Message from the Chair: Thank You for the Opportunity

Dear Members and Friends,

Five and a half years ago, when I was appointed interim Chair of the Libertarian Party of Orange County, and later when I was formally elected to the position, I was humbled and excited by the opportunity. At that time, we were a fledgling organization held together by a handful of inexperienced but passionate volunteers. Despite our lack of experience, we all immediately got to work building the party, internally and externally, and we’ve accomplished so much since then. With focus and hard work, over the first couple of years we were able to:

• Develop and implement a new and more professional marketing, messaging, and branding strategy;

• Implement systems and technology initiatives to ensure best practices and compliance with state regulations; and

• Reach out to more voters and communicate libertarian solutions to the issues that they care about.

Those early efforts were the foundation that led to growth in voters, members, donations, and volunteers, resulting in:

• An increase in Libertarian voter registration in Orange County of 63% since 2017;

• An increase in party membership in Orange County of 24% since 2017; and

• The ability to organize for and support several Libertarian candidates in Orange County, including for local offices, Assembly, Governor, Congress, and President.

However, the accomplishment that I’m most proud of is how well our party’s leadership and volunteers have worked together. As Chair, I’ve always viewed my primary role as being someone to help facilitate decisions and build consensus, in order to move us towards a common vision. I’ve tried to be a fair and steady voice that ensures differing viewpoints are represented, and to set aside many of my personal views, in order to support and do what's best for the party.

For the most part, we’ve done a good job of working together to get things done. We’ve stayed above much of the infighting and factionalism that’s divided the rest of the Libertarian Party over the years. It’s been wonderful to have worked with so many thoughtful people of good will who acted with consideration for the future of our party.

My time as Chair is now coming to an end—I will not be seeking re-election to the position. I’m grateful for the experience, for the relationships we’ve built, and for your trust in me these past several years. I’ve enjoyed meeting and working with all of you. I’ve enjoyed the numerous conversations that I’ve had with individual voters. And, hopefully, I’ve built some long-term friendships along the way. It’s been my privilege to help lead the Libertarian Party of Orange County and do my small part to achieve “a world set free in our lifetime.”

Thank you all so much,

David Naranjo

Chair, Libertarian Party of Orange County