THE LIBERTARIANS ARE COMING Though they are long shots in just about every race, Libertarians are getting on ballots across Northern Michigan this year in unprecedented numbers, running for everything from township trustee to Congress. By Patrick Sullivan
formed in the last couple of years. Northern Express reached out to some of the candidates to find out what drove them to throw their hat into the ring.
live a normal life and not have anything to do with the political realm.” But it just so happened that there were others clamoring for just the same thing at the time, so he found help and support from people like Gundle-Krieg, who was already gaining momentum in the effort. Boren said that he believes people are more drawn to libertarianism today because of a combination of the executive order requirements in Michigan spurred by the pandemic and because of the authoritarianism of the Trump Republican Party. “First off, I think a lot of people feel — not everyone, but a lot — that the two-party system seems to be broken,” Boren said. “Everyone’s freaking out. This pandemic is hard to get used to, but it was a huge eye opener for a lot of people.” The people drawn to libertarianism pretty much just want to get the government to do a lot less, even amid a pandemic, he said.
Something in the ether, maybe, brought together a bunch of people who, over the last year or so, declared themselves Libertarians and got nominated to run for local, statewide, FACEMASKS AND A BID FOR CONGRESS At the statewide Libertarian convention and federal office. They’re not an easily organized group in Gaylord, almost everyone wore of individuals, but they are united in their facemasks, said Benjamin Boren, who is conviction that something is not working running to represent Michigan in its 1st in this country under a government that is Congressional District. Wearing masks is something Boren said he supports. But, controlled by two parties. (Quick brush-up for those unfamiliar: Like like other Libertarians interviewed for Democrats and Republicans, Libertarians don’t this article, there’s a caveat: Boren said he share a singular opinion on all societal and thinks people should wear them as a matter economic issues, but if you had to distill their of personal responsibility, not because the guiding philosophy to a singular commonality, government tells them to. Boren was born and raised in Nevada, you might say they believe first and foremost in the liberty of the individual and that near Lake Tahoe, to parents who worked government should take a smaller role in the in real estate. The 35-year-old has moved activities of the state. Some believe it should around a lot, but for the last few years limit its reach to providing only police, courts, he’s lived just south of Charlevoix, where and military, while others believe that more — or less — is necessary.) Donna Gundle-Krieg, a real estate agent, “It’s not like [Libertarians] think they know what candidate for Mancelona Township trustee, and a Northern Express columnist, helped organize the Northwest Michigan Libertarian other people need in their life. They just want to live Party affiliate to help get candidates on the their life and don’t want to be told how to live it.” ballot across nine counties in northwestern Lower Michigan this year. She said that there were plenty of folks who wanted to sign up; they just needed a little organization to help he moved to be closer to his parents for a “It’s not like [Libertarians] think they them along. “In the past, people have inquired, and time. He thought it would be a short-term know what other people need in their life. they get sent to the head of the state party,” stay, but it hasn’t turned out that way, and They just want to live their life and don’t Gundle-Krieg said. “They never get to as he’s settled in, he’s found a political want to be told how to live it,” Boren said. Another factor that Boren said he meet that person or have that comradery. home of sorts in the Libertarian cause in believes increased the number of people who … You need likeminded people to get Northern Michigan. Boren, who works part-time at a identify as Libertarian is what he calls the excited about this. It’s hard to be excited tobacco store in Traverse City and part- “Amash effect,” after Justin Amash, the GOP when you’re all alone.” At the statewide convention in Gaylord time as a heavy-equipment operator, said congressman from Grand Rapids who left July 18, the Libertarian Party nominated he’s voted for candidates from both major his party in protest over Trump’s policies and 61 candidates for the 2020 general election, parties throughout his life but has become later became a Libertarian. Amash made the including nine candidates for U.S. Congress, increasingly drawn to the principles of party switch during the state’s stay-in-place 10 candidates for the Michigan State House, libertarianism. A couple years ago, he order, when a lot of people in Michigan had eight candidates for statewide offices, and decided to join the local Libertarian Party, extra time on their hands to do things like then help create one City look up libertarianism online, he said. 32 for county Harbor and township TheofRowe Inn,discovered Ellsworthhe’d have toAmical, Traverse Vernales, Springsraces. Many Boren said if he had to choose between the local candidates are running for office in the region first. TheDemocrat, Villager Pub,he Charlevoix Herb-encrusted Rack of Lamb Ribeyeprimarily The prospect was daunting.Chicken “This isPot suchPie a Republican and wouldn’t, in Dry-aged Northern Tomahawk Michigan, thanks to Whitefish muchDinner control over the local Libertarian organizations that have a scary time,” Boren said. “I would love to because both want too
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people’s lives. He said he likes aspects of each — he is pro-Second Amendment, like most Republicans; and pro-LGBTQ-rights, like most Democrats, for instance. Despite his enthusiasm for libertarianism, he is still a reluctant candidate for Congress. “I would prefer to do something else, honestly, but no one else would step up,” he said. Boren said he, his campaign manager, and most of his campaign volunteers are millennials who lack experience but who have passion, though he said he doesn’t look at his campaign as a symbolic one. He said he wouldn’t run unless he thought he had an outside chance to overcome two well-funded candidates from the major parties. “There’s a lot to navigate; there’s a lot of hurdles. But it’s important regardless,” he said. “I think I have a chance. I would never ever just do something and accept defeat. I’m going to give it a good go. … Hopefully, we can have a lot of fun — we’re going to learn a lot.” RACIN’ JASON JOINS THE RACE Of all the Libertarian Party candidates in Northern Michigan, none has the kind of name recognition of Jason Crum, who has spent decades working as a deejay at stations from Petoskey to Gaylord to Traverse City. He was also a winning contestant on the reality television game show Forged in Fire that aired last September on the History Channel. Now, he’s running to replace state Rep. Larry Inman in the Michigan House. Crum said he started out as a “rebellious youth” who didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of his father, an attorney, or his mother, an academic, and instead launched himself into a career on the airwaves, moving from Rochester, Michigan, where he grew up, to Petoskey, where he got his first radio gig almost three decades ago. Crum’s last radio job was the morning slot at WKLT in Traverse City, where he was known as Racin’ Jason until a shakeup late last year put him out of work. Since March, he’s been driving a bus for BATA. The outset of a global pandemic was Village time Cheese not the easiest toShanty, take aLeland new job that North Shore Sandwich involved close contact with the public in
