Keith Thompson

Running For: At-Large

About Keith Thompson

Keith Thompson has served as a local affiliate founder and Chair, as the Communications Officer for Louisiana for seven terms, as the State Chair of Louisiana, and as an LNC Regional representative.

Are you a dues paying, or life, member of the Libertarian Party?

Lifetime Member

Will you please describe any experience you have making budgeting decisions for medium sized organizations?

I work closely with accounting in my professional work, doing cost and data analysis, auditing, and accounting reporting.

How can the Libertarian Party set and stay within a budget, and what are the rough outlines of what that budget might look like?

The current budget is a good start, but we are still have a shortfall. We need to refocus on fundraising, rebuilding our Party’s image, and using the data we already have to better target and solicit donations.

We have made large cuts to staff, but still pay large salaries to a few positions that could be filled much less expensively.

When is it appropriate for the Libertarian Party to go into debt?

If we were to purchase another LPHQ building so we can have centralized staff and day-to-day operations, I believe there’s a case for a mortgage – should the existing building fund not be sufficient.

But generally, we should not carry debt, and any debt we do incur should be paid off as quickly as possible.

Can you name a large, successful convention that you helped to plan?

I have only done convention planning at a local and state level, neither of which I would consider very large.

Will you please describe any ballot access campaign you've helped to organize or supervise, and what the result was?

Fortunately, my state has historically had easy ballot access. However, we have recently found ourselves with the need for petitioning for Congressional candidates.

While we are still very early in the process, we are seeking to meet the requirement by a combination of public events, volunteers, targeted contacts, and (if needed) paid petitioning.

Will you please describe any experience you have with database management?

I am a full stack developer and DBA, specializing in web applications and business intelligence. I have over 20 years of experience working with MSSQL, MySQL, and other database systems.

Will you please describe any experience you have with social media account oversight?

I have served for about 14 years as the communications officer for my state affiliate.

I have also served as the National LP’s Facebook Platform manager for several years, being responsible for scheduling content, creating graphics, writing statements, and managing volunteers. I have also served on the LNC’s Advertising and Publications Review committee, which reviews every statement of the Party for platform compliance and public perception.

During your best year, about how much money were you able to fundraise for the Libertarian Party, for a state or local party, or for a campaign?

My wife and I have donated a few thousand to various LP candidates and the Party, and I have volunteered for many campaigns – but I am admittedly not a very good fundraiser. The most I’ve been able to raise for a campaign was probably in the low-thousands range, because my volunteer efforts were focused elsewhere.

Can you name a time when you resisted the temptation to take on a project outside of your organization's core functions?

A lot of people tend to take on more projects than they can handle, and I understand that – we sometimes don’t have enough good volunteers to go around. I have done work for many campaigns and assisted several affiliates with design, messaging, and I.T. work – but sometimes this has to be delegated to others. When I am unable to help, I try to find another person who can fill in, because goodness knows we need more volunteers.

Will you please describe a time when you were able to work with someone you didn't like or with someone who didn't like you? Do you tend to make people you work with angry?

Goodness I hope I don’t anger people I work with.

But I have worked with people who were misinformed about my positions, and that’s somewhat expected in a large political organization. I certainly don’t aim to be difficult to work with, and I realize being on the LNC means needing to work with those who may have strong personal disagreements.

Is there anything else that would make you a good member of the Libertarian National Committee?

I have been a volunteer for campaigns, affiliates, and National for 14 years. I have helped other local and state affiliates with design, branding, and campaign materials. I’ve done work for the Historic Preservation Committee, digitizing beta tapes and recovering historic audio and video footage.

As a current rep to the LNC, I have a good understanding of our practices and current business.

I would very much like to continue serving on the APRC and working to better our Party.

As an LNC rep, I have tried to answer every email, every phone call, and respond to every message from our members – even if they weren’t from my region. I came to realize that many across the country felt unrepresented by their region, and I have tried to help them as much as I could.

It would be an honor to serve as your At-Large representative.