List of American libertarians

This is a list of notable libertarians in the United States. It includes people who have identified themselves as members of the Libertarian Party or with Libertarianism in their political or social philosophy.

A

 * Max Abramson, State Representative from New Hampshire
 * Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Palestinian-American scholar and the president of the Minaret of Freedom Institute; 2012 Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maryland
 * Norma Jean Almodovar, 1986 Libertarian Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of California
 * Justin Amash, former U.S. Representative from Michigan
 * Michael Arrington, founder of TechCrunch
 * Cliff Asness, hedge fund manager

B

 * Jim Babka, president of the Downsize DC Foundation; former chair of the Libertarian Party of Ohio
 * Michael Badnarik, 2004 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
 * Peter Bagge, cartoonist
 * Radley Balko, journalist, blogger, and author
 * Doug Bandow, blogger, columnist, writer, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute
 * John Perry Barlow, lyricist and co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
 * Randy Barnett, legal scholar and law professor
 * Bob Barr, former U.S. Representative from Georgia and 2008 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
 * Christopher R. Barron, founder of GOProud
 * Dave Barry, humor columnist
 * Jim Bell, entrepreneur and author of an essay describing a method of killing government officials
 * Bruce L. Benson, academic
 * David Bergland, 1984 Libertarian Party presidential nominee, and two-time chair of the Libertarian National Committee
 * David Bernstein, law professor
 * David Boaz, political writer and one-time executive vice president of the Cato Institute.
 * Big Boi, rapper
 * Clint Bolick, Associate Justice, Arizona Supreme Court; lawyer and founder of the litigation division of the Goldwater Institute
 * Scott Boman, 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan
 * Rupert Boneham, Survivor contestant and 2012 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of Indiana
 * Murray Bookchin, writer
 * Neal Boortz, radio host
 * Andy Borsa, member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
 * James Bovard, author
 * R. W. Bradford, founder of Liberty
 * Barbara Branden, Canadian-American writer, editor, and lecturer
 * Nathaniel Branden, Canadian–American psychotherapist and writer
 * Arthur C. Brooks, author
 * Harry Browne, 1996 and 2000 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
 * David Brudnoy, talk radio host
 * Scott Bullock, civil rights attorney
 * Gene Burns, talk show host and candidate for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination in 1984
 * Marshall Burt, member of the Wyoming House of Representatives

C

 * Richard Campagna, 2004 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
 * Bryan Caplan, economist, writer, and academic
 * Drew Carey, comedian and actor
 * Dale Carpenter, law professor
 * Kevin Carson, political writer and blogger
 * Doug Casey, investor, writer, founder and chairman of Casey Research
 * Dixie Carter, actress
 * Graydon Carter, former editor of Vanity Fair
 * Rodney Caston, cybersecurity expert, open-source intelligence investigator, writer, and 2012 Libertarian Party nominee for the Texas House of Representatives
 * John Chamberlain, journalist
 * Marilyn Chambers, 2004 Personal Choice Party vice-presidential nominee and pornographic actress
 * Gary Chartier, legal scholar, philosopher, political theorist, and theologian
 * Roy Childs, essayist and critic
 * Frank Chodorov, writer
 * Ed Clark, 1980 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
 * Spike Cohen, entrepreneur, podcaster, and 2020 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
 * Chris Cole, 2008 Libertarian nominee for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina
 * Michael Colley, U.S. Navy vice admiral and member of the board of directors of the Libertarian Party
 * Barry Cooper, drug policy reform activist, filmmaker, Libertarian candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Texas in 2008 and for Texas Attorney General in 2010
 * Richard Cornuelle, activist, political theorist, and author
 * Tyler Cowen, economist, columnist, author, and blogger
 * Ed Crane, co-founder of the Cato Institute

D

 * Aubrey Dunn, Jr., former New Mexico commissioner of public lands and Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018
 * Caleb Q. Dyer, former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives

E

 * Charlie Earl, former member of the Ohio House of Representatives, Libertarian Party candidate in the 2014 Ohio gubernatorial election
 * Clint Eastwood, actor
 * Richard Epstein, legal scholar, academic, and writer

F

 * Ken Fanning, member of the Alaska House of Representatives
 * Arthur Farnsworth, Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives convicted of tax evasion in 2006
 * Fred Foldvary, academic, economist, and writer
 * Kmele Foster, political commentator and telecommunications entrepreneur
 * Conor Friedersdorf, journalist, staff writer at The Atlantic
 * David D. Friedman, economist, physicist, legal scholar, political theorist, and author
 * Milton Friedman, economist, statistician, and writer
 * Patri Friedman, activist, political theorist; founder of The Seasteading Institute
 * Rose Friedman, economist

G

 * Eric Garris, founder of Antiwar.com
 * John T. Georgopoulos, founder of SportsGrumblings.com, fantasy sports journalist for various publications, former SiriusXM show host, podcast producer and host
 * Nick Gillespie, journalist who has served as a writer, contributor, and editor for Reason magazine, Reason.com, and ReasonTV
 * Dan Gookin, author, 2004 Libertarian Party nominee for the Idaho Senate and 2007 Libertarian nominee for the Coeur d'Alene city council
 * Daniel P. Gordon, former member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013, who changed his party affiliation from Republican to Libertarian; at the time, he was the only Libertarian serving in any state legislative house in the country
 * Don Gorman, former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
 * Jim Gray, former presiding judge of the Superior Court of Orange County, California; 2012 Libertarian vice-presidential nominee and candidate for the 2020 Libertarian presidential nomination
 * Greg Gutfeld, host of The Greg Gutfeld Show and one of five co-hosts and panelists on the political talk show The Five, both on the Fox News Channel

H

 * F. A. Harper, academic, economist, and writer; founder of the Institute for Humane Studies
 * Phil Harvey, entrepreneur and philanthropist, President of Adam & Eve
 * Henry Hazlitt, journalist, editor, economist, and author
 * Gene Healy, political pundit, journalist, editor, and author; Vice President at the Cato Institute and contributing editor to Liberty magazine
 * Karl Hess, activist, speechwriter, journalist, editor, and political philosopher
 * Jeff Hewitt, Riverside County, California Supervisor, and Libertarian gubernatorial candidate in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election
 * Robert Higgs, economist, historian, and writer
 * John Holt, author and educator, a proponent of unschooling, and a pioneer in youth rights theory
 * John Hospers, philosophy professor and 1972 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
 * Carla Howell, activist and 2002 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of Massachusetts
 * Michael Huemer, academic, philosopher, and writer

J

 * Paul Jacob, activist and commentator
 * Glenn Jacobs, wrestler known as Kane
 * Penn Jillette, magician (renounced libertarianism in 2020).
 * Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico and 2012 and 2016 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
 * Stan Jones, 2002 Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Montana
 * Alex Joseph, mayor of Big Water, Utah
 * Jo Jorgensen, 1996 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee and 2020 presidential nominee
 * Eric July, musician, YouTuber, comic book writer, and political commentator

K

 * Rob Kampia, activist, 2000 Libertarian Party nominee for delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives in the District of Columbia
 * Chris Kluwe, former punter for the Minnesota Vikings
 * Charles G. Koch, businessman
 * David H. Koch, businessman and 1980 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
 * Adam Kokesh, activist, author, and 2020 candidate for the Libertarian presidential nomination
 * Bart Kosko, writer, academic, researcher; contributing editor to Liberty
 * Alex Kozinski, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
 * Steve Kubby, activist, writer, and 1998 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of California and 2000 candidate for the Libertarian vice-presidential nomination

L

 * Philip Labonte, musician, singer for heavy metal band All That Remains
 * Suzanne La Follette, individualist feminist, political theorist, journalist, and editor
 * Sonny Landham, actor and 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky, with whom the party cut ties in July of that year
 * Rose Wilder Lane, journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist
 * James A. Lewis, 1984 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
 * Kurt Loder, entertainment critic, author, columnist, and media personality
 * Dan Loeb, hedge fund manager
 * Nancy Lord, attorney, medical researcher, and 1992 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee

M

 * Roger MacBride, lawyer and 1976 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
 * Spencer MacCallum, anthropologist, business consultant and author
 * John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods Market
 * Michael Malice, Ukrainian-American author, podcaster, columnist, and media personality
 * Andre Marrou, former member of the Alaska House of Representatives and 1992 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
 * John McAfee, computer programmer, businessman, and presidential candidate
 * Peter McWilliams, self-help author and activist
 * Angela McArdle, Chair of the Libertarian National Committee
 * Russell Means, Sioux rights activist, actor and 1988 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
 * Jeffrey Miron, economist and academic
 * John Monds, 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for the Georgia Public Service Commission and 2010 Libertarian nominee for Governor of Georgia
 * Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, American political commentator, radio personality, author, former MTV VJ, and the current host of Kennedy on the Fox Business Network
 * Kary Mullis, 1993 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry for the invention of the polymerase chain reaction technique
 * Michael Munger, 2008 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of North Carolina
 * Rupert Murdoch, media mogul and founder of global media holding company News Corporation

N

 * Loretta Nall, 2006 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of Alabama
 * Andrew Napolitano, former New Jersey Superior Court Judge and host of Freedom Watch
 * Tonie Nathan, 1972 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
 * David Nolan, principal founder of the Libertarian Party and candidate for office in Arizona
 * Gary Nolan, talk radio personality and 2004 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
 * Robert Nozick, philosopher

O

 * Gary Oldman, actor
 * Chase Oliver, activist, business executive; Libertarian Party candidate for the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia, and 2024 Libertarian presidential nominee
 * Art Olivier, 2000 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee

P

 * Tom G. Palmer, writer and political theorist
 * Trey Parker, actor, animator and screenwriter. Parker described himself in 2001 as "a registered Libertarian"
 * Isabel Paterson, Canadian-American journalist, novelist, and political philosopher
 * Ron Paul, former U.S. Representative from Texas and 1988 Libertarian Party presidential nominee
 * Carl Person, attorney and 2012 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
 * Austin Petersen, activist, commentator, broadcaster, candidate for the 2016 Libertarian presidential nomination
 * John Popper, frontman of the rock band Blues Traveler
 * Virginia Postrel, columnist, blogger, author, former editor-in-chief of Reason magazine
 * Sharon Presley, writer, activist, academic; co-founder of Laissez Faire Books, and executive director of the Association of Libertarian Feminists

R

 * Ralph Raico, historian, academic, and writer
 * Justin Raimondo, founder of Antiwar.com
 * Dick Randolph, former member of the Alaska House of Representatives
 * Earl Ravenal, Georgetown University professor and 1984 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
 * Leonard Read, writer, economist; founder of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)
 * Michael Rectenwald, academic, author, and candidate for the 2024 Libertarian presidential nomination
 * Warren Redlich, member of the Guilderland town council and 2010 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of New York
 * Wayne Allyn Root, radio host, businessperson, author; 2008 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee
 * Murray Rothbard, economist and political philosopher
 * Finlay Rothhaus, member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
 * Kurt Russell, actor
 * Aaron Russo, film producer and 2004 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination
 * Mary Ruwart, biophysicist and 2008 candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination

S

 * Murray Sabrin, 1997 Libertarian nominee for Governor of New Jersey
 * Julian Sanchez, journalist, blogger, and editor
 * Robert Sarvis, attorney, 2013 Libertarian nominee for Governor of Virginia, and 2014 Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate in Virginia
 * Nicholas Sarwark, attorney and businessperson; former chair of Libertarian National Committee
 * Peter Schiff, financial analyst, stockbroker, author, one-time Senate candidate, president and CEO of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.
 * Larry Sharpe, entrepreneur, podcaster, and 2018 Libertarian nominee for Governor of New York
 * Michael Shermer, science writer and founder of The Skeptics Society
 * Julian Simon, economist, academic, and writer
 * Paul Singer, founder and CEO of Elliott Management Corporation and founder of the Paul E. Singer Family Foundation
 * Sam Sloan, 2010 candidate for the Libertarian nomination for Governor of New York
 * Dave Smith, comedian, podcaster.
 * Robby Soave, journalist, author, senior editor for Reason
 * Ilya Somin, academic, blogger, author, adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute
 * John Sophocleus, economics instructor and 2002 Libertarian nominee for Governor of Alabama
 * Thomas Sowell, academic, economist, commentator, and social theorist
 * Joseph Stallcop, former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
 * Doug Stanhope, stand-up comedian
 * Starchild, political activist, perennial candidate, and sex worker
 * Matt Stone, actor, animator and screenwriter
 * John Stossel, consumer reporter, investigative journalist, author, columnist
 * Jacob Sullum, syndicated columnist, journalist, and senior editor at Reason magazine
 * Vermin Supreme, performance artist, candidate for the 2020 Libertarian Party presidential nomination
 * Thomas Szasz, intellectual, author, opponent of medical coercion, advocate of medical freedom

T

 * Kristin Tate, political commentator, columnist & author
 * Joan Kennedy Taylor, journalist, author, editor, and activist
 * Mike ter Maat, businessperson, professional economist, retired police officer, and 2024 Libertarian vice presidential nominee
 * Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal
 * Ed Thompson, mayor of Tomah, Wisconsin and 2002 Libertarian Party nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
 * Katherine Timpf, columnist, television personality, reporter, and comedian
 * Christina Tobin, founder of the Free and Equal Elections Foundation and 2010 Libertarian Party nominee for California Secretary of State
 * Maj Toure, political activist and rapper; founder of Black Guns Matter
 * Jeffrey Tucker, political theorist, editor, writer, and internet entrepreneur

V

 * Jimmie Vaughan, musician
 * Vince Vaughn, actor

W

 * Rufus Wainwright, singer-songwriter
 * Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia
 * Calvin Warburton, member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and 1992 candidate for the Libertarian Party vice-presidential nomination
 * David Weigel, journalist, blogger, contributing editor for Reason magazine
 * Matt Welch, blogger and journalist; writer and editor for Reason magazine
 * Bill Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts and 2016 Libertarian vice-presidential nominee
 * Walter E. Williams, economist, commentator, and academic
 * Richard Winger, editor of Ballot Access News
 * Tom Woods, author and radio host
 * Lily Wu, mayor-elect of Wichita, Kansas.
 * Adrian Wyllie, 2014 candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination for Governor of Florida