by: Rachel Blevins

Ben Swann

Running as a Libertarian candidate, and attempting to defy the two-party system is not an easy task in the United States, and Robert Sarvis is one candidate who knows the many obstacles that come when running for a third party.

In addition to being a current candidate for the U.S. Senate, and a resident of Virginia, Sarvis has had experience as a lawyer, teacher, software developer, businessman, and politician.

In his time running as a third-party candidate, Sarvis has found that he has been excluded from the major debates that are known for putting candidates in the spotlight.

Although he only needed 10,000 signatures to have his name included on the ballot, Sarvis gathered 19,000 signatures from registered voters.

Despite the voter support, Sarvis told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that his exclusion from the debates was influenced by the demands of his Republican opponent, Ed Gillespie, and his Democratic opponent, Senator Mark Warner.

“It’s incredibly frustrating,” said Sarvis. “It’s one thing to run in a fair process and lose. It’s another thing…article continues…