Hood River Libertarian Party

Peace, Prosperity, & Liberty in Hood River County, Oregon
Contact: HoodRiverLibertarians AT Gmail DOT com

[Montana Libertarian Party @Montana_LP]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 3rd, 2026

Montana Libertarian Party Primary Results Expose Flaws in Electoral System

HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Libertarian Party (MTLP) is disappointed by the outcome of yesterday's US Senate primary, although not at all surprised. Despite the party's clear endorsement of Tom Jandron, phony candidate Kyle Austin won the Libertarian primary race.

The MTLP endorsed Jandron following the party's Delegate and Platform Convention in Helena earlier this year. Jandron earned the endorsement after an extensive vetting process, including candidate meetings, questionnaires, town halls, written evaluations, and deliberation by MTLP members and leadership. Delegates unanimously backed Jandron as the candidate who best represents the libertarian principles of individual liberty, non-aggression, and constitutionally limited government.

In contrast, MTLP members expressed serious concerns about Austin's views, which conflict with core libertarian principles. The party found that Austin, who previously ran as a Republican, lacks understanding of both key policy priorities and a cohesive philosophical framework. Ultimately, members concluded that Austin was only running as a Libertarian to take advantage of the MTLP's statewide ballot access.

Last night's primary election results highlight a fundamental and deeply troubling issue at the heart of Montana's open primary system: the MTLP has absolutely no way of knowing who is selecting its nominee. Under Montana law, voters are not required to register by party, and primary ballots are secret. That means any registered voter — Democrat, Republican, or otherwise — can walk into a polling place, request a Libertarian ballot, and determine who carries the Libertarian banner in the general election, all without the party ever learning their identity. The MTLP cannot identify these voters, cannot verify whether they share any libertarian principles, and cannot take any steps to prevent bad-faith actors from hijacking its nomination process. This is not a theoretical concern — it is precisely what appears to have happened yesterday.

The MTLP believes political parties are voluntary and private associations of individuals with shared principles, and the right to associate necessarily includes the right to select one's own standard-bearers and uphold one's core values. Montana's open primary system guts that right entirely. Because the party cannot identify who is voting in its primary, it cannot distinguish its own members from outsiders, cannot communicate with its actual electorate, and cannot hold anyone accountable for participating in its process in bad faith. Both in this race and in previous years, outside campaign funding from non-libertarians has shifted the composition of the primary electorate — but the MTLP has no way to even measure the extent of that interference, let alone stop it.

At this year's MTLP convention, the party adopted a platform amendment explicitly stating that political parties have the right to determine their own membership, endorsements, and processes free from state interference, including mandated open primaries.

The MTLP is carefully considering all legal and political options to better protect our associational rights, strengthen the integrity of our candidate selection process, and ensure that nominees genuinely reflect the principles of Montana libertarians. A party that cannot identify its own voters is a party that has been stripped of meaningful self-governance.

This outcome reinforces the urgent need for a broader discussion about Montana's partisan nomination system and how the MTLP can remain a principled vehicle for liberty while operating within a system that leaves it blind to who is speaking in its name.

To help secure our ballot and voice, consider joining the party with the link posted on our profile!

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

Oh yeah, sure. Of course he did. 😆🤣

[Fox News @FoxNews]

"You're f****** crazy. You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. I'm saving your a***. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this."

That's what a U.S. official tells Axios President Trump unloaded on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a heated phone call over Israel's military actions in Lebanon.

Trump was reportedly furious that Israel's moves risked blowing up U.S. diplomatic efforts in the region, at one point also asking Netanyahu: "What the f*** are you doing?"

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@TheBabylonBibi @FoxNews

[Thomas Massie @RepThomasMassie]

It’s all talk. Just withhold foreign aid to Israel for a month and they’ll stop bombing their neighbors - instant peace, the Strait of Hormuz can be opened, and gas drops $2 a gallon. Israel has been, and continues to be, the biggest welfare recipient from American tax payers.

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@MsgFrmThMndFld LOL, we wish Drazan was an extremist, but she is the opposite.

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

"Lower costs" 😆

We just voted down your Gas Tax. Stop gaslighting us.

"Extremist". We wish...she voted for climate dividends and $300 Million for the Moda center. She's about as milquetoast as Republicans come.

[Tina Kotek @TinaKotek]

I’m fighting to lower costs, protect abortion access, defend democracy, and move Oregon forward. Now, this November, Oregon values are on the line. We can’t let extremists like Christine Drazan drag us backward. Together, we can win.

Join us: https://t.co/nByi55ixV7

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@TinaKotek "Lower costs" 😆

We just voted down your Gas Tax. Stop gaslighting us.

"Extremist". We wish...she voted for climate dividends and $300 Million for the Moda center. She's about as milquetoast as Republicans come.

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@tsidpod

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@littleflower673 @Hortysir @faris4senate_ky Voting, or not voting, is a right.

You seem to be confused about the difference between rights and privileges.

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@Anonymous90807 So all leftists have to do to repel rightwingers from organizations is make them a little uncomfortable?

This is a sort of cultural allelopathy. Seems to be a winning strategy that takes minimal effort. No wonder the left has been so much more successful than the right.

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@grok @abrasive_noodle @LPOregon little help plz

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@Jtodd601 @Kattergang

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@DrFrankModels You know what was super cool?

Getting ballot envelopes that stated explicitly that they had a secrecy weave and opening them up to find that there was in fact none.

[Libertarian Party of Kentucky @lpky]

The Libertarian Party of Kentucky is proud to announce the nomination of Jeremy Todd for United States House of Representatives district 4. Follow Jeremy at @Jtodd601 on X. Please stay tuned for further details.

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@lpky @Jtodd601

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@Jtodd601 @Kattergang

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@faris4senate_ky @snowyDee12 @amitylee13 @Ryanmatta 💯

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@LPOregon @faris4senate_ky @amitylee13 @Ryanmatta 👀

[Hood River Libertarian Party @HoodRiverLP]

@MADCATsDA @LPOregon