The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania has elected new leadership last weekend at its annual convention in Philadelphia.
The new team will continue to advance the LPPA’s mission of smaller government and lower taxes as the commonwealth, and the nation, look to the November presidential election, according to the party’s March 21 announcement.
Shawn Patrick House, Lancaster County, will serve as chairman of the LPPA while Daniel Richardson, Northampton County, will serve as the party’s eastern vice chairman. Bill Sloan, Cumberland County, Karla Felty, Schuylkill County, and Richard Schwarz, Philadelphia County, were re-elected as western vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer, respectively.
Shawn Felty, a Cressona borough councilman, had previously served as chairman of the LPPA.
“Pennsylvania will matter on the national stage, perhaps more than ever, in the 2016 election,” Felty said in the prepared statement. “I’m excited to see how Shawn’s energy and enthusiasm will help take the LPPA to the next level as he continues our mission to shrink government and respect everyone’s freedoms, all of the time. I’m also particularly pleased to welcome Dan Richardson to the party’s leadership team. He may be relatively new to the LPPA, but his energy and enthusiasm have convinced us that he is right for this role and I look forward to seeing him work with Libertarians across the eastern half of the state over the next year.”
The convention held a debate among multiple candidates vying for the nomination of the national Libertarian Party for president. Candidates included former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s 2012 nominee for president, Marc A. Feldman, Darryl W. Perry and Derrick M. Reid. The event was also broadcasted live over the Internet for the first time.
Newly elected chairman House is a candidate for office in the 16th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.
“What an exceptional weekend for liberty in the city where our nation was born,” House said in a prepared statement. “We have come to a crossroads in America and in the commonwealth. It is clear that the old parties offer only the illusion of choice and now, more than ever, people are realizing that what they truly want is a government that will allow them to live their lives in whatever peaceful manner that they wish.
“This is particularly obvious here in Pennsylvania, where our state government is more dysfunctional than ever: an ongoing budget stalemate, proposals to grow the size and scope of government through ever-expanding taxation, and ballot access requirements that, despite having been ruled unconstitutional by a federal court, continue to limit voter choice.
“I’m pleased and proud to be assuming leadership of this great party at such a pivotal moment, and I thank Shawn Felty for his service over the past year. But we’re just getting started.
“The time for change is now. The time for smaller government, lower taxes, and a return to individual liberty is now. Libertarian candidates, such as those who will be running for office across Pennsylvania this fall, aren’t just another choice, they are the choice.”
The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania is the state affiliate of the third largest political party in the United States and advocates a return to a limited government that respects the rights of all individuals, all of the time. For more information about the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania and a list of party candidates, visit the organization’s website at www.lppa.org.