Mike ter Maat, who was the Libertarian Party's vice presidential nominee a year ago, announced Tuesday that he has joined the Republican Party in a move that he described as a “a strategic shift – not a change in ideology.”
“The Republican Party will be the arena for the critical debate of the next political cycle,” ter Maat said in a statement on the switch. “To strengthen our economy through free markets, unify our nation through the Constitution and protect our future through fiscal conservatism and a common-sense foreign policy, we must engage where it matters most.”
Ter Maat was the running mate of Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver. The duo received less than half of a percent of the national vote and came in fifth, securing fewer votes than Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had withdrawn from the race before Election Day.
Ter Matt said he is specifically aligning with the GOP's Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC), which is made up of Republicans who have Libertarian-leaning views. The RLC in the past has backed candidates like former Texas Rep. Ron Paul and current Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie.
RLC chair John Dennis credited President Trump, who spoke at the Libertarian Party's convention last year, with bringing more third-party backers into the GOP, even as some of Trump's allies take aim at libertarian-leaning Republicans.
“The Republican Liberty Caucus is the right entry point for liberty Republicans, Libertarians and independents committed to the fight for constitutional governance,” Dennis said in a statement on ter Maat's announcement. “The RLC is excited to fulfill this important role.”
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