Ron Paul supporters within the Libertarian Longhorns are endorsing and supporting local candidates, but they do not identify themselves as traditional conservatives and their issues focus more on ending military growth and the Federal Reserve, said Libertarian Longhorns vice president Taylor Metting. Metting said Ron Paul is the “13th floor of politics,” in other terms, a topic that no one wants to talk about, and libertarians are concerned about his lack of coverage by the media.

Libertarian Longhorns has currently endorsed David Simpson for state representative, district seven, and Dr. Laura Pressley for Austin City Council. The libertarians will also be participating in a peace rally on April 13, two days before tax day, to raise awareness about the recent passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, legislation enacted in December that set the budget for the Department of Defense. The NDAA “infringes on the liberties of Americans, continuing a trend of decreasing freedom that has been ongoing since 2001,” Metting said.

“Austin was rated the most libertarian city in the United States,” said Caitlyn Bates, president of the UT chapter of Young Americans for Liberty. “I think that the last time Ron Paul came here, around 2000 people showed up to hear him speak. I think that while the city is traditionally very vocal in being liberal, there are some definite libertarian undertones.”