For the first time in its history, the Maryland Libertarian Party will run a full slate of congressional candidates this fall. Gary Hoover was nominated in the 6th District last night to fill out the ticket.

"We're happy to have him," Maryland Libertarian Party Chairman Bob Johnston told PolitickerMD.com about Hoover. "He is really blunt and to the point."

On his campaign website, http://www.hoover4congress08.com/, Hoover describes how he was a Democrat for 32 years but left the party because "Democrats no longer hold the same values that I do." He had similar statements about the Republican Party.

Among the issues that he considers important, Hoover described the need to lower the deficit, reform Social Security and Medicare, and explained his desire to see the war in Iraq end.

Johnston also said Hoover "really wants to debate" Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Frederick).

Asked to comment on the significance of the full congressional slate, Johnston said, "We're becoming organized. We beat some of the ballot initiatives that were working against us and we're ready to move forward."

The chairman said he planned on "running people" in the 2010 local elections, as well.

Johnston said he was confident that the Libertarians could "do well on both sides" in the 2008 elections, appealing to "anti-war and anti-Patriot Act Democrats," and "disillusioned Republicans who are tired of a $9 trillion debt and uncontrolled spending."

Given that confidence, Johnston stressed that his party needed to be "the only third party" in the state to run congressional candidates, in order to be viable in 2008.

"They're real people, working people," Johnston said of the party's candidates.

The Libertarian National Convention will convene Thursday in Denver, where the party will nominate a presidential candidate.

Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr from Georgia and former Democratic Sen. Mike Gravel from Alaska are among the 14 Libertarian candidates seeking the nomination. Author Wayne Allyn Root and long-time party activist Mary Ruwart are also considered viable contenders.

In recent days, Barr supporters have highlighted a Sunday Rasmussen presidential poll, which showed Barr polling at 6 percent nationally if he represents the Libertarians on the November ballot.

If nominated, Johnston acknowledged that it would be difficult for Barr to achieve six percent of the vote, but said, "Even three percent would be significant for us."

He said such a performance would "force" the Republicans and Democrats to take "a closer look" at the Libertarians, and said it could make a real difference on the outcome of the election if the race is decided by a narrow margin.

The following Libertarian congressional candidates have been nominated by their party in Maryland:

District 1: Richard Davis

District 2: Lorenzo Gaztañaga

District 3: Sebastian Sassi

District 4: Thibeaux Lincecum

District 5: Darlene Nicholas

District 6: Gary Hoover

District 7: Ronald Owens-Bey

District 8: Benjamin Parker