Austin Petersen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Austin Petersen
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Petersen in 2018
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Austin Wade Petersen
February 19, 1981 Independence, Missouri, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Southwest Missouri State University |
| Occupation | Political activist, radio show host, writer, publisher, political commentator, film and television producer |
| Political party | Republican (2017–present) Libertarian (before 2017) |
| Spouse(s) |
Stephanie Cole
(m. 2021) |
Austin Wade Petersen (born February 19, 1981) is an American writer, politician, and broadcaster. He hosts the "Wake Up America" daily news show. In 2016, he ran for president as a Libertarian. He came in second place for his party's nomination. Later, in 2018, he ran for the United States Senate in Missouri. He finished third in the Republican primary election.
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Early Life and School
Austin Petersen grew up on a farm in Peculiar, Missouri. His parents are Donna and John D. Petersen. He went to Southwest Missouri State University. There, he earned a degree in musical theater.
Austin Petersen's Career
Early Jobs and Work
Austin Petersen had several early jobs. He worked as a model. He also demonstrated products at a toy store called FAO Schwarz. He even appeared briefly on a TV show filmed at the store.
In 2008, Petersen started working in politics. He helped with the presidential campaigns of Ron Paul in 2008 and 2012. Ron Paul was a U.S. Representative from Texas. Petersen also worked as a producer for a TV show called Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano. This show was on Fox Business from 2010 to 2012. After that, he worked for a group called FreedomWorks. He was also a guest on the TV show The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann.
In 2014, Petersen was an executive producer for the movie Alongside Night. This film was based on a book and talked about a political idea called agorism. Some well-known Libertarian figures, like Ron Paul, were in the movie.
After the 2016 Election
As of 2018, Austin Petersen owned a company called Stonegait LLC. This company helps with photos and videos. He also started two websites: The Libertarian Republic and Liberty Viral. These websites share news and opinions about libertarian ideas.
In 2018, he ran for the United States Senate in Missouri as a Republican. However, he lost in the primary election to Josh Hawley. In 2019, Petersen became the host of the KWOS Morning Show. He left that show in September 2022 to host the "Wake Up America" show.
Running for President in 2016
In 2015, Austin Petersen announced he would run for president. He wanted to get the Libertarian Party's nomination. He lived in Kansas City, Missouri, at the time.
Petersen said he was like the Bernie Sanders of the Libertarian Party. This was because he raised money from many regular people, not just big donors. After Ted Cruz stopped his campaign for the Republican nomination, Petersen got support from some important political commentators. In many polls, he was one of the top three choices for his party's nomination.
On May 29, 2016, at the Libertarian National Convention, Petersen lost the nomination. Gary Johnson won, and Petersen came in second place. Petersen congratulated Johnson and even gave him a replica of George Washington's pistol. Petersen later supported Johnson for president.
Running for Senate in 2018
In June 2017, Austin Petersen started thinking about running for the U.S. Senate in Missouri. On July 4, 2017, he officially announced he would seek the Republican nomination.
Before the primary election in August, President Donald Trump supported Petersen's opponent, Josh Hawley. Trump even campaigned for Hawley. Petersen was not happy about Trump getting involved in the primary. In the August 7 primary election, Petersen came in third place. He received 8.3% of the votes.
Political Beliefs
Austin Petersen has shared his political views. He describes himself as a minarchist. This means he believes the government should be very small and only do a few things. ..... He is against the War on Drugs. He believes in a free-market capitalist approach to money and business. He also believes the U.S. should not get involved in other countries' problems very often.
Personal Life
Austin Petersen has said he is an agnostic or an atheist. He grew up as a Christian. However, in a 2016 interview, he talked about how his mother's death changed his religious views. He said he lost his faith after his mother was harmed by a pharmacist.
Petersen lives in Jefferson City, Missouri. He married Stephanie Renee Cole on October 23, 2021.
Film and TV Work
- Alongside Night (2014) – Executive Producer
- Freedom Watch with Judge Napolitano (2010–12, 19 episodes) – Associate Producer
Images for kids
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Austin Petersen in 2018
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Austin Petersen's campaign logo
See also
In Spanish: Austin Petersen para niños
