Libertarian Party Co-Founder Dies In Arizona

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Libertarian Party Co-Founder Dies In Arizona
by The Associated Press
November 26, 2010

Libertarian Party co-founder David F. Nolan died unexpectedly in Arizona after making runs in recent years for the U.S. Senate and House, the party said Friday. He was 66.

Nolan died unexpectedly Sunday in Tucson, Ariz., where he lived, according to a statement released by the party in Washington. His cause of death remained unclear.

Nolan helped found the party with a group of colleagues at his home in Denver on Dec. 11, 1971, the statement said.

"He not only helped found the Libertarian Party but remained active and helped to guide our party for the last 40 years," Mark Hinkle, chairman of the Libertarian Party, said in the statement.

"We are now the third-largest political party in America, and one of the most persistent and successful third parties in American history, thanks in large part to David Nolan," he said.

Nolan was active in Arizona politics and received nearly 5 percent of the vote this year as a Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican John McCain.

During the campaign, Nolan said the most effective way to end border violence and cripple drug cartels was to decriminalize drugs.

In 2006, Nolan ran for the House in Arizona's 8th District against Gabrielle Giffords.

Wes Benedict, executive director of the Libertarian Party, told The Associated Press he felt a great loss with Nolan's death.

"We'll certainly miss him," Benedict said. "He had just become very active again in driving the party."

Before settling in Tucson, Nolan received a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked for four decades in advertising, marketing and publishing.

Funeral services are pending.