Wes Benedict

Running For: Chair

About Wes Benedict

Wes Benedict is Vice President of Texans for Reasonable Solutions, a Texas public policy organization focused on housing affordability, energy reliability, and free-market reforms. He works with legislators, coalition partners, and policy experts on issues including land use reform, property rights, and electricity policy. Wes earned a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin, along with an MBA and a Master of Engineering in Manufacturing from the University of Michigan. His background includes engineering, management consulting, business operations, and political advocacy.

Wes has been active in the Libertarian Party for decades as an activist, organizer, candidate, and national leader. He previously served as Executive Director of the Libertarian National Committee, where he helped improve fundraising, membership, communications, and organizational stability. He has supported Libertarian candidates and affiliates across the country and is known for focusing on practical results, professionalism, and growing the Libertarian Party into a stronger and more effective political organization.

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

Lifetime Member

Have you served previously on the Libertarian National Committee?

Yes

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

As Executive Director of the LNC for eight years, I helped develop the budget for the Libertarian Party. I did the same for the LP Texas for four years.

I was also President and CEO of a kitchen countertop, shower, and tub company with 15 employees for three years and we had to manage our funds carefully. It was a company I bought, fixed up, and sold at a profit.

I have an MBA and lots of experience looking at financial statements and operating organizations efficiently.

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

I've always been very cost conscious and respectful of donors' funds. That helps to boost donor confidence which helps to increase revenue, while also keeping expenses reasonable.

I'm for setting conservative, realistic budgets. Then, if revenue exceeds expectations, we can increase the budget during the year.

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

I'm against going into debt.

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

I helped plan the 2016 national convention where Gary Johnson was nominated for President for the second time. It was a big and beautiful convention!

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

In 2004 I volunteered for six months serving as the volunteer coordinator to help the LP Texas collect 80,000 signatures which got us back on the ballot. As the national LP Executive Director, I assisted multiple states with petition drives that were successful. I've collected petition signatures myself in Texas, Alabama, Virginia, and Ohio.

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

As an engineer with an MBA, I’ve spent much of my career working with databases and data systems. For the Libertarian Party, I managed upgrades to the Raiser's Edge donor database, including server upgrades and later cloud migration. Around 2016, I recruited a staff member who helped develop the CiviCRM package for state affiliates. I’ve also worked with NationBuilder and many other systems, and I’m highly skilled with Excel and Google Sheets. I maintain a Libertarian election results database.

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

I've overseen staff who managed the LP's social media accounts.

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?

As Executive Director of the LP Texas, from 2007 to 2008 I raised $244,000, which was more than the LP California, Florida, and New York combined.

I routinely raised over a million per year for the LP, while now they've fallen under one million per year.

I've raised over $100,000 per year for the Libertarian Booster PAC since 2019.

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

I've occasionally received calls from distraught parents asking me to help get their children out of jail for drug offenses. While that breaks my heart, I explain that the Libertarian Party doesn't have pro bono attorneys to provide that kind of assistance, but that they should keep looking for help. I also tell them that one reason I stay involved is so that, one day, we can change these laws and prevent fewer families from suffering under these unnecessary policies.

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?

I can be blunt sometimes, but I usually work very well with everyone.

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

I want the Libertarian Party to be an organization that we all can be proud of.

Have you served previously in a Chair/Vice Chair capacity for an organization of about the same size as the Libertarian Party?

I was Executive Director of the national Libertarian Party for 8 years, and for the LP Texas for 4 years.

I was CEO of a small business with 15 employees that had revenue of about the same as the Libertarian Party.

I've Vice President of an advocacy group that lobbies the Texas Legislature, which has a budget of roughly the same size as the national Libertarian Party.

How do you define success when it comes to the Libertarian Party?

Quantity of candidates that run for office.

Quantity of candidates that get elected.

Quantity of members and donors.

Total amount of funds raised.

Successfully getting a libertarian message out to the public.

What sort of messaging strategies and styles will make the Libertarian Party most successful, and why?

Go to LP.org and see the messages I published for over eight years with my name attached. I'm for bold messaging that differentiates Libertarians from Republicans and Democrats, and messaging that attracts new interest in the LP.