2016 Libertarian Party presidential primaries

2016 Libertarian Party presidential primaries

← 2012 March 1 – June 7, 2016 2020 →

Non-binding preferential vote
 
Candidate Gary Johnson John McAfee
Home state New Mexico Tennessee
Contests won 5 0
Popular vote 22,642 3,391
Percentage 55% 8%

 
Candidate Uncommitted Austin Petersen
Home state n/a Missouri
Contests won 1 0
Popular vote 3,209 3,066
Percentage 8% 7%

2016 United States presidential election in California#Libertarian primary2016 United States presidential election in Oregon#Libertarian primary2016 United States presidential election in Nebraska#Libertarian primary2016 United States presidential election in Minnesota#Libertarian caucuses2016 United States presidential election in Missouri#Libertarian primary2016 United States presidential election in North Carolina#Libertarian primary
First place by popular vote

Previous Libertarian nominee

Gary Johnson

Libertarian nominee

Gary Johnson

The 2016 Libertarian Party presidential primaries and caucuses allowed electors to indicate non-binding preferences for the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate. These differed from the Republican or Democratic presidential primaries and caucuses in that they did not appoint delegates to represent a candidate at the party's convention to select the party's nominee for the United States presidential election. The party's nominee for the 2016 presidential election was chosen directly by registered delegates at the 2016 Libertarian National Convention, which ran from May 26 to 30, 2016. The delegates nominated former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson for president and former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld for vice president.[1]

Four primaries and one caucus were held. Missouri and North Carolina held primaries on March 15, as an alternative ballot to other primaries such as those of the Republicans and Democrats. Gary Johnson, who had won the party's nomination in the 2012 presidential election, won North Carolina with 42%. In Missouri a plurality of voters chose the "Uncommitted" option over local candidate Austin Petersen, 40% to 29%, with Johnson not appearing on the Missouri ballot due to announcing his candidacy after the filing deadline. An Oregon primary was run on May 27 during the national convention, while the California primary was held on June 7 after the party's convention. The only caucus was in Minnesota on March 1, where 75% of the electors selected Gary Johnson. Jurisdictions in the 2016 primaries that did not participate in conventional roll call included: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Puerto Rico, and the U.S Virgin Islands.

  1. ^ Tau, Byron (May 29, 2016). "Libertarians Pick Gary Johnson and William Weld as Presidential Election Ticket". Wsj.com. Retrieved June 2, 2016.