Justin O'Donnell
Justin O'Donnell | |
---|---|
Regional Representative to the Libertarian National Committee | |
Assumed office August 1, 2018 | |
Preceded by | Jim Rosenbeck |
Regional Representative to the Libertarian National Committee | |
In office February, 2018 – July 1, 2018 | |
Preceded by | Patrick McKnight |
Succeeded by | Jim Rosenbeck |
Personal details | |
Born |
Justin O'Donnell September 21, 1989 Foxborough, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Political party | Libertarian |
Residence | Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S. |
Alma mater | Massachusetts Maritime Academy |
Website | Official website |
Justin O'Donnell (born September 21, 1989) is the incumbent Region 8 Representative to the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), the executive body of the Libertarian Party (LP) of the United States. Prior to his first election to that position in 2018, he worked as a ballot access activist with several State party organizations, including a brief tenure on the State Committee of the Libertarian Party of Massachusetts He is currently running for US Congress in the 2018 New Hampshire Elections.[1]
Early life and education
O'Donnell was born on September 21, 1999 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. He attended North Attleboro High School, where he was a 3-season Varsity Athlete, and a Member of the High School Theater Company. He graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2013 with a Bachelors of Science in Emergency Management. in 2009, Justin Enlisted in the Massachusetts Army national Guard, as an Infantryman. After leaving the Military in Late 2015, O'Donnell got involved with The Libertarian Party of Massachusetts, being elected to their State Committee in 2016.[2]
Career
O'Donnell works as a sales consultant and Licensed agent in the health insurance field, specifically focusing on Medicare products and supplemental coverage options. He is also the Author of Selling Liberty: Communicating Freedom in and Unfree World,[3] a basic guide to sales strategies for political activists.
Following the resignations of Larry Sharpe and Patrick McKnight from The Libertarian national Committee in early 2018 due to controversy surrounding the Vice Chair Arvin Vohra,[4] Justin was selected by the chairs of the regional constituent state parties to Serve as their replacement until the 2018 National Convention on July 2, 2018. At the Convention, Jim Rosenbeck was elected by the delegates to replace O'Donnell as the Regional Representative.[5] After only a week in office, Rosenbeck resigned, and in a Special Election of the state Chairs, O'Donnell was once again chosen to fill the regional vacancy, for the remainder of the 2-year term, starting August 1, 2018.
Personal life
O'Donnell formerly resided in Massachusetts, where he served on the state committee of the Libertarian party of Massachusetts, and was a Volunteer Coordinator for the 2016 Presidential Campaign of Gary Johnson. He moved to Nashua, New Hampshire in early 2017, and still remains actively involved with the Libertarian Parties of both New Hampshire and Massachusetts as a Volunteer and as a Candidate.
Political Activities
Johnson Weld Campaign
O'Donnell served as a volunteer coordinator in Massachusetts for the Johnson Weld Campaign, as well as being involved in the Ballot access team that ran statewide petition drives in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island to secure The presidential Tickets place on the general election ballot. O'Donnell also served as an Elector for the Johnson Weld Campaign, receiving over 138,000 votes along with the rest of the slate, enough to secure Full party status and ballot access for the Libertarian party of Massachusetts.[6]
Congressional Campaign
In mid 2017, O'Donnell announced his intentions to seek the Libertarian party of New Hampshire's nomination to run for US Congress in new Hampshire's Second Congressional District.[7] O'Donnell aggressively pursued involvement with the LPNH while campaigning for the nomination, and in April 2018, earned the Party's endorsement at its annual convention. On June 8, He officially filed with the NH Secretary of state's office.[8] O'Donnell will appear on the ballot for the September 11th Primary, facing off against Tom Alciere to officially earn a place on the November General Election ballot.[9][10]
Border Patrol Incident
In June, 2018, while traveling home from the Free State Project's annual Porcupine Freedom Festival in Lancaster, NH, O'Donnell was stopped at an interior checkpoint operated by The United States Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) located in Woodstock, NH. O'Donnell refused to comply with the orders of CBP Agents, and argued against the legitimacy of their checkpoint as a warrantless search that Violated both the 4th and 5th Amendments to the Constitution. The Entire incident was live streamed[11] by a passenger in O'Donnell's car, and the video proceeded to gain near instant viral reach. The incident received widespread local news coverage, and rumors of legal action by the ACLU have been widespread.[12][13]
Elections
2018 Campaign For US Congress
In 2018, O'Donnell sought the nomination of The Libertarian party of New Hampshire for the office of US Congress for New Hampshire's Second Congressional District. O'Donnell began campaigning and building support in mid 2017, building a coalition of supporters including Libertarians, Free State Project Movers, and disillusioned republican and democrats.
Primary
Despite receiving the endorsement of The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire in convention in early 2018, O'Donnell was not the only candidate to file for the nomination with The Secretary of State. Tom Alciere, a former republican state representative who had previously been expelled from the Libertarian Party for advocating for violence against police officers, filed to run against O'Donnell, triggering a Primary Election scheduled for September 11, 2018.[14]
Primary results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Libertarian | Justin O'Donnell | 428 | 74.6 | |
Libertarian | Tom Alciere | 146 | 25.4 | |
Total votes | 570 | 100.0 |
General Election
After defeating Tom Alciere in the Libertarian Primary Election, O'Donnell moved on to the General election against Democrat incumbent Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster, and Republican State Representative Steve Negron. The night following the Primary election, Congresswoman Kuster called for a debate against her Republican opponent, and O'Donnell is fighting for equal recognition and inclusion in such a debate.[15]
General Election Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Ann McLane Kuster (incumbent) | |||
Republican | Steve Negron | |||
Libertarian | Justin O'Donnell | |||
Total votes |
Organizational Positions within The Libertarian Party
- State Committee Member, LPMA (2016)
- Chair, LPNH Platform Committee (September 2017—present)
- Alternate, LP National Platform Committee 2018 (LPNH Appointment)
- Region 8 Representative, LNC (2018)
- LNC BlockChain Committee
References
- ↑ Sexton, Adam (22 August 2018). "Justin O'Donnell, Libertarian candidate for 2nd CD seat".
- ↑ http://libertyforamerica.com/201610.pdf
- ↑ O'Donnell, Justin (2018-04-24). Selling Liberty: Communicating Freedom in an Unfree World. ISBN 978-1987568660.
- ↑ "Libertarian Party Vice Chair Jokes About Shooting Up a School Board; Party's National Committee Declines to Suspend Him". 13 April 2018.
- ↑ "LPNY Chair Jim Rosenbeck Elected LNC Region 8 Representative - Libertarian Party of New York". 2 July 2018.
- ↑ https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2016-certificates/pdfs/ascertainment-massachusetts.pdf
- ↑ Exchange, The. "2018 Election Preview: Congressional Districts 1 & 2; President's Executive Order on Healthcare".
- ↑ "06/08/2018 Press Release - O'Donnell Campaign Files to Run in Second District Congressional Race".
- ↑ "Candidate Kicked Out of New Hampshire Libertarian Party Nonetheless on House Primary Ballot as a Libertarian". Reason.com.
- ↑ Staff, William Holt Sentinel. "Several Monadnock Region incumbents among those who file for office".
- ↑ "Justin O'Donnell, Libertarian for Congress NH-2". www.facebook.com.
- ↑ DiStaso, John (21 June 2018). "NH Primary Source: Kuster, Libertarian U.S. House candidate stopped by feds at Woodstock checkpoint".
- ↑ "NH Immigration Checkpoint Nets 5 For Deportation". 20 June 2018.
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/09/11/us/elections/results-new-hampshire-primary-elections.html
- ↑ https://www.watchdog.org/new_hampshire/negron-wins-gop-nomination-to-take-on-incumbent-democratic-rep/article_8dcebc2e-b6ae-11e8-8127-ffb2e663681b.html
External links
Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Libertarian National Committee Members Category:New Hampshire Libertarians Category:Massachusetts Libertarians Category:People from New Hampshire Category:Members of the Libertarian Party (United States)