Excerpted from LP News:                         by    JAMES W. LARK, III

         I am running for chair because I believe I have the requisite skills, experience, temperament, and vision for the task.  Also, several L.P. members throughout the country, representing many viewpoints concerning strategy/tactics, urged me to run because they believe I'll be a "consensus candidate" who will help bring party factions together.

         I have breadth and depth of experience and success in the various aspects of building the party at all levels:

    • LNC member (elected at-large, 1998)
    • National campus coordinator
    • Organized several local parties in Virginia and other states
    • Secretary, Jefferson Area Libertarians (L.P.Va. local affiliate); Ninth Congressional District chair
    • Vice-chairman, L.P.Va. (1998-2000)
    • L.P. platform committee (1991, 1998), L.P. bylaws committee (2000)
    • "Success '97," "Success '99" seminar faculty member
    • Advisor to several candidates/campaigns (1999, 2000)

      •      Should you entrust me with the chairmanship, I'll emphasize:

      1. Reaching out to young people, particularly high school and college students.   It is crucial that we improve our youth outreach.   My campus work will help me in this matter.


      2. Improving the process of generating, recruiting, and training new activists.    We must encourage members to become activists, particularly members who are the "lone Libertarian" in the community.    While "Success '97" and "Success '99" training programs were very successful, we can use other tools to improve the quality and scope of our efforts.    One program I want to establish involves "schools" for candidates and campaign managers.


      3. Improving membership retention.


      4. Improving ways to leverage work by Libertarian movement organizations, especially think tanks (e.g., Cato, Reason, Cascade, Heartland) and education groups (e.g., F.E.E., I.H.S.).    My relationship with these organizations is very good; I believe I can contribute substantially in this task.


      5. Conducting a full-scale systems analysis of the L.P. and its operations particularly concerning information flow.    L.P. operations should be reviewed on a regular basis; as a systems engineer, I believe I'll ask the right questions and help find the right answers.


      (These are broad statements; I provide more details in other forums.)

           Certain aspects of my personal situation should be particularly helpful if I am chairman.    As a professor, my schedule is reasonably flexible and I'll have roughly four months during the spring/summer to devote to this activity.   I live within a two-hour drive of L.P. HQ in Washington, D.C., which will facilitate my efforts to raise the L.P. profile with Congress, regulatory agencies, the "prestige press," and think tanks.    Also, I can easily perform the chair's oversight responsibilities.

           Note:   I am not campaigning for chair in the conventional manner.    I am working at several tasks to promote liberty/defeat statism, and I don't want to divert resources from these tasks to campaign for internal party positions.    I shall offer my positions and qualifications in various forums, discuss issues with Anaheim convention attendees, and then seek the judgment of the delegates.


         I am flattered that many Libertarians I respect actively support me; the L.P.Va. endorsed my candidacy by acclamation at the 2000 L.P.Va. convention.    Some representative endorsements:

      Joe Cobb, LP California candidate, U.S. House of Representatives
         I strongly endorse Jim Lark for the next LP national chairman.    ...[h]e has helped the Virginia LP rise from typical amateur status to a real organization.

      Alan Handleman, LP Kentucky
         Never have I met a man more energetically devoted to the cause of individual liberty, nor more personally generous in its pursuit with his time, talent and resources than is Jim Lark.

      Mark Hinkle, chair, LP California
         I have no doubts that Jim Lark is the best person running for LNC Chair

      Elias Israel, chair, LP Massachusetts, LNC member
         I support Jim Lark because he has the consensus-building skills that we need in a National Chairman.

      Jo Jorgensen, LP Vice Presidential candidate, 1996
         I am supporting Jim Lark as our next National Chair.    Jim would make a fine National Chair and I urge you to give him your vote.

      Joseph Knight, chair, LP New Mexico
         Jim is a rock-solid libertarian and a dedicated, tireless activist.   I recommend him without hesitation.

      James Madison, Communications Director, LP Connecticut
         Jim Lark's knowledge, professionalism and experience make him an outstanding choice for Chairman of the Libertarian Party.

      John McAlister, LP Ohio candidate, U.S. Senate
         Jim Lark as National LP chairman will lead the Libertarian Party to think national and act local.

      Gary Reams, chair, LP Virginia
         Jim Lark has my full support in his bid for the Chairmanship.    The LP will be well served by having him at the helm.

      Mary Ruwart, author, LNC member, LP Texas candidate, U.S. Senate
         I've served on the NatCom with Jim Lark.    He is an impartial leader, wedded to the concept of fairness, not favoritism.
    To see more endorsements, click here.

    To leave your own endorsement, click here.

         For more information, please contact me at www.JimLark.org (Orig domain name defunct), jwlark@dellmail.com, or (804) 973-5958.    I'm happy to share ideas about building the L.P./Libertarian movement.

         Thank you for your consideration.