Eric Brakey: How Libertarians Can Actually Win Political Power!
The new director of The Free State Project and former Maine legislator talks about the free state movement’s history, accomplishments, and future.
My guest today on The Reason Interview is Eric Brakey, the new executive director of The Free State Project (FSP), a nonprofit that has been working since 2001 to get small-government diehards to move to New Hampshire and make the Granite State a stronghold for libertarian ideas. It’s a fun, intense, and wide-ranging conversation with a guy who already has 10 years of experience as a state legislator (Maine) at the tender age of 35.
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And scroll down for more background on Eric Brakey and the Free State Project!
Over the years, FSP has had its ups and downs (here’s a Google search I just did on the group that suggests the spread), but I like the group and its spirit. A decade ago, I spoke at its annual Porcupine Freedom Festival event (PorcFest) and had a total blast—it was a great mix of every sort of libertarian you can imagine in a campground in New Hampshire (note: the group’s mascot is the porcupine because it supposedly only uses its quills defensively, in keeping with the non-aggression principle). The vibe was ultra-Human Be-In, a real gathering of tribes surging with comity that has mostly gone missing in the broad libertarian movement (and American politics writ large). I interviewed Edward Snowden via Skype at an FSP event in 2016, too. You can check that out here. Snowden of course has strong libertarian tendencies which persist to this day (indeed, he gave a speech at the 2022 Libertarian Party Convention in Reno that was nothing short of exhilarating in its insistence that (audio-only here). At its best, FSP is modeling what a free society can look like—and in many ways, it’s an incredibly attractive proposition!
With Eric Brakey, the FSP is getting a young (35) and experienced politician at the helm. Prior to becoming head of the Free State Project, he was a Republican state senator in Maine, where he authored successful legislation that legalized over-the-counter birth control, expanded gun rights, and enacted Right To Try legislation (which lets terminally ill patients use experimental drugs and treatments).
I talk with Eric about the unsettled state of the libertarian movement, how Ron Paul and Young Americans for Liberty shaped his worldview, and how he hopes to concentrate what he charmingly calls "the libertarian diaspora" in New Hampshire. He’s a good guy with a proven track record—I suspect he’s going to take the FSP to the next level.
Related past interviews:
Revolt of the Porcupines! The Free State Project wants libertarians to take over New Hampshire. Is this a revolutionary plan or a pipe dream? December 2004
Keeping New Hampshire Awesome: Q&A with the Free State Project President Carla Gericke, November 27, 2011
Is the Libertarian Migration to New Hampshire Having an Impact?
Q&A with Free State Project President Matt Philips, August 22, 2016
Meet Rachel Goldsmith, the Woman Running the Free State Project, September 18, 2018
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