Making Bank Over a Dime's Worth of Difference

Reason Magazine :

"While you wouldn’t know it from conventional media coverage and polling, many voters have more than just the Democrats and Republicans to choose from on Election Day tomorrow. The libertarian-minded have, in most jurisdictions, the option of pulling the lever for candidates from the Libertarian Party. While it is pretty much certain, as always, that no Libertarian will be winning any governor’s chairs or federal congressional seats, a handful of LP races are notable for various reasons—from money raised to attention won in debates to even, on the state legislative level, some possible victories.

Herewith, a survey of some of the more interesting developments in LP campaigns in this offyear election, gleaned from surveying active LP-conscious blogs and interviews late last week with various LP watchers, insiders, and candidates.

*Texas. The state of Texas has two House races that have had the Libertarian world abuzz—2004 LP presidential hopeful Michael Badnarik in the 10th district and Bob Smither, running for Tom DeLay’s old 22nd district seat—with no Republican on the ballot.

Badnarik’s distinction is a stunning war chest—he’s spent what is probably a record for an LP congressional candidate, $423 thousand—about 10 times what his Democratic opponent has spent.