Libertarian Democrat

After election losses in 2004, the Democratic Party reexamined its position on gun control which became a matter of discussion, brought up by Howard Dean, Bill Richardson, Brian Schweitzer and other Democrats who had won in states where Second Amendment rights are important to many voters. The resulting stance on gun control brought in libertarian minded voters, influencing other beliefs.

In the 2010s, following the revelations by Edward Snowden about NSA surveillance in 2013 the increasing advent of online decentralization and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, the perceived failure of the war on drugs and the police violence in places like Ferguson, Democratic lawmakers such as Senators Ron Wyden, Kirsten Gilibrand and Cory Booker and Representative Jared Polis have worked alongside libertarian Republicans like Senator Rand Paul and Representative Justin Amash to curb what is seen as government overreach in each of these areas, earning plaudits from such traditional libertarian sources as Reason magazine.[6][7][8][9] The growing political power of Silicon Valley, a longtime Democratic stronghold that is friendly to economic deregulation and strong civil liberties protections while maintaining traditionally liberal views on social issues, has also seriously affected the increasingly libertarian leanings of young Democrats.[10][11][12]

The libertarian faction has influenced the presidential level as well in the post-Bush era. Alaska Senator and presidential aspirant Mike Gravel left the Democratic Party midway through the 2008 presidential election cycle to seek the Libertarian Party presidential nomination[13] and many anti-war and civil libertarian Democrats were energized by the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns of Ron Paul.[14][15] This constituency has arguably embraced the 2016 presidential campaign of independent Democrat Bernie Sanders for the same reasons.[16][17] In the state of New Hampshire, libertarians operating from the Free State Project have been elected to various offices running as a mixture of both Republicans and Democrats. [18][19] A 2015 Reuters poll found that 22% of Democratic voters identified themselves as "libertarian," more than the percentage of Republicans but less than the percentage of independents.[20]

• Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii — earned the praise of libertarian Ron Paul for her strong anti-war stances.[21] She has joined efforts with her libertarian-leaning colleagues in Congress Justin Amash, Thomas Massie and Rand Paul in legislation aimed to defund the National Security Agency, audit the Federal Reserve and promote a more non-interventionist foreign policy.[22] She also gained the support of former New Mexico Governor and two-time Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson during her 2020 presidential bid.[23]
• Former Representative Tim Penny of Minnesota — described as a fiscal conservative, Penny worked for the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute after leaving Congress.[24]

• Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey — described by a longtime friend as having a "libertarian bend" as mayor of Newark, New Jersey. Booker supported a number of policies backed by libertarians, including charter schools, school voucher programs, and enterprise zones.[25] Daniel J. Mitchell of the Cato Institute identifies Booker as having libertarian views in his strong opposition to the war on drugs.[26]
• Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon — known for his civil libertarian views and cooperation with libertarian Republican Senator Rand Paul in efforts against the use of domestic drones and warrantless surveillance.[27][28]
• Former Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin — known for his civil libertarian views and for being the sole senator to vote against the USA Patriot Act in 2001.[29][30]
• Former Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska — after his time in the Senate, Gravel unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, switching to the Libertarian Party the same year and losing its nomination as well (see Mike Gravel 2008 presidential campaign).[31][32]

• Governor (and former U.S. Representative) Jared Polis of Colorado — identifies as a libertarian.[33] In 2014, the libertarian magazine Reason described Polis as "left-libertarianish"[34] and the "most libertarian-leaning Democrat" in Congress due to his role as "as a leading voice on civil liberties, from gun rights to online privacy, from defending Bitcoin to advocating legal weed."[35] Polis has written an op-ed in Reason magazine arguing that libertarian-inclined citizens should vote for Democrats.[36] Polis has emphasized digital freedom issues and opposition to mass surveillance and warrantless wiretapping.[36] While in Congress, he was an occasional Democratic visitor to now-Libertarian Representative Justin Amash's otherwise Republican-dominated House Liberty Caucus.[37] As Colorado governor, Polis vetoed in 2019 three bills that would have created occupational licensing requirements for homeowners' association managers, sports agents, and genetic counselors; the vetoes reflected Polis' libertarian leanings.[38][39]
• Former Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico.[40]
• Former Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana.[41][42]
• Former Governor Jerry Brown of California[43][44]

• Amanda Bouldin, New Hampshire, Free State Project participant and former Tea Party activist [45]
• Elizabeth Edwards, New Hampshire House of Representatives (2014–2018), has been described by WMUR as "having a libertarian streak".[46]
• Joseph Stallcop, New Hampshire House of Representatives (2016–2018), left the Democratic Party for the Libertarian Party in 2017, describing his views as "classically liberal".[47]

• Camille Paglia, educator and feminist author.[48][49]

• KGO Radio host and former presidential candidate Gene Burns.[50]
• Former Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Terry Michael.[51]