Perry, GA – March 8, 2025 – The Libertarian Party of Georgia has re-elected Gerred Bell as state chair, handing former presidential nominee Chase Oliver a narrow but decisive defeat, 50 to 47. The outcome signals a preference for grounded leadership over the more performative, divisive approach Oliver has become known for.
Bell, who has led the party for the past two years, has built coalitions around key libertarian issues, strengthened local infrastructure, and worked to expand the party’s influence in Georgia. His victory over Oliver—a candidate who attempted to parlay his failed presidential run into state leadership—suggests that party members valued results over rhetoric.
While Oliver’s 2024 campaign gave him name recognition, it also alienated parts of the party who viewed his approach as more about personal branding than movement-building. His progressive-leaning messaging and open hostility toward right-libertarians turned off many in the party’s grassroots, and his defeat in Georgia suggests that even his home state’s libertarians weren’t interested in that style of leadership.
Despite failing to secure the chair position, Oliver did manage to win a seat on the executive committee, ensuring he will still have a voice in party operations.
Bell’s re-election sets the stage for another term of grassroots organizing, coalition-building, and independent media outreach, keeping the party focused on substantive activism rather than factionalism and political grandstanding. Meanwhile, Oliver will have to settle for a diminished role in shaping the party’s future.
