Ed Clark

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Ed Clark
EdClark.jpg
Vice-Chair
Libertarian National Committee
1972—1974
Predecessor: Pipp Boyls
Successor: Andrea Millen Rich
Temporary State Chair
Libertarian Party of New York
April 22, 1972—1972
Predecessor: Inaugral
Successor: Jerome J. Klasman
Personal Details
Birth: May 4, 1930
Middleborough, Massachusetts
Death: June 18, 2025(2025-06-18) (aged 95)
California
Education: Tabor Academy
Dartmouth College
Harvard University (JD)
Military: United States Navy
Occupation: Lawyer, Politician
Residence: San Marino, California
Party: Libertarian Party
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Edward Emerson "Ed" Clark (May 4, 1930–June 18, 2025) was an American attorney and politician.[1] He was the Libertarian Party's candidate for Governor of California in 1978 and the Presidential candidate in 1980. In 2012, he was inducted into the Hall of Liberty.

Biography

Early Life and Career

Edward Emerson Clark was born in Middleborough, Massachusetts, in 1930.[2][3] He was an honors graduate of Tabor Academy, Dartmouth College, and received a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.[4] He served in the United States Navy from 1952 to 1954 as a lieutenant (junior grade), remaining a reservist until 1965.[3]

Clark worked as a corporate lawyer with ARCO, first in New York City and then in Los Angeles.[3][5][6] Once a liberal Republican, he joined the Libertarian Party following President Richard Nixon's wage and price controls in 1971.[4]

In 1970, Clark married Alicia Garcia, a Mexican-born textiles executive. She chaired the Libertarian National Committee from 1981 to 1983.[7] The couple were longtime supporters of the Los Angeles Opera.[6]

Libertarian Party

Clark was the first State Chair of the New York Free Libertarian Party and, after relocating, was elected State Chair of the Libertarian Party of California from 1973 to 1974.[3] He was elected Vice-Chair of the national party at the 1972 National Convention in Denver, Colorado.[3][8]

Campaigns

1978 California Gubernatorial Campaign

In 1978, Clark ran for Governor of California. Although he was a registered Libertarian, the party lacked ballot status in California and he ran as an independent. Clark received 377,960 votes (5.46% of the popular vote), a Libertarian gubernatorial record that still stands.[9]

1980 Presidential Campaign

Main article: Clark and Koch Presidential Campaign 1980
Ed Clark 1980 Presidential campaign excerpt

In 1980, Clark won the Libertarian Party nomination for the Presidency at their Los Angeles convention. He authored A New Beginning, with an introduction by Eugene McCarthy. During the campaign, Clark branded himself a peace candidate, appealing to liberals and progressives frustrated by the Selective Service registration and Cold War arms race. His description of libertarianism as "low-tax liberalism" drew controversy from purists like Murray Rothbard.[4][10] A growing split within the Libertarian Party between a moderate faction (including Clark) and a purist faction led by Rothbard eventually came to a head in 1983, with the moderate faction walking out of the party convention.

His running mate was David Koch, whose personal contribution comprised roughly $2 million of the campaign’s $3.5 million budget.[11] Clark garnered 920,049 votes (1.06% nationwide), a Libertarian presidential record until Gary Johnson’s bids in 2012 and 2016. His strongest showing was in Alaska, where he placed third with 11.66% of the vote, ahead of independent John Anderson and nearly half the tally of President Jimmy Carter.

Death

Clark died on June 18, 2025 at the age of 95.[12][13]

Legacy

Brian Doherty of Reason reflected that Clark’s 1980 campaign "put the Libertarian Party on the map in a year rich in libertarian cultural clout," noting his hallmark calm normalcy in messaging as "low-tax liberalism" and his trailblazing role during a pivotal political moment.[14] Doherty highlighted Clark’s 1978 gubernatorial run, David Boaz’s accounts of the campaign’s radio and print ads, and Clark’s record-setting vote totals, as well as the strategic partnership with David Koch that enabled an unprecedented campaign budget.[15]

Clark’s efforts that year helped elevate libertarian ideas—tax reduction, deregulation, civil liberties, and noninterventionist foreign policy—into broader public discourse. His 1980 candidacy inspired hundreds of Students for Clark groups and extensive media coverage, establishing a foundation for future Libertarian campaigns and contributing to the movement’s cultural influence in the early 1980s.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=4030
  2. ↑ Boaz, David (2008). "Clark, Ed (1930– )". In Hamowy, Ronald. The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; Cato Institute. pp. 70–71. doi:10.4135/9781412965811.n46. ISBN 978-1412965804. LCCN 2008009151. OCLC 750831024. https://books.google.com/books?id=yxNgXs3TkJYC. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Register of the Ed Clark papers, 1972–1994". Online Archives of California. 2012. https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5779r70z/entire_text/. Retrieved May 29, 2023. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Jackovich, Karen G. (September 22, 1980). "Ed Clark Is the Libertarian Party's Headstrong Candidate for the White House". People. https://people.com/archive/ed-clark-is-the-libertarian-partys-headstrong-candidate-for-the-white-house-vol-14-no-12/. 
  5. ↑ Boaz, David (May 4, 2020). "Happy 90th Birthday, Ed Clark". https://www.cato.org/blog/happy-90th-birthday-ed-clark. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Clark, Alicia. "Alicia & Ed Clark". https://www.laopera.org/support-us/legacy-giving/the-bella-voce-society/meet-our-members-2/alicia-and-ed-clark/. Retrieved May 29, 2023. 
  7. ↑ "Ed & Alicia Clark". https://ca.lp.org/libertarians/ed-alicia-clark/. Retrieved May 29, 2023. 
  8. ↑ "Libertarian runs for state governor". Oakdale Leader: p. 6. February 22, 1978. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40297718/oakdale_leader/. 
  9. ↑ "Libertarian runs for state governor". Oakdale Leader: p. 6. February 22, 1978. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40297718/oakdale_leader/. 
  10. ↑ . https://static01.nyt.com/packages/images/us/koch-documents/koch-doc-5-1050.jpg. 
  11. ↑ . https://static01.nyt.com/packages/images/us/koch-documents/koch-doc-5-1050.jpg. 
  12. ↑ Redpath, Bill (July 2, 2025). "Libertarian Party 1980 Presidential Candidate Ed Clark Has Died". Ballot Access News. https://ballot-access.org/2025/07/02/libertarian-party-1980-presidential-candidate-ed-clark-has-died/. Retrieved July 2, 2025. 
  13. ↑ Doherty, Brian (July 2, 2025). "Ed Clark, RIP". Reason. https://reason.com/2025/07/02/ed-clark-r-i-p/. 
  14. ↑ Doherty, Brian (July 2, 2025). "Ed Clark, RIP". Reason. https://reason.com/2025/07/02/ed-clark-r-i-p/. 
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Doherty


Preceded by:
Roger MacBride		 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate
1980		 Succeeded by:
David Bergland
Preceded by:
John Hospers		 Libertarian Party California Gubernatorial Nominee
1978		 Succeeded by:
Dan P Dougherty


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