[Lnc-business] Request received from Michelle Darnell

Tue Oct 3 11:26:50 EDT 2017

Michelle Darnell is one of those candidates on the west coast not 
letting the "Top-Two" primary system get in her way. While the LP is 
mostly against "Top-Two", we're all in favor of Libertarians doing their 
best despite the challenging aspects that system presents to third 
parties. The States of Washington and California both have a system 
where all candidates regardless of party affiliation run altogether in 
the first election (called a "top-two" primary). Then, the top two 
vote-getters advance to the general election. According to Richard 
Winger, "no minor party member has advanced to November in a top-two 
election if there was both a Republican and a Democrat running in the 
same election." It's rare for Libertarians to make it past the first 
election and into the second, though becoming quite common in Washington 
in cases where one of the major parties does not field a candidate.

Darnell was in a 3-way race against two Democrats. She received 23% of 
the vote on August 1, 2017, which was the second highest voter 
percentage in the race, meaning she'll advance to the final election on 
November 7, 2017. Her challenge now is to pickup up as much as possible 
of the 15% of the third-place finishing Democratic opponent, and also to 
peal off enough of the 61.6% the leading Democrat received, to bring the 
leading Democrat below 50% total.

Many thanks to Michelle Darnell for running such a strong race and we 
hope she can build up even more momentum heading into the final election.

You can find more about Darnell on LP.org: https://www.lp.org/?s=darnell

Here's more on the recent results: 
http://ballot-access.org/2017/08/01/washington-state-special-legislative-election-returns/

Washington State's history of bucking the top-two system: 
https://www.lp.org/blogs-staff-washington-lp-has-statewide-candidate-and-10-legislative-candidates-advance-to-the/

August 1 election results: 
http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20170801/Legislative-District-48-State-Senator.html

  August 1, 2017 Primary Results

  * Home <http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20170801/default.htm>
  * Measures <http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20170801/Measures.html>
  * Legislative
    <http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20170801/Legislative.html>
  * Judicial <http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20170801/Judicial.html>
  * Voter Turnout <http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20170801/Turnout.html>
  * Export Results <http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20170801/Export.html>

    Legislative District 48 - State Senator

Last updated on 08/15/2017 5:52 PM

Legislative District 48 - State Senator
County Results & Map 
<http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20170801/Legislative-District-48-State-Senator_ByCounty.html>
Candidate 	Vote 	Vote %
Richard Knierim 
<https://weiapplets.sos.wa.gov/MyVoteOLVR/OnlineVotersGuide/GetCandidateStatement?electionId=66&candidateId=49228&raceJurisdictionName=Legislative&Display=Statewide&partyName=%28Prefers%20Independent%20Dem.%20Party%29&raceName=Legislative%20District%2048%20-%20State%20Senator>
(Prefers Independent Dem. Party)
	3,673 	15.43%
Patty Kuderer 
<https://weiapplets.sos.wa.gov/MyVoteOLVR/OnlineVotersGuide/GetCandidateStatement?electionId=66&candidateId=47239&raceJurisdictionName=Legislative&Display=Statewide&partyName=%28Prefers%20Democratic%20Party%29&raceName=Legislative%20District%2048%20-%20State%20Senator>
(Prefers Democratic Party)
	14,664 	61.6%
Michelle Darnell 
<https://weiapplets.sos.wa.gov/MyVoteOLVR/OnlineVotersGuide/GetCandidateStatement?electionId=66&candidateId=49067&raceJurisdictionName=Legislative&Display=Statewide&partyName=%28Prefers%20Libertarian%20Party%29&raceName=Legislative%20District%2048%20-%20State%20Senator>
(Prefers Libertarian Party)
	5,469 	22.97%
Total Votes (not including write-ins) 	23,806

Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership

On 10/2/2017 8:45 AM, Caryn Ann Harlos wrote:
> Love to hear thoughts and suggestions- passed along to HQ-
>
> Hello Caryn Ann,
>
> Thank you for reaching out.  I am in need of some _/urgent/_ air 
> support. I am so incredibly busy now, it is difficult even to have 
> time to make the connections to call for help or even raise money.
>
> I have quite a few volunteers: about 80 people helping in various 
> capacities, but I have had challenges filling leadership positions for 
> lack of money and the fact people are so busy they don't like to 
> commit to the bigger roles. So I am pretty much directing all elements 
> of the campaign and it is a challenge WHILE being the candidate for a 
> campaign this large. It is very hard.
>
> That said, I feel the campaign is going fairly well. I won the 
> primary, which was rather historic, with 26%.  My primary opponent 
> earned 15%.  This means if I pick up his votes (and I think I will)  
> that puts me at 41%.  This is still a large gap _but it is possible!_  
> What happens in the next couple of weeks is critical.  We have a mail 
> in ballot so ballots are mailed October 20th for the November 7th 
> election.
>
> *Why should my race get immediate national exposure and assistance? 
> * Because if  WE pull this off, the Libertarian party effectively 
> controls the Washington State Senate. Our Senate is currently tied-I 
> would be the tie breaking vote.  If the Senate is won over by the 
> Democrats, the house Governor and the Senate would all be Democrat and 
> WA would likely see a wave of new taxes and regulations including an 
> income tax.
>
> Further, I would be the first Libertarian elected to the WA State 
> Legislature.  AND I HAVE WORKED _*EXTREMELY*_ HARD FOR NEARLY A DECADE 
> TO GET HERE. So much so that I am very nearly worn out.
>
>
> I am the firewall here in Washington, I am worn out and I need help 
> now. If WE pull this off, we will have done what people tell me is 
> impossible!.
>
> I need three things:
>
> 1)_Increased exposure online and here in my district._  I need 
> Libertarians online to help me make this campaign go viral. I have a 
> website at michelle4washington.org <http://michelle4washington.org/>. 
> They can grab pages and content and help push it by reposting. We also 
> have photos and videos.  If they want to create their own cool stuff 
> like grab a LP video, article or pic and then maybe reference me, that 
> would be great.
>
> 2) _Doorbellers and phone bankers_- we need help reaching voters. I 
> district IS libertarian when we look at the data. I just cant seem to 
> reach them fast enough. I do have pretty good name recognition but 
> people are not understanding what a libertarian really is. So we have 
> to reach them with the message.
>
> 3) _Money for a series of commercials to carpet bomb the district-_ I 
> need $5k to $10k to run some tv commercials. We already have one 
> created and need to purchase airtime. It actually does not cost as 
> much as people think. $5k-$10k would be HUGE!  I ran ads last cycle 
> and people still tell me they remember, as /i door bell this cycle. We 
> just need more.
>
> See my recent mention in our local media: (there are others on my website)
>
> http://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/state-legislature-candidates-square-off-at-debate-in-redmond/
>
> I have been invited to a mini-debate with my opponent on King -5 News  
> and I expect others to follow.
>
> The point is I am working extremely hard, is my entire team. But we 
> need national support.  When I see both major parties dumb .5 million 
> on one race over in the 45th (a stones throw from me) and hear about 
> the Democrats busing in doorbellers from around the state, and then 
> see out own candidates struggle for basic support, it can be 
> disheartening. The ROI on a Libertarian campaign could be enormous. We 
> work hard and are used to working with meager resources.
>
> I am asking that for the next 4 weeks, the LP concentrate resources 
> here on Washington and we see what happens. If we do not win, we have 
> spread the message. If we do win, we have made history and it will 
> help every single Libertarian candidate from here on out, including 
> our beloved Larry Sharpe.
>
> I would also ask for support for my good friend and fellow Patriot 
> *Paul Addis* www.addis4kent.com <http://www.addis4kent.com/> running 
> for Kent City council. He has a real shot an if I were not running 
> myself, I would put my bets on his race. He is hardworking, sincere 
> and one of the most generous, wise men I have ever met.
>
> So please bring on some air support!!   Lets state the LP flag in the 
> ground here!
>
>
> BE the change,
> Michelle Darnell
>
> Michelle4Washington
> 360-720-6899 <tel:360-720-6899>
> 830 Kirkland Way #203 
> <https://maps.google.com/?q=830+Kirkland+Way+%23203%C2%A0Kirkland+WA+98033&entry=gmail&source=g>
> Kirkland WA 98033 
> <https://maps.google.com/?q=830+Kirkland+Way+%23203%C2%A0Kirkland+WA+98033&entry=gmail&source=g>
> michelle4washington at gmail.com <mailto:michelle4washington at gmail.com>
> -- 
> *In Liberty,*
> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, 
> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) 
> - Caryn.Ann. Harlos at LP.org <mailto:Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado 
> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
> Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee
>
> A haiku to the Statement of Principles:
> /We defend your rights/
> /And oppose the use of force/
> /Taxation is theft/
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Lnc-business mailing list
> Lnc-business at hq.lp.org
> http://hq.lp.org/mailman/listinfo/lnc-business_hq.lp.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://hq.lp.org/pipermail/lnc-business/attachments/20171003/42187c6b/attachment-0002.html>