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Libertarian Hopes to Qualify in House District 79

By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter

Tuesday, September 13, Gage Fenwick announced, “Today we turned in over 300 signatures for ballot access! One step closer towards Liberty in Alabama! Help us by liking and sharing our page! Ask your friends to help support our cause!”

On Saturday, the Libertarian candidate for House District 79 told the Alabama Political Reporter that he still is waiting for the Secretary of State’s office to certify his candidacy.

Fenwick said, “They are still reviewing the petition signatures. We should know by Tuesday if we’ve achieved ballot access.”

Fenwick is hoping to face Republican candidate, Joe Lovvorn, in the Special General election to replace disgraced former Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn) in Alabama House District 79. Hubbard lost his seat when a Lee County Grand Jury found the former Speaker guilty of twelve violations of Alabama’s State ethics law.

Also on Tuesday, Joe Lovvorn narrowly defeated three other GOP contenders for the vacant House seat.

Fenwick wrote on social media, “We passed 500 likes! That is amazing! With the results of the Republican Primary, the people of Auburn and district 79 are ready for another option! Thank you all so much for the love and support as we continue our campaign! Hopefully we will gain ballot access. Please share this page with your friends and help us grow! The Liberty movement is alive and well in Auburn. Let’s show Alabama that we are ready to LIVE FREE!”

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Fenwick wrote on Monday, September 12, “Many of my opponents speak about restoring faith in government. To heal the scar that former Speaker Mike Hubbard left on District 79. I want people to understand that the sole purpose of government is to protect your rights. If we allow our government to become comfortable with its powers, it will expand and infringe on your rights. Government is made up of people. People whom we elect to represent us. Remember this election to vote for a representative that you can hold accountable, not one that is backed by the powers of the elite. Vote for Liberty.”

Fenwick is a sophomore economics student at Auburn University. If elected he would be one of the youngest members of the legislature and the only Libertarian.

According to his website, Gage believes that state government should not incur debt. He supports gambling legalization. Fenwick wrote, “Anything you wish to do that neither harms nor causes a loss to another person should be permissible under the law. Governments have no right to tell you what books you can read, who you can communicate with, where you can travel, whom you can trade with or any other number of things they try to regulate or make illegal that have no identifiable victim.”
According to Fenwick. “Federal legislation such as the USA PATRIOT Act, REAL ID, FISA, and many others are an unconstitutional violation of our natural rights.”

Alabama is among the hardest states in the country for a minor party candidate to get ballot access. Not only do independents and minor party candidates have to get petitions signed, those signatures have to be registered voters in the district in which they are running.

Brandon Moseley is a former reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter.

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