Libertarians confident of ballot access; aim to siphon GOP votes

The candidacy of former actor Sonny Landham for the U.S. Senate was the product of a rapid search by the Libertarian Party of Kentucky that began just over two weeks ago and culminated when his nomination for the race was approved on Sunday evening.

Libertarian Party of Kentucky Chair Ken Moellman said his organization was contacted by the national Libertarian Party to recruit a candidate earlier this month that would compliment former U.S. Rep Bob Barr's run as the party's presidential nominee.

Now, the state party is hoping the Landham and Barr ticket can gain traction, particularly by siphoning off Republican votes across the state in some specific areas.

"We are looking specifically at the 4th [Congressional] District," Moellman told PolitickerKY.com. "A great number of Republicans in that area are angry about fiscal conservatism being dropped by the modern Republican Party."

"But we think Sonny and Bob's campaigns can tap in across the board," said Moellman.

A small recruiting committee came up with two names for the Senate race and ultimately selected Landham after he accepted the party's offer and the other targeted candidate did not.

The party's executive committee approved Landham on Sunday evening after several meetings and phone conferences.

Landham enters the race with a unique history, to say the least. He has an acting history that includes roles in action films such as Predator and 48 Hours but also some pornographic movies. The candidate also spent some time in jail on a conviction later overturned on appeal.

Moellman says that past was a concern for some Libertarian executive committee members, though Landham's forthright attitude helped in that regard.

"There were a few people who did have questions," said Moellman. "But Sonny is real upfront and forward and doesn't try to hide from his past or pull any punches."

Now the state Libertarian party will focus its efforts on securing ballot access for both Landham and Barr, for which a total of 5,000 must be acquired for each.

"I have no concerns about that whatsoever," said Moellman, who indicated the response to the Libertarian candidates had surpassed the enthusiasm he had seen for other candidates in his nine years with the Libertarian Party.

Moellman said provisions in the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 - which he said was "anti-third party" - prohibited the state party from helping Moellman's candidacy beyond the ballot access effort, however.

Landham will now face U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) and Democratic nominee Bruce Lunsford, should he clear the ballot access hurdle.

The 4th District is not the only specific area Moellman said he thought Libertarian candidates could gain ground. While U.S. Rep Ron Paul's (R-Texas) run for president as Republican admittedly diminished his party's membership, Moellman said he thought Barr and Landham would reap rewards from this constituency.

"McCain's campaign is not something Ron Paul supporters are excited for," said Moellman. "They are not modern Republicans. They are angry about the state of the modern Republican party."

When reached for comment, Steve Robertson, chair of the Republican Party of Kentucky indicated he did not think Republican votes would fall to Landham.

Libertarians running elsewhere

Moellman also indicated other Libertarian candidates were gearing up for other down-ballot runs. Most significantly, he said, a candidate had expressed serious interest in pursuing a bid as a Libertarian in the 3rd Congressional District race currently pitting U.S. Rep John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) against the woman he unseated in 2006, Anne Northup (R-Louisville).

The candidate in that district asked that his name not be disclosed yet, according to Moellman.

Libertarian candidacies are also possible in some state legislative races as well as in the 6th Congressional District.

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