Who is Chase Oliver? What to know about the Libertarian candidate appearing on US ballots
Libertarian Party presidential candidate Chase Oliver is appearing aside Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on ballots across the U.S.
In addition to Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, voters on Election Day may have also noticed Libertarian Party presidential candidate Chase Oliver on their ballots.
Oliver, 39, is a "Libertarian activist living in Atlanta," according to his campaign.
"Oliver is a champion of the rights of the individual against the growing power of the state," his biography on his campaign's website reads.
According to his campaign website, Oliver began his political activism opposing the Iraq War and aligned with the Libertarian Party "after an encounter at the Atlanta Pride Festival in 2010."
The Gazette, a newspaper in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, described Oliver in 2023 as a “pro-gun, pro-police reform, pro-choice Libertarian” who is “armed and gay.”
“A 39-year-old Libertarian who is ready to speak our principles boldly and loudly to the American public will look so great compared to two 80-year-old decrepit, old-party machine people, who are going to be spouting the same lines and the same mudslinging that they do every four years,” Oliver told a group of eight people at a meet-and-greet event with Linn County Libertarians in Cedar Rapids, per the Gazette.
Here's what to know about Oliver.
Chase Oliver ran for John Lewis' seat in Congress
Before throwing his hat into the 2024 presidential race, Oliver ran for Congress in Georgia's 5th district in 2020, according to his campaign. He did not win the special election, losing the seat formerly held by the late civil rights icon John Lewis to Democratic candidate Kwanza Hall.
In 2022, Oliver ran in Georgia's 2022 U.S. Senate election. According to his campaign biography, he is "widely credited" for causing a runoff election between incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker.
How many ballots is Chase Oliver on?
Oliver and his vice presidential candidate, Mike ter Maat, are on the ballot in 47 states, according to his campaign.
Although Oliver is not on the ballot in New York, Illinois or Tennessee, he is an official write-in option in these three states.