South Carolina Libertarian Party

South Carolina Libertarian Party
General Information
Chartered:	28 September 1975
Region:	5
Officers
Chair:	Sean R. Thornton
Vice-Chair:	Steven Biggs
Secretary:	Victor Kocher
Treasurer:	Jeff Dimit Melissa Couture (assistant)
Contact
Phone:	803-788-2226
Address:	10120 Two Notch Road, Suite 2-324 Columbia, South Carolina, 29223, US
Website:	Website
Social Media
Facebook:	Facebook
Twitter:	Twitter
Instagram:	Instagram
Meetup:	Meetup

The South Carolina Libertarian Party is the South Carolina affiliate of the Libertarian Party. It was founded on 28 September 1975 at 3:00PM at the Carolina Inn in Columbia, SC, by a meeting of 45 people. After failed attempts to gain ballot access for the 1976 and 1978 elections, the SCLP was certified as an official political party by the South Carolina State Election Commission in January of 1979, giving it permanent ballot access provided that it reorganizes properly every election cycle.

Governing Documents

Platform

• Platform Adopted November 3, 2023 (info)

For historical platforms see Index of South Carolina State Party Platforms

Bylaws

• Bylaws Adopted November 13, 2021 (info)

For historical bylaws see Index of South Carolina State Party Bylaws

Elections

See: South Carolina Libertarian Party Historical Election Results

Publications

The South Carolina Libertarian Party and its members have produced a number of publications throughout its existence, the most notable being its official newsletter, the South Carolina Libertarian, published off and on since September of 1981. Other publications include Free State News, Palmetto Libertarian Forum, Sandhills Libertarian Gazette and Southern Libertarian Messenger.

Ballot Access

After its founding in September of 1975, the SCLP attempted to gain ballot access for the elections in 1976. Although volunteers collected 10,400 signatures, the South Carolina Election Commission declared most of them invalid, leaving the party with only about 4,000 out of the required 10,000 signatures required. The SCLP tried again for the elections in 1978 with a significantly higher goal for number of signatures in order to account for those that would be stricken. Volunteers were able to collect about 15,000 signatures, but they were not able to submit them in time to be counted before the deadline to certify candidates for that election. The Election Commission ultimately did accept enough of the 15,000 signatures and certified the SCLP as an official political party in January of 1979, giving it ballot access for the 1980 elections.

The official status of the SCLP entitles it to the same permanent ballot access as any other officially recognized party in the state. Such parties are not required to submit petitions each election cycle but rather have only to fulfill a handful of requirements in order to maintain their ballot access. Those requirements are as follows:

• Organization - Hold county and state conventions every two years, following the processes laid out in state law
• Nomination - Nominate and properly certify candidates at any level at least once every four years, following the processes in state law

Former Officers

The following is a list of all known past officers of the SCLP back to its founding in 1975.

Term	Chair	Vice-Chair	Second Vice-Chair	Treasurer1	Secretary1
2019-2021	Sean R. Thornton	Steven Biggs	Matt Hicks	Jeff Dimit	Victor Kocher
2017-2019	Stewart F. Flood, Jr.	Alex Thornton	Shane Sweeny	Jeff Dimit	Sean R. Thornton
2015-2017	Stewart F. Flood, Jr.	Travis McCurry / C. James Brandmair	2	Jeff Dimit	Michael R. Carmany / Victor Kocher
2013-2015	Michael R. Carmany	Jeremy Walters / Stewart F. Flood, Jr.		Jeff Dimit	Victor Kocher
2011-2013	Victor Kocher	Michael R. Carmany		Jeff Dimit	Sharon Clark
2010-20113	Michael R. Carmany	Victor Kocher		Jeff Dimit	Sharon Clark
2008-2010	Michael R. Carmany	Victor Kocher		Jeff Dimit	Marge Wakefield
2006-2008	Timothy Moultrie	Stewart F. Flood, Jr.		Jeff Dimit	Elizabeth C. Moultrie
2004-2006	Chris Panos	Cheryl Bates / Lee Ott		Lee Ott	Rebekah "Reb" Sutherland
2002-2004	Charles F. "Chuck" Williams	Mark Johnson		Victor Kocher	Marge Wakefield
2000-2002	Charles F. "Chuck" Williams	Bea Jones		Rodney G. "Rod" Severson	Marge Wakefield
1998-2000	Charles F. "Chuck" Williams	Bea Jones		Dr. David C. Morris	Elizabeth Cason
1996-1998	Rodney Travis	Tahirih Gelardi / Charles F. "Chuck" Williams		Dr. David C. Morris	Mary Lou Seymour
1994-1996	Steve Vandervelde	Rodney Travis		Dr. David C. Morris	Mary Lou Seymour
1992-1994	Steve Vandervelde	Jo Jorgensen		Dr. David C. Morris	Tim Moultrie
1990-1992	Steve Vandervelde	Bill Griffin		Dr. David C. Morris	Tim Moultrie
1988-1990	John B. Heaton	Bill Griffin		Dr. David C. Morris	Jan C. Morris
1986-1988	John B. Heaton	Bill Griffin		Dr. David C. Morris	Jan Chapman
1984-1986	Dr. Steven Kreisman / Ron Heaton	Ron Heaton / Arnold Hite		Dr. David C. Morris	John T Harllee
1982-1984	Dr. Steven Kreisman	Steve Vandervelde		Dr. David C. Morris	John T Harllee
1980-19824	Marshall Danenburg / Lee Bowie / Tom Waldenfels	Lee Bowie		Boyce Lee Muller	John T Harllee
1979	Charles T. Blackwell	William S. "Bill" Brooks, Jr.		Deborah Muller	John T Harllee
1978	Boyce Lee Muller	William S. "Bill" Brooks, Jr.		Deborah Muller	John T Harllee
1977	Charles T. Blackwell	Boyce Lee Muller		Marhsall Danenberg	John T Harllee
1976	Charles T. Blackwell	Dr. James Rinehart		Marhsall Danenberg	John T Harllee
1975	Charles T. Blackwell	John T Harllee		Ben Robinson	Dargan Clarkson
1974	Charles T. Blackwell

<sup>1. Non-voting positions until 2017
2. The position of Second Vice-Chair was created in 2017
3. Conventions switched to odd years in 2011
4. Officers elected for two-year terms after ballot certification
At times of high membership participation, other non-voting officer positions were created and filled as follows (approximate dates shown):
Executive Director</sup>

• Robert Clarkson (1976-1977)
• Geb Sommer (1991-1996)

Membership

• Lee Bowie (1982)
• Dr. David C. Morris (1983)
• Julian Griffith (1996-2000)
• Victor Kocher (2000-2004)
• David Herndon (2004-2006)

Media Coordinator

• Tim Moultrie (1991-1996)

Recording Secretary

• Mary Lou Seymour (1993-1996)

Communications

• Charlie Comberrel (1998-2000)

Public Relations

• Tim Moultrie (1998-2000)
• John Bates (2001-2002)
• Joe Clarkson (2003)
• Bea Jones (2004-2006)

Newsletter Editor

• Daniel L. O'Neal (1998)
• Bea Jones (1999-2002)

Webmaster

• Laura Richardson (2000)
• Cheryl Bates (2001-2004)
• Joe Clarkson (2004-2006)

Campus Coordinator

• Mark Hocamp (2004-2006)

Active County Affiliates

The SCLP currently has 24 out of South Carolina's 46 counties organized, the highest number since its founding. The previous peak of 22 counties, reached in the first few years of the 2000s, was met in April of 2018 and surpassed in October of 2018 with the readdition of Darlington and Kershaw counties.

Map of organized counties, 1984-2018

• Aiken County
• Anderson County
• Beaufort County
• Berkeley County
• Calhoun County
• Charleston County
• Colleton County
• Darlington County
• Dorchester County
• Florence County
• Georgetown County
• Greenville County
• Greenwood County
• Horry County
• Jasper County
• Kershaw County
• Laurens County
• Lee County
• Lexington County
• Pickens County
• Richland County
• Spartanburg County
• Sumter County
• York County

Size and Influence

Year	Minimum Unique Voters	Minimum Percent Of Voters	Signature Members (Dec)	Signature Members Per Million Population	LNC Total Donors 2004 - Present Or Active Members 1972 - 2003 (Dec)	LNC Donors Per Million Population	State Rank Of Total LNC Donors (Of 51)
2018	13,064	0.76%	1,968	387	210	41.31	23
2017			1,915	381	236	46.97	23
2016	49,204	2.32%	2,045	412	314	63.29	23
2015			1,726	353	137	27.98	27
2014	33,839	2.68%	1,686	349	157	32.49	26
2013			1,620	339	174	36.46	26
2012	16,321	0.82%	1,555	329	176	37.27	27
2011			1,458	312	170	36.38	28
2010	35,362	2.59%	1,428	308	183	39.47	27
2009			1,385	302	174	37.91	27
2008	7,283	0.38%	1,343	297	196	43.28	27
2007			1,271	286	277	62.33	20
2006	19,704	1.76%	1,187	272	112	25.70	29
2005			1,071	251	167	39.11	28
2004	10,678	0.66%			237	56.28	27
2003					225	54.21	27
2002	25,128	2.28%			255	62.08	27
2001					313	77.00	27
2000	31,104	2.17%			339	84.24	27
1999					323	83.12	28
1998	16,987	1.55%			313	81.52	28
1997					205	54.09	29
1996	12,988	1.08%			206	55.10	27
1995					139	37.57	27
1994	25,153	2.64%			124	33.82	26
1993					103	28.34	25
1992	25,102	2.03%			105	29.16	29
1991					70	19.67	32
1990	59,558	7.50%			95	27.15	26
1989					71	20.54	29
1988	4,935	0.47%			58	17.00	30
1987
1986	28,115	3.68%
1985
1984	13,333	1.31%
1983
1982	42,097	6.12%
1981
1980	22,354	2.42%
1979
1978	223	0.04%
1977
1976	53	0.01%
1975
1974
1973
1972

This state party article contains time-sensitive information that may no longer be accurate. Please contact the State Chair for updates and move out of date information to this article's appropriate historical section.