Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) recently announced it would no longer include New Hampshire House Rep. Travis O’Hara as part of its Hazlitt Coalition of Liberty Legislators.
For those not in the know,
The Hazlitt Coalition is a growing network of 300+ liberty legislators from nearly 40 states supported by full-time YAL staff advocating for principled policies that free markets, protect civil liberties, and promote peace. Our experienced mentors train legislators to effectively work with stakeholders and constituents to craft the strongest policies that solve society’s most pressing problems.
O’Hara has been dumped, but why? [Forwarded from a reader. The original email from Matthew Soss is dated Dec 21st.]
I am writing to inform you that we removed Representative Travis O’Hara from YAL’s Hazlitt Coalition of liberty legislators.
O’Hara was removed due to consistently poor voting record, missing key votes, and consistently poor New Hampshire Liberty Alliance ratings.
As a reminder, I’m here as a resource for you to help you work through tough votes and to get you in touch with experts who can assist so certainly don’t hesitate to reach out with questions and concerns.
Thank you to each of you for your continued dedication to the cause and to the coalition.
I’m excited to see the progress made over the past few months with candidate surveys, legislative preparation, fundraising, events, and much more.
I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in 2024!
I looked at Travis’ ratings. Liberty and HRA. They are not terrible, but his attendance could be better, and he likely missed several critical votes. To put that into context, the Republican majority is razor-thin. Every vote seems vital, but some more than others. The HRA scorecard only tracks votes on bills fundamental to the Republican platform or agenda. Travis missed 42% of those.
Rep. Travis O’Hara was also endorsed and supported by the progressive Citizens for Belknap (if I recall), which would naturally oppose any key Republican priorities. Show up and vote the “right” way enough to keep a respectable rating, but no-show on these other bills. I can see someone having that conversation.
It might have happened like that. Or, perhaps, O’Hara simply isn’t the candidate his citizens need to do what you elect a Republican representative to do. Show up. Vote for fewer and lower taxes. Keep the bureaucrats jackboots off their necks. Advance liberty.
YAL has had enough. Will voters kick Travis to the curb in November, or is this rejection by YAL a meaningless gesture?
Is Travis proud to have been excommunicated form their ranks?