Langkraehr Files for Governor

Faces opponent who has no household telephone

Randy Langkraehr, Missouri Libertarian Party Executive Committee member and noted activist from Warrensburg, has filed for Governor on the Libertarian Party ticket.

Langkraehr, whose name rhymes with ‘song-prayer’, will face John Swenson in the most prominent contested race in the August primary. Randy Langkraehr, a graduate of Central Missouri State University, is a 20-year tax accountant and an 18-year real estate broker who owns a 19-year marketing company.

Randy Langkraehr addressed the MO LP state convention in Kansas City March 5-7 while his opponent failed to show up.

An aid to St. Louis Post Dispatch political editor Jo Mannis called state chair Bob Sullentrup the day candidate filing closed asking for contact information for LP candidates. “I gave her the phone numbers of all candidates she needed except for one”, he stated. “Then I called Greg Tlapek to see if John had gotten a phone since 2000. He hadn’t, and Greg told me he has to call a friend of John’s and leave a message to contact him.”

In 2000 St. Louis County Chair Dick Illyes lost in the Libertarian primary, and Swenson emerged as the Party’s gubernatorial nominee.

According to Jeanne Bojarski, MO LP Communications Director, that was problematic. “I had to steer the media around our gubernatorial candidate to our other, stronger candidates”, she stated.

Grant Stauffer, the LP’s US Senate candidate in 2000 said, “Swenson is a colorful character whose answer to each issue is a barnyard story with logic known only to him.”

Four years ago Mr. Swenson’s stump speech was memorable according to Sullentrup who served as master of ceremonies for the 2000 convention in St. Peters. “John Swenson had a fist full of bumper stickers which he read and commented on trying to be a comedian and philosopher king.”

Kevin Tull, LP Senatorial candidate noted, “Swenson’s whole speech was a series of one liners, and some were mildly funny – ‘I believe in capital punishment; everyone in the capitol should be punished’.”

Speed bumps in primary elections are not new to any political party.

In 1998 Tamara Millay defeated alleged white supremacist Martin Lindstedt in the Libertarian primary for US Senate. Lindstedt appears in 2004 as he did in 2002 in the Republican primary, but this time as a candidate for governor.

In 2002 for the same office Tamara Millay defeated Edward Manley, a felon from Hillsboro who in 2000 was forced off the Democratic ballot as a candidate for sheriff. While felons cannot run for sheriff, they can for the US Senate.

As recently as 2002 the Republicans nominated a convicted felon for state auditor by the name of Al Hanson. Hanson served time in 1978 in Minnesota for felony theft and theft by swindle, according to the Kansas City Star.  Hanson, spending less than $1000, beat Jay Kanzler, a former partner in the Bryan Cave law firm in St. Louis who had a $115,000 war chest.

Randy Langkraehr sounded confident in his primary challenge by saying, “I welcome the challenge of John Swenson joining the race. I always work better with competition and plan on winning the primary by bringing more members into our party, and beating him through party growth, not negative campaigning. I see great things for the Libertarian party in 2004 and beyond, and if the Libertarian party grows, that can only be good for Missouri and our Country.”

He continued, “It is going to be a fun year to be Libertarian, and people wishing to contact me with ideas, questions, suggestions and support can reach me by phone at (660) 429-1099, by mail at PO Box 1099 Warrensburg, Mo 64093, through my website, www.randyforgovernor.com, or best of all by e-mail at randy@randyforgovernor.com. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible this summer and fall.”

Whatever the choices, it is important that all Libertarians are registered to vote, and participate in choosing the best candidate in the Primary election Tuesday, August 3^rd. . Libertarians should encourage and recruit friends, co-workers, family and others to vote Libertarian.  It is the most important duty and freedom that we as Missouri Libertarians still possess.

Randy Langkraehr’s opponent could not be reached for comment.