LPWV criticizes Governeror’s deployment of WVNG to DC
Libertarian Party of WV Criticizes Governor’s Deployment of WV National Guard to Washington, D.C.
(Charleston, WV) – August 17, 2025 – The Libertarian Party of West Virginia (LPWV) strongly criticizes Governor Morrissey’s recent decision to deploy West Virginia National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. While this action may have some popularity within the party that controls WV politics, it flies in the face of the proper constitutional role of our Guard.
“Our National Guard exists to protect West Virginia, not to be dispatched at the whim of federal politicians for operations outside our state,” said LPWV Chairman Taylor Richmond. “When our citizens need assistance with floods, storms, or emergencies, those soldiers should be here and not serving as pawns in federal power struggles.”
This decision underscores the urgent need for the Defend the Guard movement, which seeks to prohibit the deployment of state National Guard units into active combat or federal service without a formal declaration of war by Congress. The Founders vested the power to declare war solely with Congress, not the President, and not state governors acting under federal pressure.
“Sending our Guard to Washington for political theater erodes both state sovereignty and individual liberty,” added Dustin Blankenship, LPWV spokesperson. “West Virginians should demand that their representatives support Defend the Guard legislation and put an end to this misuse of our citizen soldiers.”
The LPWV reaffirms its commitment to defending civil liberties, limiting government overreach, and ensuring that West Virginia’s sons and daughters are not deployed unless Congress follows the Constitution and declares war.
For Media Inquiries Contact:
Dustin S. Blankenship, JD
Director of Outreach, Libertarian Party of West Virginia Email: dustinblankenship@lpwv.org
www.lpwv.org
LPWV Statement on Sanders
(Parkersburg, WV) – Chairman of the Libertarian Party of West Virginia, Taylor Richmond, issued the following statement regarding the tour of West Virginia being held by Senator Bernie Sanders in the coming days.
Senator Bernie Sanders’ visit to West Virginia is a political spectacle that highlights the ongoing failure of both major parties to deliver meaningful results for the people of this state.
While Sanders continues to champion massive federal programs and sweeping government interventions, the truth is that top-down solutions from Washington have repeatedly failed West Virginians. Decades of Democratic leadership in key areas of the state have left behind crippled economies, stagnant opportunity, and broken communities. Their policies have centralized power, expanded dependency, and ignored the entrepreneurial spirit and self-reliance that once defined this region and state.
But let’s not let the Republicans off the hook either. They talk a big game about freedom, but when push comes to shove, they vote for bloated budgets, handouts to corporations, and federal overreach just the same. Whether it’s supporting crony capitalism, the war on drugs, or unchecked surveillance, Republicans in West Virginia have consistently abandoned the principles of limited government.
Sanders’ presence here is a reminder that both parties are more interested in power than progress. Libertarians believe in a different path forward that trusts individuals over institutions, decentralizes authority, and unleashes innovation through freedom. We don’t need another big government program or hollow populist promise. We need to get government out of the way so West Virginians can build a better future on their own terms.
It’s time to reject the false choice between failed Democrats and hypocritical Republicans. Liberty, personal responsibility, and local control. This is the only path forward for West Virginia. That is the path the Libertarian Party of West Virginia offers.
For media inquiries contact:
Dustin S. Blankenship,
Director of Outreach
Libertarian Party of West Virginia dustinblankenship@lpwv.org
www.lpwv.org
Montani Semper Libertarian
Recently, we celebrated West Virginia Day which got me thinking about West Virginia’s state motto. Montani Semper Liberi, “Mountaineers are Always Free” echoes through the hollers and hills with a quiet intensity. It’s a declaration of rugged self-determination, a creed born not in theory but in the daily choices of people who’ve lived close to the land, skeptical of outside interference, and proudly independent. But here’s the paradox: West Virginia, by culture and heritage, is a deeply libertarian state. Its people just don’t realize it yet.
Look beyond party lines and what you’ll find is a spirit deeply aligned with the values of libertarianism. A deep distrust of federal overreach. A fierce protection of the Second Amendment. A belief in personal responsibility. A desire to be left alone by bureaucracy, red tape, and the elite who think they know what’s best for “Appalachia.”
West Virginians know how to fix their trucks, grow their food, and raise their families, and they don’t want anyone else trying to take away that right. They don’t ask for much—just the space to live their lives with dignity. That’s not just rural conservatism. That’s textbook libertarianism.
So why don’t West Virginians call themselves libertarians? Part of the answer lies in political branding. “Libertarian” is often misunderstood, wrapped up in abstract debates or lumped in with fringe politics. While well-meaning, many libertarians get drawn into the minutia of complex economic or social debate. Meanwhile, the Democratic and Republican parties have dominated the political map for so long that people often vote out of tradition, frustration, or habit—not philosophical alignment.
But dig into the conversations at a VFW hall, a volunteer fire department, or a mom and pop restaurant in Mingo County, and you’ll hear libertarian themes everywhere. Frustration with government mandates. Resentment of taxation that doesn’t return in services. A belief that communities—not bureaucrats—should take care of their own.
With each generational shift, each federal misstep, each tone-deaf policy pushed from afar, the libertarian alignment of West Virginia becomes clearer. Younger voters, especially, show signs of questioning old labels. They’re tired of the endless left-right tug-of-war and are searching for an ideology that matches their values of freedom, privacy, and local control.
West Virginia isn’t waiting to be “converted” to libertarianism—it’s already libertarian in spirit. What it lacks is awareness and articulation. When that alignment finally clicks, when Mountaineers connect their cultural DNA with a political philosophy that fits like an old work glove, West Virginians won’t just aspire to be free. They’ll be consciously, actively, and proudly free..
And maybe then, our motto will ring not just as a statement of identity, but as a call to political awakening: Montani Semper Libertarian.
-Taylor Richmond is a lifelong West Virginian, Morgantown resident, and Chairman of the Libertarian Party of West Virginia. He may be reached for comment at chair@lpwv.org. For more information on the Libertarian Party of West Virginia, go to http://lpwv.org.
This article has been picked up by:
WV News
State Journal
Preston News
Jacskson Newspapers
Morgantown News
Sentinel
Exponent Telegram
Herald Dispatch
Charleston Gazette-Mail
US Bombs Iran – A Libertarian Perspective
Libertarian Party of West Virginia Applauds Bipartisan Resolution to Prohibit U.S. Military Involvement in Iran
Libertarian Party of West Virginia Condemns Political Violence, Reaffirms Commitment to the Second Amendment
New LPWV Board elected
Newly elected board for the LPWV: Region 1: Joseph Anthony Steiner, Vice Chair: Travis L. Bost, Director of Outreach: Dustin S. Blankenship, Region 2: Tara Jane Sheffer, Treasurer: Steven Smith, Director of Legislation: Erika Klie Kolenich, Chair: Taylor Richmond, Region 3: Allie Oxenblood, Secretary: David Prince
Region 4,5, & 6 are currently vacant. We will be reaching out for possible candidates!