Marietta, GA – On March 8, The Libertarian Party of Georgia held their annual state convention in Marietta, nominating their slate of 2014 candidates. Gathering at the former location of Theatre in the Square, Libertarians from across the state came together for the annual meeting to decide who will represent them on the ballot and in the boardroom.
The 2014 candidate slate is led by founder and former CEO of the nanotechnology company, nGimat, Dr. Andrew Hunt, running for Governor. Andrew received his B.S. in Geology from Auburn University, a Master’s Degree in Geology from the Colorado School of Mines, and a Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
In the race to replace Saxby Chambliss in the U.S. Senate, the Libertarian Party fielded the twice-elected Libertarian Amanda Swafford, making her the first female candidate for U.S. Senate nominated in 2014. A graduate of Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Ms. Swafford formerly served on the Flowery Branch City Council, ending her term on December 31, 2011.
In addition, Libertarians nominated Aaron Gilmer to run for Public Service Commission, District 4. Aaron is an auditor with Automatic Data Processing, and he has served as a longtime volunteer with the Georgia Aquarium, in addition to his years of experience in leadership with the Libertarian Party of Georgia.
“I’m very proud of the quality of talented candidates we fielded for the 2014 election. The hard work of our candidates and activists in the past brought more people, talent, and funding to our growing party,” said Doug Craig, Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Georgia. “This is a very exciting time to be a Libertarian, as we continue to be the only party in Georgia focused on making government smaller, reducing the burdensome taxes, and standing up for more freedom.”
Due to the burdensome restrictions in place for independents and political bodies in Georgia, there often are not Libertarians on the ballot for state legislature races. For the first time since 2010, Libertarians also fielded a candidate for State House District 21. Woodstock attorney Jeff Amason garnered the nomination for this seat on Saturday and touted his campaign’s successes thus far in their pursuit to overcome those hurdles in place to prevent access to the ballot. A graduate of Georgia Tech, Amason seeks to represent the people of Cherokee County under the Gold Dome.
“As a former candidate for State House myself, I can appreciate the efforts undertaken by the Amason campaign already. I know it is difficult to get on the ballot as a LIbertarian, and I am impressed by their progress at this point,” added Chairman Craig. “I’m really excited to see another choice on the ballot for the voters in Cherokee County.”
As well as nominating candidate for office, Libertarians also selected their Executive Committee representation for 2014, considered bylaws and platform changes, and hosted 2013 candidate for Virginia Governor, Robert Sarvis.
The Libertarian Party is Georgia’s third largest party, standing for smaller government, lower taxes, and more freedom for all Georgians.
