Libertarian Party candidate Rick Stewart says while he may face an uphill battle as a third-party contender, he believes many Iowans share the party’s philosophy and would be interested in backing him if given a chance.

Stewart was in Knoxville campaigning for Secretary of Agriculture, citing his background in farming and understanding of the business aspects as well as the production side as qualifications for the office.

He says those who have listened to what he and other Libertarians have to say usually come away with a better understanding of what their philosophy is about, and would like voters to give him and his fellow party members some consideration in the voting booth.

“Most Iowans are Libertarians; they just don’t know it. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party, for reasons I don’t think I have to explain, are losing membership. Independents are gaining, the Libertarians are gaining; people are looking for something different. They’re tired of the squabbling, they’re tired of the arguing, they’re tired of the nonsense,” Stewart says.

“Everywhere I go, I haven’t had a single person say, ‘Oh, you Libertarians don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Usually what they say is, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that’s what Libertarianism was; I thought it was something different.”

One of Stewart’s key issues is clean water; he believes the state and federal governments aren’t following their own plans, and believes more control over water management should be given to area cooperatives.

You can find out more about Stewart and his campaign on today’s edition of Let’s Talk Knoxville.