| Volume 2 Issue 4 | Special Commemorative Issue | November 1996 |
"We are elated," said John K. Brown, chairman of the Libertarian Party of West Virginia. "This was the first step necessary in building a major political party in West Virginia. Now we will no longer spend much of our time, effort and money just to get on the ballot. Our next mission is to field local candidates for 1998 and 2000."
Johnson said, "I'm happy with the vote total we received. It could have been higher, but people seemed to vote with their fears in mind and not their hopes. If I had a dollar for every person who told me: `I'd love to vote for you, but I'm afraid candidate X might win.' I'd be a very rich man."
The Libertarians accomplished what Ross Perot's Reform Party and many other third-parties failed to do over the past 72 years. The victory was a formal acceptance of ideas of minimal government, but also an indictment of the failures of the Democrats and Republicans, according to Brown.
"Libertarians are fiscal conservatives, who defend individual liberty", Brown said, adding, "and as we educate the public of our philosophy we will continue to grow. Our future is looking bright."
Johnson not only won the party ballot status, but also received the highest percentage vote of the six Libertarians running for governor across the nation. He won the second highest third-party vote for governor in the history of West Virginia.
The hard work of Johnson, his staff and many supporters was cause for success. Major highlights of the campaign included the following:
>The Debates. Johnson participated in two of the three major televised debates. The (Huntington) Herald-Dispatch carried the front page banner headline "Spoiler Grabs Spotlight" after the Oct. 14 debate, and included a report card of the three candidates, in which Johnson received an "A" thus winning the debate. Even the debate that snubbed Johnson was an event due to the support of people like John Sturgeon, Joe Whelan, Karl Swisher, Les Sachs and others.
>Contributions and Advertising. The campaign brought in about $30,000 which allowed cable TV advertising in the Beckley, Charleston, Princeton, Parkersburg and Oak Hill areas. It also funded a 1,260-commercial radio blitz the day before the election. Dr. R.C. Shaw, of Beckley, was instrumental in this area. Treasurer David Wolfe kept it all straight and filed the proper reports.
>Press Coverage. All of the state television stations, most of the daily newspapers, and key talk radio shows covered the campaign. Roger Fritz faxed dozens of press releases. John Brown planned a two-day nine-city statewide press conference tour.
>Speaking Engagements. Wallace Johnson spoke at dozens of events statewide throughout the campaign. It couldn't have been accomplished without his wife, Joy's juggling of his schedules.
>WESPAC Endorsement. Two $1,000 contributions, and the backing of the state's physicians.
>Wallace D. Johnson, M.D. The man had the intellect, the public speaking ability, and the compassion to earn the LP a path to follow the next four years.
A Libertarian who lost his bid for a state Senate seat in Raleigh and Wyoming counties may have made history.
Dr. Joseph Whelan, a psychiatrist from Corrine, captured 16 percent of the votes in the 9th District race. Whelan believes he is the first third-party candidate in West Virginia to receive such a high percentage.
"I had no idea what was going to happen," he said Wednesday. "As Libertarians we are disappointed but not discouraged."
Mary Ratliff, elections officer for the Secretary of state's office, was unable to immediately confirm Whelan's conclusion. But Ratliff said she is not aware of any third-party candidate doing so well in an election since 1985.
The 9th District represents Raleigh and Wyoming counties. Sen. Billy Wayne Bailey, D-Wyoming, was re-elected to a second full term with 20,359 votes, or 84 percent, to Whelan's 3,994 votes, or 16 percent.
Bailey easily carred both counties, and vote percentages in both were nearly the same. In Raleigh, he had 84 percent of the votes to Whelan's 16 percent. Whelan fared a little better in Wyoming, receiving 18 percent of the votes, while Bailey had 82 percent.
"It was truly an outstanding victory," Whelan said. "I want to congratulate my opponent."
The odds were against Whelan, given that West Virginia's registered Democrats far outnumber those in other parties. But he is proud of his showing against an incumbent and doesn't rule out the possibility that he may seek public office again.
| Joshy Abraham | Dale Hooper | C. E. Richner |
| Patrick Adkins | Elias Isaac | Patty Richner |
| Anil Agarwal | Joy Johnson | Larry & Karen Robertson |
| AMPAC | Wallace Johnson | Jose Romero |
| Ashok Bahalodi | Thom Kellam | June Temple Sale |
| Maurice Bassali | Shirley Kim | I. F. Salon |
| Tony Bazi | Thomas Kinraide | Hina Shah |
| Shrikant Bembalkar | Dominador Lao | Meenakshi Shah |
| Generoso Blando | Carl Larson | R. C. Shah |
| Charles Bauabboud | Apolonio Lirio | Syed Siddiqi |
| John Brown | Michael Maquad | Adnan Silk |
| Dallas Cooley | Janet McDonald | Rahendra Singh |
| Carol Corro | Douglas McKinney | Margaret Staggers |
| Wilbur Crosley | Wilma Meadows | David Stanley |
| Jeffrey Crowe | Amabile Milano | John Sturgeon |
| Anthony Dinh | Jeannie Minardi | L. H. Subbaraya |
| Nada El-Harake | Gary Morrison | Karl Swisher |
| Ahmed Faheem | Bob Myers | Norman Taylor |
| Roger Fritz | Husam Naser | WESPAC |
| Subhash Gajendragadkar | Sofia Orphanos | Mrs. R. L. Webb |
| James Gardner | Vinod Parmar | David Whelan |
| Prospero Gogo | Narendrakumar Patel | Joseph Whelan |
| Joseph Golden | Naim Patim | Mary Lou Wilson |
| Alan Handleman | D. Patnaik | Deanna Wisman |
| Dian Harvey | Leo Patterson | Richard Wisman |
| Harold Harvey | Don Patthoff | David Wolfe |
| Harold Harvey II | Salvatore Pecoraro | Robert Yee |
| Khalid Hasan | Charles Porterfield | Syed Zahir |
| Mohammed Hasan | Katrina Pulliam | |
| Jackie Haught | Zirina Rasheed |
About an hour before the Underwood crowd started celebrating election night champagne started flowing in Beckley at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Wallace D. Johnson. There were shouts of joy, high fives, hugs, and yes moist eyes. The satisfaction of exactly two long years of hard work and determination was culminated by the report that Johnson had more than 7,800 votes with about 40 percent of the precints in.
The night's tone had changed considerably from earlier that evening. The first report said: Pritt 1,800ish, Underwood 1,200ish, Johnson Zero.
"How could we have ZERO after three thousand votes?!" someone said in disbelief. No answers came. The next two reports gave Johnson an irritating 0%. The mood of the crowd was downright somber.
Then the number started showing 1%. There was a cheer, but it was subdued, after all, .51% rounds up to 1%. All gathered knew we needed 2% to be sure.
And that's when the 7,800-vote present was delivered with a bright red 2% bow. We knew we had won.
The celebration was joyous for what had been accomplished. Despite the start-from-scratch beginnings, despite the horrifying ballot access petitioning, despite the arrested petitioner, despite the lawsuit, despite the debate snub; despite the advertising troubles--we won! We received our present, Major Party Status.
And I think the celebration was extra good because we knew that the best parts still were before us. We had our present, but we had yet to open it. What could be inside? Thenty candidates for the 1998 election? Fifty more for the year 2000? State Conventions that surpassed the very successful 1995 event? Another doubling of our dues-paying membership? New action- minded members? Voters Registration drives? Young Libertarian organizations? Ten percent of the vote, and Libertarian primaries? Actual election wins? First locally then statewide? Libertarian legislation passing? A minimal government state? Liberty a way of life?
| Barbour | 164 | 2.8% | Kanawha | 1,870 | 2.5% | Putnam | 607 | 3.4% |
| Berkely | 436 | 2.4% | Lewis | 212 | 3.5% | Raleigh | 966 | 4.2% |
| Boone | 185 | 2.1% | Lincoln | 185 | 2.3% | Raldolph | 371 | 3.7% |
| Braxton | 92 | 1.9% | Logan | 159 | 1.0% | Ritchie | 80 | 2.1% |
| Brooke | 270 | 2.9% | Marion | 473 | 2.2% | Roane | 111 | 2.1% |
| Cabell | 845 | 2.7% | Marshall | 479 | 3.6% | Summers | 126 | 2.9% |
| Calhoun | 44 | 1.6% | Mason | 309 | 3.0% | Taylor | 160 | 2.9% |
| Clay | 95 | 2.7% | McDowell | 122 | 1.5% | Tucker | 112 | 3.5% |
| Doddridge | 52 | 2.2% | Mercer | 433 | 2.3% | Tyler | 72 | 1.9% |
| Fayette | 503 | 3.5% | Mingo | 141 | 1.3% | Upshur | 159 | 2.2% |
| Gilmer | 31 | 1.5% | Monongalia | 723 | 2.8% | Wayne | 382 | 2.5% |
| Grant | 64 | 1.5% | Monroe | 98 | 2.0% | Webster | 73 | 2.2% |
| Greenbrier | 366 | 3.0% | Morgan | 46 | 0.9% | Wetzel | 153 | 2.5% |
| Hampshire | 112 | 1.9% | Nicholas | 261 | 3.1% | Wirt | 60 | 2.9% |
| Hancock | 217 | 1.6% | Ohio | 412 | 2.4% | Wood | 912 | 2.9% |
| Hardy | 63 | 1.5% | Pendleton | 46 | 1.4% | Wyoming | 204 | 2.4% |
| Harrison | 323 | 2.4% | Pleasants | 89 | 2.8% | |||
| Jackson | 255 | 2.6% | Pocahontas | 60 | 1.8% | TOTAL | 15,958 | 2.6% |
| Jefferson | 288 | 2.3% | Preston | 279 | 2.7% |