R. Lee Wrights

R. Lee Wrights
Vice Chair Libertarian National Committee
Assumed office
2012
In office
2004–2006
Personal details
Born Roger Lee Wrights
(1958-06-08) June 8, 1958
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party Libertarian (2000–present)
Occupation Writer; Editor; Communications director
Known for Founder of Liberty For All
Website Official website

Roger Lee Wrights (born June 8, 1958) is an American politician, activist and political consultant. He is the founder, editor, and publisher of the online libertarian newsletter Liberty For All.[1] He was the National Vice Chair of the Libertarian National Committee, serving several different times in that role. Wrights was an unsuccessful contender for the 2012 presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party, finishing as first runner-up to the eventual nominee Gary Johnson. He was briefly a candidate for Governor of Texas in 2014.

Personal life

Wrights was born on June 8, 1958 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He graduated from West Forsyth High School in Clemmons, North Carolina in 1976.[2] Afterwards he enlisted in the United States Air Force,[3] and served as a medical services technician at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro, North Carolina.[2] He was honorably discharged in 1981 with the rank of sergeant.[2][4]

Wrights earned a degree from Willmar College in Willmar, Minnesota where he majored in history and journalism. After college, he was a contributing editor for the Eagle News, a monthly political news and commentary newspaper in Forsyth County.[2]

Wrights has two daughters; Annie Jane (b. 1981), and Kelcy Leigh (b. 1995). He has worked as a carpenter and a bartender.[3]

Career

Online

Wrights founded Liberty For All with J. Michael Bragg in 2000, a free speech publication with the motto "Let Your Voice Be Heard" which claims "no one is turned away and no one is censored".[1][4]

In 2001 Wrights began work as an editor of the Free Market Daily, an e-mail newsletter distributed by FreeMarket.net. After FreeMarket.net shut down in 2002, Wrights joined a group that began the Rational Review News Digest, a daily web and email-based news and commentary roundup. He has been an editor of the Rational Review News Digest ever since.[2][4]

From 2005 to 2008, Wrights worked as editor of the Choice Channel for the International Society for Individual Liberty.[2]

Political career

Wrights was elected National Vice Chair of Libertarian National Committee (LNC) in May 2012.[5] He previously held that position from 2004 to 2006.[2]

Wrights served as an at-large member of the LNC. During his time on the LNC, Wrights also served four years on the platform committee. He is currently a member of the Libertarian Party judicial committee, elected to that body at the 2010 national convention.[2]

Wrights has been active in local, state and national Libertarian Party organizations since 2000 and is a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party.[3] He has served as secretary and chair of the Libertarian Party of Forsyth County, N.C. and was vice chair of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC) for seven years. He also served as the LPNC ballot access director for two years.[2]

Wrights was formerly the chair of the Burnet County, Texas LP and was the Senate District 24 representative to the Texas LP State Executive Committee. In 2008, Wrights was campaign manager for the Mary Ruwart for President Committee, and in 2010, he managed Ruwart's campaign for Texas State Comptroller.[2]

Wrights is president of the Foundation for a Free Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the principles of liberty, personal sovereignty, private property, and free markets.[2]

2012 presidential campaign

In July 2010, Wrights announced the formation of an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for a potential bid for the 2012 Libertarian Party presidential nomination.[6]

On April 16, 2011, Wrights officially announced his candidacy for the Libertarian presidential nomination in the election of 2012.[7][8] The stated focus of his campaign was to "stop all war", referring not only to war with foreign nations, but also to war on the American people and their civil liberties waged by the U.S. government.[3][9][10] His campaign slogan was "I am not at war".[11] Wrights also advocated abolition of the national income tax and added that he would "replace it with...nothing."[12]

At the 2012 Libertarian National Convention, Wrights was defeated for the LP presidential nomination by former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, finishing second in the balloting with 25% of the delegate votes.[13]

Following the defeat, Wrights expressed support for Johnson in his general election campaign.[14] He was then nominated as a candidate for the LP vice-presidential slot.[15] Wrights was defeated for that nomination by retired California Superior Court Judge Jim Gray, finishing second in the balloting with 38% of the delegate votes.[16]

The following day, Wrights was nominated for National Chair of the LNC, but declined the nomination.[5][17] He chose instead to run for National Vice Chair of the LNC, and won election to that office.[5]

2014 Texas gubernatorial campaign

In autumn of 2013, Wrights announced his candidacy for Governor of Texas in the 2014 election.[18] In January 2014, he withdrew his candidacy, citing fundraising difficulties.[19]

References

  1. 1 2 "About Liberty For All". Liberty For All. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "About Lee". Wrights for Governor 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 French, Lauren (August 6, 2011). "13 Texans looking to unseat Obama in 2012". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Quinn, Garrett (May 4, 2012). "Meet Lee Wrights, Libertarian Candidate for President". Reason Online. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 Cassidy, Austin (May 6, 2012). "Geoff Neale Elected Chairman of the Libertarian Party". Uncovered Politics. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Wrights forms presidential exploratory committee". Independent Political Report. July 4, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Wrights Launches Presidential Campaign and New Officers Elected at LPNC Annual Convention". Libertarian Party of North Carolina. April 18, 2011. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  8. ↑ (April 15, 2011) "Winston-Salem Libertarian will run for president", Hickory Daily Record. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
  9. ↑ Bollier, Sam (January 9, 2012). "The 'other' political parties of the US". Aljazeera English. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Lee Wrights: On the Road to 'Stop All War'". Independent Political Report. February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  11. ↑ Hemingway, Mark (June 11, 2012). "Un-conventional:The Libertarian Party does Vegas". The Weekly Standard. Retrieved June 4, 2012. Wrights’s campaign slogan.....is 'I am not at war.'
  12. ↑ Erb, Kelly Phillips. "Tax Talk 2012: Lee Wrights". Forbes.com. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  13. ↑ Silva, Cristina (May 7, 2012). "After GOP race, Gary Johnson wins Libertarian nod". KRQE. Associated Press. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Gary Johnson Wins LP Presidential Nomination On First Ballot, Says the Goal is to Win". Independent Political Report. May 5, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  15. ↑ Quinn, Garrett (May 5, 2012). "Gary Johnson Wins Libertarian Party Nomination". Reason Online. Retrieved May 7, 2012. Voting for the vice presidential nominee will take place next. Jim Gray and Lee Wrights are the two candidates seeking the VP slot.
  16. ↑ "Judge Jim Gray of California Wins Vice Presidential Nomination of the Libertarian Party". Independent Political Report. May 5, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  17. ↑ Quinn, Garrett (May 6, 2012). "Still no Chair of the Libertarian National Committee". Reason Online. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  18. ↑ Winger, Richard (October 31, 2013). "At Least Three Libertarians Seek Texas Gubernatorial Nomination". Ballot Access News. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Lee Wrights Drops Out of Texas Gubernatorial Race". Independent Political Report. January 20, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
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