Libertarians challenge Trump-backed Republicans, look to shake up midterms beyond GOP-Dem duopoly

By Fox News · Fox News

In the American political scene dominated by the GOP-Democrat duopoly, Libertarians like Kentucky congressional candidate Jeremy Todd are looking to offer voters an alternative as they head to the polls during the midterm elections. "I think ultimately the Republican party has abandoned…true conservatism, small government principles," Todd told Fox News Digital this week, asserting that "they may be more conservative than Democrats, but, to us true conservatives, that's not good enough." Todd, who views himself as "right of MAGA," mounted his long-shot U.S. House bid after incumbent GOP Rep. Thomas Massie lost the Republican primary in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District to Trump-backed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein. Democratic congressional candidate Melissa Strange is also running in the contest. "We are welcoming people who are conservative, who believe in small, limited government, to my campaign and then to a larger movement that is probably gonna need to exist post the downfall of the Republican party," Todd said. Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who quit his post earlier this year due to his opposition to the Iran war, and former Rep. Ron Paul have both backed Todd. TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE ED GALLREIN CALLS KENTUCKY WIN A 'DAVID VS. GOLIATH' VICTORY AFTER DEFEATING MASSIE In a Pew Research survey of U.S. adults released earlier this month, 5% of registered voters indicated that they would vote for another candidate other than the GOP and Democratic candidates in the U.S. House race in their district, while 15% were not sure about how they would vote. The poll, carried out Sept. 28-Oct. 4, had a margin of error among registered voters of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points. Todd is not the only Libertarian running this election cycle looking to make an impact — but no candidate running under the Libertarian Party has ever been elected to the U.S. Congress. Former Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, who switched from Republican to Independ…