LPO 2023 Leadership Candidates

Taylor Rickey

I am Taylor Rickey, and I am excited to be running for re-election to the Libertarian Party Board of Directors. As the outgoing Secretary of the Libertarian Party of Oregon and a two time Libertarian candidate, I have had the honor to connect with many Libertarians and Libertarian leaning people the last few years since joining the party.

I would like to thank those of you who elected me to this position in 2021, and with your continued support in 2023 we will build upon the progress we have achieved over the past two years.

During the incoming term, I am committed to pursuing a small but focused number of goals. These include creating official county affiliates in the majority of Oregon counties a move that will help us to extend our reach to all corners of Oregon. I also intend to continue serving on the fundraising committee, working to increase the Libertarian Party of Oregon's bank account, so that we can better support our candidates in the upcoming 2024 election cycle.

I am passionate about advancing the principles of Libertarianism and upholding the values that we all hold. It would be a great honor to continue serving on the board of directors and contributing to the growth of our party. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to your support come election time.

Nicholas Kaltenbach

I am a biologist, husband, and father of three daughters. I have lived in Oregon my whole life. After graduating from the university of Oregon in March of 2020 the whole world changed. Disturbed by the drastic increase in authoritarianism I decided to devote my extra time getting involved with the libertarian party of Oregon(LPO).

I am running because there is a need for leadership and action. My life has blessed me so that I am now a stay at home dad and that affords me the time needed to tackle projects and be a strong voice for those who want to see the party move and grow.

Fundraising will be one of my highest priorities. The other avenue I think I could help with is media presence. We have a large amount of untapped human potential among our members and I would love to tap into that to increase our visibility in the state of Oregon.

I believe that the values and ideas of the libertarian party speak to a large portion of Oregon, and we have a long way to go to bring them into the party. I believe in voluntarism, extremely limited government, and agorism. I am a second amendment absolutist and believe the party should advocate for constitutional carry. I also believe no good idea requires force.

As a member of the board I promise I will work to build our infrastructure and increase the ability of the party to engage in local elections and support candidates that advocate for libertarian values

Pablo Serrato

My name is Pablo Sergio Serrato, and I live in Portland, Oregon.

My family's connection to Oregon goes back to the 1970s. My father's family were migrant workers all over the Pacific Northwest when not picking tomatoes and oranges in California. I was lucky to have had a supportive family who helped me develop the skills to advocate for libertarianism.

I have been organizing libertarian events and networking for liberty since 2012.

In 2017, I joined the Libertarian Party. In 2022, I served as a delegate to the LNC, and since then, I have welcomed the larger liberty movement into the Libertarian Party of Oregon. I helped establish and currently chair the Multnomah Libertarians, the LPO's sole affiliated Political Action Committee. . 

I filled a vacancy on the LP Oregon Board in the summer of 2022 and have since worked to support our Affiliate, Election, Campaign, Information Technology committees, and the Public Policy board with data and technology.

We are living in an interesting time. The libertarian movement is leading the counterculture in resisting the authoritarian mindset of both the left and right. On the issues of money, war and peace, health and bodily autonomy, inflation, nullification, secession, and education, the consistent libertarian view is coming to the forefront.

In Oregon, the largest political bloc is non-affiliated voters. These voters represent what capitalists recognize as a market opportunity. I look to big political events like the 2024 presidential election to message nationally and recruit locally. I will support this opportunity with data, technology, and a positive mindset. What Ron Paul did in 2008, 2012 and Harry Browne did with his campaigns, we will do in 2024 - only this time we will have the data and technology to have a more connected community of libertarians to move the needle in local issues. 

Please consider voting for me, and feel free to get in touch with me at pserratolp@protonmail.com to discuss strategy, data, or technology.

Gunnar Power

Fellow Libertarians of Oregon, my name is Gunnar Power, and I would like to ask for your support in running for a position on the board of directors of the Libertarian Party of Oregon. I am a strong believer in the core tenets of individual rights and responsibilities, and I am committed to upholding these principles.

I have lived in Oregon most of my life and while I have left several times, I have always come back to this beautiful land with a smile. Moving around the state and country has given me a wider perspective of the situation in which we find ourselves, From Portland in the north, Madras in the high desert, Klamath Falls in the south, and now near the capitol in Salem. This last time that I returned from Texas and California, I could hardly recognize my home. Oregon goes through natural ebbs and flows as all human systems do, but this level of devastation to families and small businesses is unconscionable and was caused by a unnaturally overpowered and out of control state.

I believe that you should never give a government any more power than you would give your worst enemy as one day that enemy might wield the full might of that government against you. We have recently seen how irresponsibly that power is wielded to control every aspect of our lives and I strongly believe that this trend will continue to progress that agenda until we can no longer call ourselves free people.

As a Libertarian, I fully embrace the national Libertarian Party platform, which emphasizes the importance of personal freedom, limited government, and individual responsibility. While we all have the right to make our own choices, we must also be willing to accept the consequences of those choices encouraging self-reliance and independence.

At this time, we like minded individuals must pull together in cooperation to secure individual rights and responsibilities for those that come after us.

Eric Pinnell

I have been asked to write 100 word candidate statement.  This is truly harder then expected when you sit in front of a computer screen questioning what the job you are running for is.  As a business owner my job is to identify an issue and solve that issue, creating systems, developing team members, or acquiring the necessary items.   As someone who ran against a 20 plus year incumbent, I found out that the system is set to prevent none connected citizens from getting into the fight.  If you are not a member of the big two parties, then you are no one.  Finding, accessing and determining what elections are coming up and what a member of the LPO may qualify is harder than it should be.  If we want more Libertarian minded people running our local, and state government, then we need more people who are willing to help get the needed information out to our members on what elections are coming up.  It would be nice to have a system in place that we could email our members what seats are available to run for where we live.  If you knew that a school bored seat for your registered address was up for a vote, would you run, would you fight for the Libertarian way of life?   Is it time to form a bored who’s goal is to grow and foster the knowledge and power to become strong or the repeated hum of lack of knowledge. 

Erik Bourque

I’ve called Oregon home for my entire life, and have worked and lived in several counties within the state (primarily Benton, Lane, and Linn). I love this state and many of the people and towns within it, and ultimately care deeply about its future. That being said, I (very) often find myself in disagreement with the political culture and government operating within this state. As such, I joined the Libertarian Party of Oregon several years ago hoping to make whatever difference I can within a political party and movement I believe in. I’m putting myself forward as a candidate for the LPO Board of Directors now with the hope that I can help the LPO grow and become more successful in its mission to make Oregon a freer and better place to live for my fellow Oregonians.

Travis West

Let’s roll back the State. In my own community, I advocate for local control and volunteerism. I support the decentralization of power; the Federal and State governments have too much power and too much influence. Respect and protection of private property is a guiding principle for me. I advocate for private, free market solutions to the problems that my own community faces. I believe fiat currencies are an abomination and that Bitcoin will change the world for the better.

What is my experience? I am currently an elected city councilor for the City of Moro. I’m the current chair of the Libertarian Party of Oregon’s Public Policy Board. I’m a founding member and the current chair of the Sherman County Libertarian Party. I’m a thinner Ron Swanson. I know how to write and I know how to work. My grammer and spelling is perfect.

Sonja Feintech (Stahl)

I joined the Libertarian Party of Oregon when i realized when it was the clearest choice when seeking a party that encompasses the values of liberty. I have been incredibly impressed with the work so many have already put in and the people within the party give me great faith that the cause of liberty isn't totally lost.

Issues that are important to me and I have the most relatable experience with are: 

Agorism, Private Property Rights, 2A, Food Freedom, Medical Freedom and Bodily Autonomy. My former work with FreeOregon as the Political Action Director gave me a wealth of experience when it came to advocating for medical freedom, organizing, public speaking and creating testimony for hearings. 

Agorism and food freedom permeates most of my views on state and national issues and the rights of the individual reign highest in my political views. Thinking long term and seeing the big picture keeps me from making quick decisions without considering the possibility of short term gains, long term consequences. I strongly believe in not asking for permission, just doing the thing and standing up for liberty even when it's hard or ugly. 

In my short time within the party i've enjoyed my position on the newly formed Public Policy Board (PPB) and have been grateful for my experience as the current Secretary for the PPB. I have learned a ton while working with other members, passing resolutions and creating the press release format for easily disseminating information for the public. 

The position of PPB member is an important one and i hope to continue serving on it as well as working with a variety of individuals across the libertarian political spectrum. 

Michael Morrow

My name is Michael Morrow and I have been involved with the state LPO since 2020. I have acted as a Campaign Manager for a US Senate campaign, helped to organize Spike's Eugene campaign stop and ran for the Oregon House of Representatives in the last election cycle. To be clear,  I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals.

I believe that the only way to build the strength of the party is to be involved in the current affairs and issues that people are paying attention to and show people that are looking for freedom and less government that there is a party that represents them. I have run campaigns, especially my own, and have knowledge of the Secretary of State's processes. I began initiatives and believe that making statements on ballot measures and putting our issues in front of the voters should be a top priority of the state party. 

As a soon to be MBA grad, I am positioned to manage these projects successfully. I know that there are resources that we have not been taking advantage of and I plan to use them to build, vet and strengthen our proposals and positions to give us the most coverage, the most impact and the most reform that our freedom loving hearts can handle. Thank you.

Matt Rowe

The Libertarian Party of Oregon, much like our nation, is at a crossroads.

While the legacy Republican and Democratic Parties continue to serve in their long established roles as the tools of American Empire/Oligarchy against our fellow Americans, we as Libertarians continue to persevere.

Throughout my life, during good times and bad for our State and Nation, I have been blessed by the grace of fine educators to know how precious our Natural and Constitutional rights are. This is partly why I am so troubled to see the policies our supposed representatives have taken in recent years, such as (but not limited to): the continuing efforts to expand the no-win war in Ukraine against Russia, increased tensions in Taiwan with the People's Republic of China, and attempts to break the uneasy peace that resulted from the collapse of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan.

Furthermore, I oppose ANY effort by any level of government to increase our tax burden or reduce our civil liberties, especially at the behest of profit-driven/influence peddling special interests.

As an inaugural member of the LPO Public Policy Board I have been proud to take these stands on the issues while supporting transparency and accountability in our party's policy-making process.

If elected to a full term on the LPO PPB, I will continue to rely on my nearly two decades experience working in politics to support and advance pro-liberty/anti-empire policies.

I hope to earn your vote in the upcoming election.

If you have any questions for me at any time, please feel free to call/text me 541-260-3673.

-Matt Rowe

Edward "Rob" Rhoads

My name is Edward Robert Rhoads and a native Oregonian now living in the Portland Metro area. I am running for a position on the LPO Public Policy Board. I am new to the Libertarian Party of Oregon after standing on the sidelines and witnessing the repeated failures in both Oregon and nationally of the two major political parties. The state's increasing infringement on our personal liberties, reliance on forced compliance, and censoring of opposing viewpoints have led me to the LPO. I feel deeply compelled to no longer sit on the sidelines watching our liberties be trampled and eroded by the state. I seek to learn, educate, and build community focused on liberty and nonviolence as a means forwards to shape a better future for my family and my community. For these reasons I joined the LPO and now wish to help the LPO with their goals. 

My view points and my core values have been shaped by my life experiences and learnings. From studying in the Philippines with a front-row seat  to a violent presidential election, subsequent military coup, and the toppling of dictator with a people power revolution to working in Romania and China where I learned of the disastrous excesses of Communism to the past six years locally during the forced locked downs and mandates, triabilization of our local and national politics, and the complete overreach of the state. These experience have only enforced my core beliefs in Agorism, Private Property Rights, Free Markets, freedom of expression, and the right to self-defense.  

Most recently I have been involved in the Oregon Liberty Network (OLN) where we are learning and educating each other on the skills and abilities necessary to build a parallel society to guarantee our rights and freedoms to decide for ourselves how best to live our lives how we choose. I am volunteering to help OLN build a Liberty minded alternative to scouting that passes on the understanding and basic tenets of Liberty and teaches on the skills necessary to the next generations to thrive in a agorist society and plant the seeds for a decentralized revolution. 

My professional career has been working in Tech as a Software Engineer and Engineer Manager at both large and small startup companies. This has offered me opportunities to both build and to lead well functioning teams building software. To listen and facilitate group discussions, craft plans, and then execute on those plans. My career has always been built on delivering results and getting the work done. If elected to the PPO, I would expect to be held to that same standard. 

Toby Knight-Meigs

My name is Toby Knight-Meigs & I’m running for a position on the Libertarian Party of Oregon’s Public Policy Board. I was born and raised in Eugene. In addition, I have been a Registered Libertarian for well over a decade & I’ve been active in the Libertarian Party of Oregon off and on for roughly that same timeframe. I am currently the presiding Secretary for the Lane County Libertarians and  I was an Oregon State Delegate to both the 2020 Libertarian National Convention in Orlando, Florida & the 2022 Libertarian National Convention at Reno, Nevada in 2022.Lastly, I am also a Registered Nurse with thirty years experience in the Critical Care & Emergency Department Specialty Fields.

I would like to be elected to the LPO‘s Public Policy Board to take an active part in crafting Libertarian Messaging via our state platform to my fellow Oregonians. In this era of U.S. Politics, the public at large has grown weary of the inaction of our current duopoly of political parties & are yearning for new solutions. It is my firm belief that many of the people in Oregon possess beliefs that are Libertarian in nature, but have yet to identify as such. Oregon has been an early adopter amongst our fellow states of legalization of Marijuana & other previously illicit substances, legal protections for the LGBTQ+ Community and many other unique legislative solutions that have made our state a vanguard amongst the other 49 states & I wish for the Libertarian Party of Oregon’s Public Policy Board to create policy in the future that reflects that tradition.

I believe I possess unique qualities that qualify me for this position. I feel that I’m able to well articulate Libertarian Platform talking points to Non-Libertarians. I thrive working in fast paced stressful environments with many strong personalities, which I feel will make me a valuable asset to the Public Policy Board. I’m also concerned that the majority of the Public Policy Board will be made up of Portland Area Libertarians & I wish to represent Oregonian Voices outside the greater Portland Area that may have a different perspective on issues that concern the state as a whole than our Portland Colleagues.

I look forward to collaborating with my fellow Libertarian Party of Oregon Public Policy Board Members to help craft Libertarian Policy that best resonates with our fellow Oregonians. In order to grow the Libertarian Message & increase the Libertarian Party of Oregon’s visibility to our fellow Non-Libertarian Oregonians. 

Lastly, I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals.

Respectfully,

Toby S. Knight-Meigs.

Peter VandenBerg

I was appointed to the LPO board in 2019 after I watched the debate between then LNC Chair Nicholas Sarwark and Dave Smith. I found myself so enraged by the chair's comments that I felt I had no choice but to help reclaim the party for the wider liberty movement. I was elected in 2021 to the same position and held it until I was nominated to the Public Policy Board and served as its vice-chair. I authored a resolution detailing the evidence that transitional hormone therapy for children is child abuse. It has irreversible effects on their bodies they cannot consent to. They are not adults. I also wrote resolutions supporting the Rage Against The War Machine Protest, one supporting the LNC initiative to demand a war powers resolution to end the American Empire's involvement in the Saudi's egregious crime upon the people of Yemen, and authored planks in the LPO policy platform to end the Oregon Health Authority, the Department of Education, and declare agorism the pathway to resisting the state in every available way to Oregonians. You would have met me in 2020-2021 across the divide from diet and sometimes regular antifa at protests demanding an end to unscientific lockdowns and covid vaccine/mask mandates. I made the precarious choice of living in downtown Portland during the summer of 2020. I know what marxism and hatred has done to it. I see why my family and others have distanced from it. We offer ourselves and our neighbors something different: a voluntary, rules based order where honor, love, and freedom are pinnacles of virtue.

The Mises Caucus vision of the Libertarian Party is not a short term strategy. A decentralized revolution requires the seeds planted to grow into trees of liberty. They will be our shade as we "fight for freedom in our lifetimes"; something that unlike some people that utter this phrase, I actually mean.

Morey Straus

I am committed to supporting all statements that call for a reduction of government, and to opposing all statements that call for an increase in government. I strongly believe in the non-aggression principle, and I will attempt to insert the ethical case for our positions wherever possible. 

Although I am new to Oregon, I am quickly learning about the nuances of the state's political climate. I will strive to direct the board's attention to the most critical issues specific to Oregon, issues that are in the news cycle and likely to garner attention, and to put care into the wording of our statements. 

Lastly, I will do my best to work in harmony with my fellow board members, whomever they might be. 

Lars Jefferson

I want to run for the Libertarian Party of Oregon Public Policy Board as a firm philosophical voice for life, liberty, prosperity, and property. These ideas are the foundation for the libertarian political and cultural movement. Furthermore, I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of
achieving political or social goals.

I spent 12 years in Asia from 2009-2021 teaching K-12 music in South Korea and the People’s Republic of China. Though I kept an eye on the USA through mainstream media and did not know how bad things have become. I returned home in February 2020 and realized that things were falling apart during the “summer of love” watching Portland and other American cities burn. I realized that my assumption of shared cultural heritage was wrong and that we need to return to a basic understanding of American principles.

My personal life has been a bit busy, but I have managed to make a Linn County social media presence and volunteer as Editor for the LPO This Week in Media published on the LPO website. The purpose of this is to help users easily digest essential media events in the past week by organizing news in a reader-friendly format.

Should I be elected to the public policy board, I will endeavor to execute the roll with integrity and honor.

[Signed]
Lars Jefferson

Brendan Toliver

We live in a society that is openly battling our fundamental natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Turn on any television and you get television shows and talk shows that are openly advocating for the denial of your freedom and rights while simultaneously telling you that you have the rights to others' labor.

The Libertarian party should be on the forefront of these issues. In the past the Libertarian party has missed these opportunities at times when standing up for freedom was most important, the party was strangely silent or at best presented neutered opposition. This has been changing recently because of the hard work of many party members who are fed up with the status quo.

I am just a guy, who is fed up with how the politicians treat the public and how the government is trying it's best to create a serf class of everyday working people. We do not live at the behest of government or our neighbors. My values and my neighbors' values might not align, but our fundamental right is to pursue life the way that we want as long as it is not impacting my neighbors' pursuits.

My primary focus on the Public Policy Board has been parental rights and the right of parents to rear their children as they see fit without a government employees trying to enforce their own values on your children. I also believe in the right to self defense without government restrictions on how you are able to defend yourself. I also oppose the favoritism that the government shows to corporations denying the opportunity for real competition and technological growth in the United States. While there are many things nationwide and globally that the Libertarian party as a whole should weigh in on, I believe the Public Policy Board's focus should be on Oregon and Oregon residents.