Nicholas Sarwark

Nicholas Sarwark
Born	(1979-08-27) August 27, 1979 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, entrepreneur, politician
Known for	19th chairperson of the Libertarian National Committee

Nicholas Sarwark

Nicholas Joel Sarwark (born August 27, 1979) is an American lawyer and entrepreneur who held the position of the 19th chairperson of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC), which oversees the Libertarian Party. Before his election in 2014, he contributed to multiple national committees within the Libertarian Party and led the Libertarian Party of Maryland as chair, as well as serving as vice chair for the Libertarian Party of Colorado. As of 2020, Sarwark remains the only individual to have been elected to three consecutive terms as LP chair.

He chose not to pursue a fourth term in 2020, and his tenure was followed by Joe Bishop-Henchman assuming the role.

Early life and education

Nicholas Sarwark was born on August 27, 1979, in Phoenix, Arizona. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science with a minor in philosophy from Washington Adventist University in 1998. Subsequently, he obtained his Juris Doctor from American University’s Washington College of Law in 2008. During his time in law school, Sarwark gained experience clerking for the libertarian legal organization Institute for Justice.

In the early 1990s, Sarwark was introduced to Libertarian Party events in Maricopa County by his father, which led to his official membership in the party in 1999.

Political career and campaigns

From 2001 to 2003, Sarwark served as chairman of the Libertarian Party of Maryland and held various leadership positions within the party at both local and state levels. Before his election as chair of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) in 2014, he worked as a deputy public defender in Colorado and was vice-chairman of the Libertarian Party of Colorado. He secured re-election as LNC chair in both 2016 and 2018, becoming the first individual to hold three consecutive terms.

During his tenure leading the national party, Sarwark appeared on multiple major media platforms such as MSNBC and NPR to present libertarian viewpoints on a range of issues.

In 2018, Sarwark campaigned in the Phoenix mayoral special election. His platform opposed light rail expansion, addressed municipal pension liabilities, and emphasized collaboration with both Republican and Democratic city council members. He finished fourth out of four candidates with 10.5% of the vote and did not qualify for the runoff election.

After relocating to New Hampshire, Sarwark ran for Hillsborough County Attorney in 2020 as a Libertarian candidate, focusing on reducing the backlog of criminal cases. He placed third among three contenders with 5.6% of the vote. In 2022, he sought the same office again, this time appearing on both the Libertarian and Democratic ballots due to New Hampshire’s cross-filing rules. In that election, he finished second in a two-person contest with 45.25% support.

Personal life

In 2009, Sarwark wed his spouse, Valerie. After establishing their household in Denver, he relocated back to Phoenix in 2014 to become involved with his family's independent automobile dealership, where he held the position of vice-president. Together, Sarwark and Valerie are parents to four children. In 2019, the family moved to Manchester, New Hampshire in order to engage actively with the grassroots libertarian initiative known as the Free State Project.

Electoral history

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External links

• Official website
• Profile at the Libertarian Policy Institute, where Sarwark serves as Executive Director
• Profile at Wedge Squared Strategies, with Sarwark as Principal
• Campaign website for county attorney
• Archived website for Phoenix mayoral campaign
• Website for LNC chair campaign
• Template:C-SPAN
• Template:Ballotpedia