Angela Elise McArdle (born June 7, 1983) is an American politician who is the chair of the Mises Caucus, a political action committee, since June 2025. She previously served as the 22nd chair of the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) from May 2022 to February 2025, secretary of the Libertarian Party of California from April 2018 to April 2019 and a former board member and organizer of the Mises Caucus before May 2022. McArdle would be investigated for self-dealing by the LNC the day before she resigned, with the LNC reporting that not only had she committed gross fiduciary violations, but that she is “unfit to serve on the Libertarian National Committee, as an affiliate leader or as a candidate representing the Libertarian Party.”
Under her tenure as LNC Chair, McArdle was claimed to have played a key role in leveraging the Libertarian Party's spoiler effect into securing a pardon for Ross Ulbricht by Donald Trump, something McArdle herself denies, instead arguing that Trump had a signed pardon ready to go from 2020 that he was foiled from delivering by disloyal underlings.
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Early life and education
McArdle has worked as a paralegal and legal aide for over eleven years. She currently works in litigation and also has a private practice where she provides self-help legal services to low-income clients. The bulk of McArdle's practices focus on real estate and constitutional law.
McArdle received her Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Leadership from Biola University in 2009 and a Paralegal Certificate from UCLA Extension in 2013. She is also trained as a craniosacral therapist through the Upledger Institute.
Career
McArdle was the Libertarian nominee in the 2017 California's 34th congressional district special election. She finished the primary in 17th place out of a field of 22 candidates with 0.8%. McArdle ran again for the seat in 2018 and finished in 3rd place in a field of 3 candidates with 8.4%.
In 2021 and 2022, McArdle was a candidate for Chair of the Libertarian National Committee. She was endorsed by the Mises Caucus, of which she was also a board member. She was elected to the position at the 2022 Libertarian National Convention on May 28.
At Porcfest 2021, an annual libertarian festival held in New Hampshire, Executive Director of the Free State Project, Jeremy Kauffman and McArdle debated which strategy is more effective, the libertarian party strategy or the free state movement strategy. Kauffman argued that, "There are more people in this room that are elected members to the NH House of Representatives and former members of the Libertarian Party than there are Libertarian Party members nationwide." McArdle then counter-argued that while she wants to see the Free State Project succeed, it is her contention that the Free State Project could not have existed without the political infrastructure provided by the LP developed over the course of five decades.
LNC Chair
On December 3, 2022, McArdle became the first known National Chair in the United States who has given birth during her tenure.
McArdle was openly critical of Joe Exotic's short-lived campaign in the 2024 Libertarian Party presidential primaries.
In February 2023, McArdle spoke at the Rage Against the War Machine Rally, co-hosted with the People's Party, where she called on a cut to all aid to Ukraine, and for Ukraine to surrender all of its Russian-occupied territories. In June, McArdle also wrote an op-ed for Newsweek arguing that Russian forces were not committing a genocide in Ukraine.
McArdle notably endorsed Libertarian nominee Chase Oliver in the 2024 United States presidential election as a vehicle for Donald Trump's victory. She said that Oliver would take more votes from the Democratic nominee, and that it would be challenging to get libertarians and right of center independents to vote for him, so it would make the most sense to make Oliver a spoiler candidate for the Democrats.
In mid-July 2024, McArdle entered a heated dispute with Caryn Ann Harlos, the National Secretary of the Libertarian Party, due to McArdle approving a "joint fundraiser" with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign. Harlos argued that the vote to approve the joint fundraiser did not pass the threshold specified in LP bylaws, and that by forcing it through regardless McArdle violated even more bylaws and exceeded her power as chairwoman. Harlos then petitioned the Libertarian Party's judicial committee, with the signatures of 188 of the 2024 delegates, arguing that McArdle violated bylaws Articles 2, 3.1, 14.1, 14.3, and 14.4. Harlos additionally argued that efforts by the Colorado Libertarian Party to name Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as their nominee instead of the nominated Libertarian candidate, Chase Oliver, as proof McArdle is working with the Kennedy campaign against the libertarian party's own candidate. Todd Hagopian, the former party treasurer, also filed an amicus brief in support of Harlos arguing that McArdle's cooperation with the Kennedy campaign is sabotaging Chase Oliver's campaign. Hagopian also argued that McArdle illegally made the meeting to approve the Kennedy fundraiser as an "emergency" meeting to bypass receiving the required number of votes of libertarian delegates.
Mises Caucus Chair
On June 2, 2025, McArdle announced that she had stepped in as the new Chair of the Mises Caucus.