FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, March 16th, 2023 – Libertarians in Chicago are celebrating the election of Christopher Laurent to the 14th District Police District Council as the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners released the official summary of the February 28th election. Laurent is also the first member of the Libertarian Party of Illinois to win a seat in Chicago municipal government. He was one of two candidates to file in the three-seat council, guaranteeing his win.
“I am excited to take on this role,” said Laurent, who received 10,719 votes. “This will provide an opportunity to display Libertarian ideals to my counterparts, the city of Chicago, and the community I feel ambitious to show what Libertarians can do, provided they have the opportunity to engage in public discourse and service.”
Libertarian Justin Tucker, who received 41 votes as a write-in candidate for the 14th District’s third seat, hoped to join Laurent on the council. This is a significant increase in votes from Tucker’s previous write-in totals. He was bested by a union-backed write-in candidate who received 4,006 votes. “I regret not being able to join Chris at the 14th District. I’m also amazed at Big Union’s influence on this race.”
Laurent’s win is the second major electoral achievement by the Libertarian Party in Cook County in recent months. Nico Tsatsoulis’ 2022 campaign against Democrat Fritz Keigi for Assessor received over 17% of the vote, keeping the Libertarian Party legally established in Cook County through 2026.
Libertarians are also looking forward to the 2024 election. “We are now beginning to see how Libertarians can reach more voters while pursuing local offices,” said Adam Balling, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Chicago. “And we’ve only just begun!”
To learn more about Christopher Laurent, visit LaurentForChicago.com. He is available for press interviews. Contact communications@lpchicago.org for scheduling or general inquiries. More information on the Libertarian Party of Chicago can be found at LPChicago.org and LPIllinois.org.
ABOUT THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF CHICAGO
The Libertarian Party of Chicago is a local chapter of the Libertarian Party of Illinois, an affiliate of the national Libertarian Party. The party is comprised of common people united by two goals: 1) to advocate for a better Chicago through the promotion of liberty and 2) to make the Libertarian Party a legitimate and viable political option in modern American politics. Join us for our monthly meetings (www.LPChicago.org/events) and follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @ChicagoLP.