginning to position themselves not only for the LNC but also if they were to get the nomination, for the tough campaigning to come in the general.”
Delegates elected on this memorable night will reconvene in Des Moines on February 16-17 for the District/State Conventions. Here, they will play a crucial role in electing the new State Central Committee and delegates to the Libertarian National Convention in Washington DC on May 24-26.
The Libertarian Party of Iowa is committed to America’s heritage of freedom: individual liberty, and personal responsibility, a free-market economy of abundance and prosperity, a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade. Find out more at lpia.org.
