In Lucas County, we hear the same refrain every election cycle: discussions center almost entirely around Democrats and Republicans, while every other political voice is treated as an afterthought or not acknowledged at all. Yet, despite the silence, community members, and journalists regularly ask whether the Libertarian Party is running candidates or participating in local issues.

What’s striking is that these questions reveal a real curiosity among voters, but not an equal curiosity from the institutions that shape our civic conversation. Coverage of political activity in Lucas County tends to assume a two-party contest even before the first petition is filed. When residents ask about Libertarian candidates, it shows that people want alternatives, or at least want to know what options

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