Libertarian Party Archives - News Now Warsaw https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/tag/libertarian-party/ Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:01:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Indiana school board candidates split 50-50 on affiliating with a party https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/indiana-school-board-candidates-split-50-50-on-affiliating-with-a-party/ Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:01:52 +0000 https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/?p=133709
By Jack Forrest
Indiana Capital Chronicle

When Noblesville School Board member Misti Ray campaigned for election in 2022, the top question she got was: what party are you with?

Back then, she’d tell people she was conservative. Now, up for reelection in the first cycle since the passage of a state law allowing party affiliation for school board candidates, she’ll be listed as a Republican on the ballot in November.

“It’s just the whole truth and transparency,” Ray said. “The more they know about you, I think the more comfortable people feel. Whether or not they agree with it might be a different story.”

Of the 1,043 school board candidates listed by the Indiana Election Division this year, 515 — just about half — declared no affiliation or stated they were non-partisan. Republicans made up the next biggest affiliation with 379, followed by 75 independents and 66 Democrats. Eight filed with a third party.

After similar attempts in years past, Senate Enrolled Act 287 barely made it into law in 2025, with disapproval from Democrats and some Republicans. Supporters contend the law will make school board elections more transparent, adding a label to races that were, essentially, already partisan. Critics argue it will inject politics where it shouldn’t be.

Indiana is one of five states that allow for school board members to affiliate with a party, according to Ballotpedia. Another five states provide for either partisan or nonpartisan races, depending on the district, while 40 states have no partisan labels.

The Indiana School Boards Association opposed the change, said Terry Spradlin, ISBA executive director, arguing boards have a narrow scope of responsibilities that should put students first.

“We all want students to graduate from high school, regardless of political affiliation,” he said.

There was no real change in the number of candidates who filed this year versus years past, Spradlin said. Prospective board members have always been able to make their positions public, he added, but the ability to affiliate on the ballot could draw clearer lines. It may also increase involvement from party officials in making endorsements.

Bonnie Kallis, chair of the American Solidarity Party of Indiana, thinks affiliation can help get the word out about ASP. Based on the ideas of Christian democracy, some of its platforms include supporting universal healthcare; opposing abortion, the death penalty and gay marriage; and aiding women and racial minorities who’ve faced “unique historical and current challenges.”

Four school board challengers statewide, including Kallis, affiliated with American Solidarity. The party supports parental decision making on children’s education, including through private-school vouchers, and a decreased reliance on technology in the classroom.

“Overall, our platform on education advocates for choices and options,” Kallis said.

Chase Nattkemper, 22, is also challenging an incumbent. In the three-way race for a Vigo School Board seat, he’s the only Republican; the other candidates didn’t affiliate.

He feels like there should be distance between politics and schools, but he chose to declare GOP affiliation out of transparency; he ran for county council as a Republican earlier this year. He hopes voters continue to pick people they think best represent them and their communities.

Nattkemper said he could see some candidates using affiliation to their advantage to capture partisan votes in districts that are heavily Republican or Democratic, but he believes the change to be largely helpful for connecting voters with school board hopefuls.

Travis Shepherd, longtime member of the Jennings County School Board of Trustees, felt the choice to not affiliate was made for him.

Indiana Court Rules restrict court employees from holding partisan elected office. Shepherd is a court employee. Lawmakers previously expressed similar concerns about the effect of school board affiliation on federal employees, many of whom are disallowed from partisan offices under the Hatch Act.

Shepherd can see both perspectives on the new law, but the change doesn’t bother him much. He said by doing his research on candidates, he’d be able to figure out where they stand on issues anyway.

The post Indiana school board candidates split 50-50 on affiliating with a party appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

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By Jack Forrest
Indiana Capital Chronicle

When Noblesville School Board member Misti Ray campaigned for election in 2022, the top question she got was: what party are you with?

Back then, she’d tell people she was conservative. Now, up for reelection in the first cycle since the passage of a state law allowing party affiliation for school board candidates, she’ll be listed as a Republican on the ballot in November.

“It’s just the whole truth and transparency,” Ray said. “The more they know about you, I think the more comfortable people feel. Whether or not they agree with it might be a different story.”

Of the 1,043 school board candidates listed by the Indiana Election Division this year, 515 — just about half — declared no affiliation or stated they were non-partisan. Republicans made up the next biggest affiliation with 379, followed by 75 independents and 66 Democrats. Eight filed with a third party.

After similar attempts in years past, Senate Enrolled Act 287 barely made it into law in 2025, with disapproval from Democrats and some Republicans. Supporters contend the law will make school board elections more transparent, adding a label to races that were, essentially, already partisan. Critics argue it will inject politics where it shouldn’t be.

Indiana is one of five states that allow for school board members to affiliate with a party, according to Ballotpedia. Another five states provide for either partisan or nonpartisan races, depending on the district, while 40 states have no partisan labels.

The Indiana School Boards Association opposed the change, said Terry Spradlin, ISBA executive director, arguing boards have a narrow scope of responsibilities that should put students first.

“We all want students to graduate from high school, regardless of political affiliation,” he said.

There was no real change in the number of candidates who filed this year versus years past, Spradlin said. Prospective board members have always been able to make their positions public, he added, but the ability to affiliate on the ballot could draw clearer lines. It may also increase involvement from party officials in making endorsements.

Bonnie Kallis, chair of the American Solidarity Party of Indiana, thinks affiliation can help get the word out about ASP. Based on the ideas of Christian democracy, some of its platforms include supporting universal healthcare; opposing abortion, the death penalty and gay marriage; and aiding women and racial minorities who’ve faced “unique historical and current challenges.”

Four school board challengers statewide, including Kallis, affiliated with American Solidarity. The party supports parental decision making on children’s education, including through private-school vouchers, and a decreased reliance on technology in the classroom.

“Overall, our platform on education advocates for choices and options,” Kallis said.

Chase Nattkemper, 22, is also challenging an incumbent. In the three-way race for a Vigo School Board seat, he’s the only Republican; the other candidates didn’t affiliate.

He feels like there should be distance between politics and schools, but he chose to declare GOP affiliation out of transparency; he ran for county council as a Republican earlier this year. He hopes voters continue to pick people they think best represent them and their communities.

Nattkemper said he could see some candidates using affiliation to their advantage to capture partisan votes in districts that are heavily Republican or Democratic, but he believes the change to be largely helpful for connecting voters with school board hopefuls.

Travis Shepherd, longtime member of the Jennings County School Board of Trustees, felt the choice to not affiliate was made for him.

Indiana Court Rules restrict court employees from holding partisan elected office. Shepherd is a court employee. Lawmakers previously expressed similar concerns about the effect of school board affiliation on federal employees, many of whom are disallowed from partisan offices under the Hatch Act.

Shepherd can see both perspectives on the new law, but the change doesn’t bother him much. He said by doing his research on candidates, he’d be able to figure out where they stand on issues anyway.

The post Indiana school board candidates split 50-50 on affiliating with a party appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

]]> https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/chalk-sky.png Trump agitators insert themselves into large No Kings protest in Warsaw https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/trump-agitators-insert-themselves-into-large-no-kings-protest-in-warsaw/ Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:26:15 +0000 https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/?p=113217 By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Numerous supporters of Donald Trump on Saturday tried to disrupt the No Kings protest, which turned out to likely be one of the biggest protests organized in Warsaw in decades.

[caption id="attachment_113264" align="alignright" width="480"] A Warsaw police officer had to briefly intervene after several counterprotesters inserted themselves into the crowd along North Detroit Street. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Several hundred people lined up along both sides of North Detroit Street, and eventually rally-goers could be seen at all four corners of the Detroit-Center intersection while more then staked out spots at the Main Street intersection to the south.

The rally was excessively boisterous as horns blared approval to the responders' signs, which decried what many see as Trump’s autocratic tendencies.

The Warsaw protest was one of hundreds of No Kings rallies that drew huge crowds and coincided with a

[caption id="attachment_113269" align="alignright" width="480"] Area police urged two or three counterprotesters to leave the immediate area. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

massive military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the US Army's 250th birthday and happened to fall on Trump’s 79th birthday.

85-year-old James Miller, a military veteran visiting from Florida, arrived with his cane and a protest sign along with his wife, Barbara.

“Myself, I’m a veteran and I feel very strongly that what’s happening in Washington is not right. It’s not what I fought for, I’ll tell you that,” Miller said. “So to heck with them.”

“If you see what’s coming out of there in Washington in this day and age, it makes an old man cry,” Miller said.

The protest was organized online by Thomas Skeens, an area resident.

“It’s a great turnout. I wanna say thanks to Donald Trump. He made it possible. Everything he’s doing is making people come out. It’s not me, it’s not Democrats. It’s not anybody. People are sick of it,” Skeens said.

Elizabeth Coquillard, an area resident who serves as the outreach director for the Indiana Libertarian Party, was among the protesters. 

She is upset with Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops into Los Angeles to quell protests over the ongoing immigration crackdown

“I wish there were more National Guard people out here today asking the National Guard not to break their oath. I truly believe that’s what they're doing. I don’t feel Trump has a good reason to send in the National Guard, especially without the governor’s consent,” Coquillard said.

“We’re here for the little guys,” she added

For the first 90 minutes, many motorists created a near-constant flood of honking horns and many offered a thumbs-up as they drove past. But there were also an occasional few who displayed a middle finger in disapproval.

The raucous, noisy environment continued for nearly three hours.

But eventually, a few pickup trucks carrying Trump signs began circling the protest area, a tactic seen at previous protests earlier this year in Warsaw.

That coincided with two small groups of Trump supporters on foot who then began parading along the sidewalks with Trump flags in an attempt to agitate rally-goers.

Shortly before 5 p.m., numerous police cars arrived in the adjacent CVS parking lot, and two groups — mostly teens — with Trump flags were urged to disperse. One officer told the counterprotesters that it was clear they were trying to agitate the crowd and urged them to use the vacant corner on Main Street in order to keep the peace.

Another group of counterprotesters stood on the southeast corner of Detroit and Center. Those included a couple who wore shirts supporting Trump and and former presidential candidate, Ross Perot. Another guy held a sign reading "Idiots."

As the protest began to thin out, a dozen or so Trump supporters, one carrying a vulgar Joe Biden flag, stood along the west side of Detroit Street alongside No Kings protesters.

Aside from a few terse words, the two sides appeared to remain civil as several police officers continued to watch from across the street.

[gallery columns="1" size="large" ids="113231,113254,113227,113274,113224,113250,113229,113238,113244,113273,113252,113253,113255,113239,113226,113257,113275,113247"]

The post Trump agitators insert themselves into large No Kings protest in Warsaw appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

]]> By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Numerous supporters of Donald Trump on Saturday tried to disrupt the No Kings protest, which turned out to likely be one of the biggest protests organized in Warsaw in decades.

A Warsaw police officer had to briefly intervene after several counterprotesters inserted themselves into the crowd along North Detroit Street. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.

Several hundred people lined up along both sides of North Detroit Street, and eventually rally-goers could be seen at all four corners of the Detroit-Center intersection while more then staked out spots at the Main Street intersection to the south.

The rally was excessively boisterous as horns blared approval to the responders’ signs, which decried what many see as Trump’s autocratic tendencies.

The Warsaw protest was one of hundreds of No Kings rallies that drew huge crowds and coincided with a

Area police urged two or three counterprotesters to leave the immediate area. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.

massive military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the US Army’s 250th birthday and happened to fall on Trump’s 79th birthday.

85-year-old James Miller, a military veteran visiting from Florida, arrived with his cane and a protest sign along with his wife, Barbara.

“Myself, I’m a veteran and I feel very strongly that what’s happening in Washington is not right. It’s not what I fought for, I’ll tell you that,” Miller said. “So to heck with them.”

“If you see what’s coming out of there in Washington in this day and age, it makes an old man cry,” Miller said.

The protest was organized online by Thomas Skeens, an area resident.

“It’s a great turnout. I wanna say thanks to Donald Trump. He made it possible. Everything he’s doing is making people come out. It’s not me, it’s not Democrats. It’s not anybody. People are sick of it,” Skeens said.

Elizabeth Coquillard, an area resident who serves as the outreach director for the Indiana Libertarian Party, was among the protesters. 

She is upset with Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops into Los Angeles to quell protests over the ongoing immigration crackdown

“I wish there were more National Guard people out here today asking the National Guard not to break their oath. I truly believe that’s what they’re doing. I don’t feel Trump has a good reason to send in the National Guard, especially without the governor’s consent,” Coquillard said.

“We’re here for the little guys,” she added

For the first 90 minutes, many motorists created a near-constant flood of honking horns and many offered a thumbs-up as they drove past. But there were also an occasional few who displayed a middle finger in disapproval.

The raucous, noisy environment continued for nearly three hours.

But eventually, a few pickup trucks carrying Trump signs began circling the protest area, a tactic seen at previous protests earlier this year in Warsaw.

That coincided with two small groups of Trump supporters on foot who then began parading along the sidewalks with Trump flags in an attempt to agitate rally-goers.

Shortly before 5 p.m., numerous police cars arrived in the adjacent CVS parking lot, and two groups — mostly teens — with Trump flags were urged to disperse. One officer told the counterprotesters that it was clear they were trying to agitate the crowd and urged them to use the vacant corner on Main Street in order to keep the peace.

Another group of counterprotesters stood on the southeast corner of Detroit and Center. Those included a couple who wore shirts supporting Trump and and former presidential candidate, Ross Perot. Another guy held a sign reading “Idiots.”

As the protest began to thin out, a dozen or so Trump supporters, one carrying a vulgar Joe Biden flag, stood along the west side of Detroit Street alongside No Kings protesters.

Aside from a few terse words, the two sides appeared to remain civil as several police officers continued to watch from across the street.

The post Trump agitators insert themselves into large No Kings protest in Warsaw appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

]]> https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-232218.png Rainwater downplays GOP attacks while in Warsaw https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/rainwater-downplays-gop-attacks-while-in-warsaw/ Sat, 26 Oct 2024 14:57:37 +0000 https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/?p=100757 By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Donald Rainwater defended himself against recent attacks from Republicans during a stop in Warsaw Friday.

Rainwater faces Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Braun and Democrat Jennifer McCormick in the Nov. 5 race for governor.

A recent mailer from the Indiana Republican Party’s state committee described Rainwater as a “Perennial loser and deadbeat dad,” and called him “an embarrassment.”

The mailer accuses Rainwater of losing custody of his child, failing to pay child support and being held in contempt by a judge, according to a story recently posted by Indiana Capital Chronicle.

He said he was divorced about 30 years ago and then lost his job.

He said he believes the Braun campaign wants to win more than 50 percent of the vote so they can claim a mandate ahead of legislative pursuits.

In a three-way race, he thinks Braun is struggling to reach that plateau.

“What they’re doing is having trouble earning votes so they feel like they have to disparage me a little bit to take votes from me,” Rainwater said while standing outside of the Libertarian tent in downtown Warsaw Friday during the annual Spooktacular Halloween event.

He said he thinks the GOP state committee has “stretched the facts,” but did not elaborate.

He admits he struggled with finances,  family issues and career difficulties in the 1990s.

“I think a lot of Hoosiers have experienced those types of things. I’ve fought hard to fight through those, to fight my way out of that and I fought my way into rebuilding my life in a way that I’m very proud of,” he said.

Rainwater finished third statewide and lost to Republican Eric Holcomb in 2020 with 11 percent of the vote but collected 19 percent in Kosciusko County and finished second in the general election ahead of Democrat candidate Woody Meyers.

The post Rainwater downplays GOP attacks while in Warsaw appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

]]> By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Donald Rainwater defended himself against recent attacks from Republicans during a stop in Warsaw Friday.

Rainwater faces Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Braun and Democrat Jennifer McCormick in the Nov. 5 race for governor.

A recent mailer from the Indiana Republican Party’s state committee described Rainwater as a “Perennial loser and deadbeat dad,” and called him “an embarrassment.”

The mailer accuses Rainwater of losing custody of his child, failing to pay child support and being held in contempt by a judge, according to a story recently posted by Indiana Capital Chronicle.

He said he was divorced about 30 years ago and then lost his job.

He said he believes the Braun campaign wants to win more than 50 percent of the vote so they can claim a mandate ahead of legislative pursuits.

In a three-way race, he thinks Braun is struggling to reach that plateau.

“What they’re doing is having trouble earning votes so they feel like they have to disparage me a little bit to take votes from me,” Rainwater said while standing outside of the Libertarian tent in downtown Warsaw Friday during the annual Spooktacular Halloween event.

He said he thinks the GOP state committee has “stretched the facts,” but did not elaborate.

He admits he struggled with finances,  family issues and career difficulties in the 1990s.

“I think a lot of Hoosiers have experienced those types of things. I’ve fought hard to fight through those, to fight my way out of that and I fought my way into rebuilding my life in a way that I’m very proud of,” he said.

Rainwater finished third statewide and lost to Republican Eric Holcomb in 2020 with 11 percent of the vote but collected 19 percent in Kosciusko County and finished second in the general election ahead of Democrat candidate Woody Meyers.

The post Rainwater downplays GOP attacks while in Warsaw appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

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