Jake Leonard

Jake Leonard
Political Director Libertarian Party of Illinois
January 2023—Present
Successor:	Incumbent
Candidate Recruitment Director Libertarian Party of Illinois
March 19, 2019—November 19, 2019
Predecessor:	Jasen Howard
Successor:	Kevin Kauzlaric
Personal Details
Birth:	November 21, 1986 Aransas Pass, Texas
Occupation:	business owner
Residence:	Nokomis, Illinois
Party:	Independent (2005-2008, 2010) Tea Party (2008-2010) Libertarian (2010-present)
Media
Website:	http://www.jakeleonardforliberty.com/
Facebook:	Facebook
Twitter:	Twitter

Jake Leonard is a business owner from Nokomis, Illinois. He is the current Political Director for the Libertarian Party of Illinois. Leonard previously served as deputy candidate recruitment director (2017-2019), candidate recruitment director (2019), and state central committeeman (2018-2020).

Political Involvement

Leonard has run for political office as early as 2015, starting with a non-partisan municipal position in Nokomis, Illinois as a write-in candidate for city commissioner. Two additional write-in campaigns took place in 2016 (Illinois House District 95) and 2018 (Montgomery County Clerk).

Leonard made the ballot in 2017 for the Nokomis CUSD #22 Board of Education and in 2019 for his second bid for city commissioner. In 2023, Leonard once again ran for city commissioner.

Leonard first worked as a volunteer campaign coordinator for the Mid-Illinois region in 2016 for presidential candidate Gary Johnson, U.S. Senate candidate Kenton McMillen, and comptroller candidate Claire Ball.

On September 1, 2017, Leonard was appointed by Candidate Recruitment Director Jasen Howard to serve as Deputy Director. He would serve in that role until March 19, 2019.

Leonard was elected State Central Committeeman in March 2018 for Illinois' 13th Congressional District. He would lose his re-election bid to Andrew Apel in 2020.

From May 2018 to November 2018, Leonard worked as Mid-Illinois campaign coordinator for gubernatorial candidate Kash Jackson and running mate Sanj Mohip, attorney general candidate Bubba Harsy, secretary of state candidate Steve Dutner, comptroller candidate Claire Ball and treasurer candidate Mike Leheney.

Leonard would be the recipient of two different promotions in 2019. The first was an appointment to Candidate Recruitment Director following Howard's resignation. Leonard would hold that position until November 1, when he was appointed as interim Political Director by state chair Bennett Morris. Kevin Kauzlaric was appointed by Leonard to fill the void in candidate recruitment.

A unanimous vote by the Libertarian Party of Illinois Board of Directors on November 19, 2019 would make the appointment to Political Director official for Leonard. Leonard would take a sabbatical from the state party in June 2022 before being re-appointed as Political Director in January 2023.

Organizational Positions

Libertarian Party of Illinois

• Deputy Candidate Recruitment Director (Sept. 1, 2017 - Mar. 19, 2019)
• State Central Committeeman, 13th Congressional (March 2018 - Mar. 31, 2020)
• Candidate Recruitment Director (Mar. 19, 2019 - Nov. 1, 2019)
• Interim Political Director (Nov. 1, 2019 - Nov. 19, 2019)
• Political Director (Nov. 19, 2019 - June 2022, January 2023 - Present)
• Candidate for State Central Committeeman, 15th Congressional (2024)

Tri-Counties Libertarian Party/ChrisMont Libertarian Central Committee

• Chairman (2015 - June 2022)
• Executive Director (January 2024 - Present)
• Montgomery County Chairman (January 2024 - Present)
• Precinct Committeeman, Nokomis 4 (2018 - Present)

Other details

Leonard made his first appearance as a seated alternate with the Illinois delegation during the Phase Two Libertarian National Convention in 2020.

Leonard is editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed and general manager/programming director of its sister radio and podcast networks, Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network and Heartland Newsfeed Podcast Network.

Election Results

See Election history and results for Jake Leonard.