Chase Oliver

Chase Russell Oliver (born August 16, 1985) is an American political activist, sales account executive, HR representative and nominee of the Libertarian Party for the 2024 United States presidential election. Oliver was the Libertarian candidate for the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia and the 2020 Georgia's 5th congressional district special election.

In Georgia's 2022 Senate election, Oliver received over 2% of the popular vote, and was accused by supporters of both major parties of acting as a spoiler candidate that forced Raphael Warnock into a run-off against Herschel Walker.

Early life
Oliver was born on August 16, 1985, in Nashville, Tennessee. He worked in the restaurant business for 13 years prior to his involvement in political activism.

Activism
On May 15, 2023, Oliver spoke at the Atlanta City Council meeting to oppose Cop City. During his speech, Oliver highlighted the growing distrust between people and governments and their police forces. Oliver spoke out against the over-militarization of police and qualified immunity. He also advocated for the Atlanta City Council to improve existing training facilities instead of clear-cutting forests that had previously been designated by the City Council as public open space.

On September 5, 2023, Oliver spoke at the Columbia, South Carolina City Council meeting in opposition to regulatory hurdles that prevent people from feeding the homeless. He advocated for the Columbia City Council, and other city councils across the country, to address regulatory barriers to feeding and supporting homeless Americans.

Political career
Oliver was previously a Democrat and supported Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, but he left the party after Obama continued the Iraq War. Oliver joined the Libertarian Party in 2010 after meeting several members of the party at an Atlanta Pride Festival.

2020 U.S. House campaign
Oliver first ran for public office in 2020, as the Libertarian nominee for the 2020 Georgia's 5th congressional district special election to replace John Lewis, who had died from pancreatic cancer earlier that year. He won 2% of the vote and was eliminated during the blanket primary.

2022 U.S. Senate campaign
After becoming the Libertarian nominee for the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Georgia, Oliver faced off against the incumbent Democratic Raphael Warnock and Republican Party challenger Herschel Walker. Oliver was the first openly gay Senate candidate in Georgia.

On October 16, 2022, Oliver attended a debate hosted by Georgia Public Broadcasting and debated against Warnock, as well as an empty podium representing Walker, who had declined to attend the debate.

On election day, Oliver received over 2% of the popular vote. Opponents contended that he was a spoiler candidate and that his votes forced the Georgia senate race into a run-off. In the runoff election, he declined to endorse either Warnock or Walker, while offering to host an internet forum between the two candidates. Rolling Stone called him the most influential Libertarian of the year.

2024 presidential campaign
On December 2, 2022, Oliver announced his formation of an exploratory committee to inquire into a possible run for the Libertarian presidential nomination in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. He formally declared his candidacy on April 4, 2023.

Oliver campaigned extensively in Iowa during the summer of 2023. The Gazette described him as a "pro-gun, pro-police reform, pro-choice Libertarian" who is "armed and gay." On August 19, 2023, he spoke at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox, becoming the first-ever third-party presidential candidate to speak at the event.

Oliver filed to run in Oklahoma's "first Libertarian presidential primary election since the party was formally recognized in 2016". Alongside fellow Libertarian primary candidate Jacob Hornberger, Oliver achieved ballot access by collecting signatures from voters in each Congressional district. He won the Oklahoma primary, which was held on Super Tuesday, on March 5, 2024, with 61% of the vote.

In January 2024, Oliver and fellow Libertarian presidential primary candidate Lars Mapstead successfully worked together to secure major party status and ballot access for the Libertarian Party of Maine. Afterwards, Oliver went to Iowa in order to campaign ahead of the 2024 Iowa Libertarian presidential caucuses. He won the Iowa Caucus with 42.7% of the vote.

On February 29, 2024, Oliver participated in a presidential candidates debate hosted by the Free & Equal Elections Foundation, alongside Party for Socialism and Liberation nominee Claudia De la Cruz, Green Party candidates Jill Stein and Jasmine Sherman, and fellow Libertarian candidate Lars Mapstead.

Oliver won the Libertarian nomination on the seventh ballot at the National Convention, defeating Michael Rectenwald, who was endorsed by the Mises Caucus. Oliver designated Mike ter Maat as his preferred choice of running mate.

Abortion
Oliver self-identifies as pro-choice, although he is opposed to taxpayer funding of abortions and supports the Hyde Amendment. He believes that abortion should be legal nationwide, and he has said he would support legislation to make it so.

Climate change
Oliver supports letting the free market find the solution to climate change. He contends that if businesses are left alone, they will be incentivized to develop technologies that will eventually replace current carbon-based fuels.

Electoral reform
Oliver is a strong supporter of ranked-choice voting in the United States, which he has said would have prevented the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Georgia from going to a run-off by allowing voters to rank their preferred candidates when they voted the first time. He has also stated that ranked-choice voting would save millions of taxpayer dollars by allowing run-offs to be instant, while ensuring that winning candidates always get above 50% of the vote.

Foreign affairs
Oliver supports ending American military aid to Israel and Ukraine. He has labeled the Israel–Hamas War as a genocide. He also supports the closure of overseas military bases.

Gun rights
During a 2022 debate with Warnock, Oliver expressed his support for gun rights, stating: "Armed gays are harder to oppress, and they're harder to bash." Oliver opposes bans on bump stocks.

War on drugs
Oliver advocates for ending the war on drugs, and supports the legalization of marijuana.

Criminal Justice reform
Oliver supports ending qualified immunity for law enforcement at the federal level. Oliver also supports ending the death penalty and federal mandatory minimum sentencing.

Immigration
Oliver supports an "Ellis Island-style immigration" system, stating: "If you're coming here to work and be peaceful, it's not my business."

Education
Oliver supports abolishing the United States Department of Education, and advocates "for more choice in the education marketplace on a state-by-state basis". Oliver also opposes the federal backing of student loans, and supports allowing student loan debt to be dischargeable in bankruptcy.

Homelessness
Oliver supports removing regulatory barriers that prevent people and organizations from feeding homeless people.

Economy
Oliver supports free trade, and opposes tariffs. He also supports a balanced federal budget and reducing inflation.

Third parties
Oliver was a contributing author in the September 23, 2023, article "Do Third Parties Help or Harm Democracy?", published by the nonprofit news organization Divided We Fall. In the article, Oliver discussed the strategic position the Libertarian Party holds for the 2024 election season, third-party ballot access, and how the Libertarian Party platform parallels important issues of other third-party platforms, namely the Green Party of the United States and Forward Party (United States), such as ranked choice voting, immigration, cannabis legalization, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Personal life
Oliver is single and openly gay, and resides in the suburbs of Atlanta. He has a "deep faith in the gospel".