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Christina Tobin
Photograph of Tobin at the age of 41 speaking in an event.
Tobin in 2022
Born
Christina Marie Tobin

(1981-06-17) June 17, 1981 (age 44)
Pasadena, Texas, U.S.
Alma materSaint Mary's University of Minnesota
Occupations
  • Activist
  • ballot access specialist
Known forChair of the Free & Equal Elections Foundation
Political partyIndependent
ParentJim Tobin (father)

Christina Marie Tobin (born June 17, 1981)[1] is an American activist and ballot access specialist. She is the founder and chair of the Free & Equal Elections Foundation,[2] and president and chief executive officer of Free and Equal, Inc.[3]

Background

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Tobin was born in Pasadena, Texas, in 1981. Her father is political activist Jim Tobin. She grew up in Texas and Illinois and graduated from Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois. She attended Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota where she served as varsity tennis captain and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. In 2004, she earned a bachelor's degree in graphic design with a minor in business marketing. As of 2024, Tobin claims to have never voted for any presidential candidate, as none had aligned enough with her personal views to earn her vote.[4]

Career and activism

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Ballot access

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In the 1998 election for governor of Illinois, Tobin helped defend over 60,000 signatures for her father, Libertarian candidate James Tobin.[citation needed] In 2002, she personally gathered over 5,000 signatures and successfully defended 55,000 signatures for Cal Skinner, who was running for governor, and her father, who was running for lieutenant governor representing the Libertarian Party.[5][failed verification]

In the 2004 presidential election, Tobin defended 29,000 signatures in Illinois, for Ralph Nader when he ran as an independent.[6][better source needed] She also sued Democratic State Chair Michael Madigan alleging that he used his full-time state employees to have Nader removed from the Illinois ballot.[7]

For the November 2006 election, she successfully defended 39,000 signatures for Rich Whitney, the Green Party candidate for Illinois governor.[8][failed verification]

In 2008, Tobin served as Ralph Nader's national ballot access coordinator.[9]

In 2008, Tobin founded the Free & Equal Elections Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Free & Equal hosts open gubernatorial, presidential, and senatorial debates, including 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 Presidential debates. Presidential debate moderators have included journalist Chris Hedges,[10] broadcaster Larry King,[11] political commentator Thom Hartmann,[12] and actor Ed Asner.[13]

In March 2009, Tobin founded Free and Equal, Inc., a ballot access, consulting, and petitioning firm that specializes in independent and third-party candidates.[14][failed verification][15]

Other activism

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In 2011, Tobin served as Vice President of Taxpayers United of America, founded by her father James Tobin.[16]

In 2012, Tobin founded Stop Top Two,[17] an organization opposed to top two primary systems, in which a nonpartisan primary is held, and the two candidates with the highest vote totals are then entered into a runoff election.

BaliJewel Inc. lawsuit

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In 2007, Tobin was president of a jewelry company that filed suited against John Hardy Limited as part of a dispute over design copyrights.[18] The case was dismissed.[19]

California Secretary of State candidacy

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In 2010, Tobin ran as a Libertarian Party candidate for California Secretary of State.[20] She was the only candidate seeking the Libertarian Party nomination. Richard Winger, editor and publisher of Ballot Access News was her campaign manager. In the general election, Tobin came in fourth with 214,347 votes, or 2.3 percent of the total votes cast.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "JoinCalifornia – Christina Tobin". www.joincalifornia.com.
  2. ^ "About « Free And Equal". Freeandequal.org. Archived from the original on 2010-11-06. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  3. ^ "Free & Equal Inc. – Full-Service Ballot Access Consulting and Petitioning Firm". Freeandequalinc.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-19. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  4. ^ Ross, Winston (November 4, 2024). "Armed, Gay and Looking for Redemption". New Lines Magazine. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  5. ^ "ZEITGEISTMEDIAFEST on youtube". YouTube ZEITGEISTMEDIAFEST. September 15, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  6. ^ "Nader collects enough signatures for Illinois ballot spot – Rockford, IL – Rockford Register Star". Rrstar.com. 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2010-11-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  7. ^ Mullman, Jeremy (2004-09-27). "Nader aide sues Madigan | Law | Crain's Chicago Business". Chicagobusiness.com. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  8. ^ "Illinois Third Parties Unite to Protest Gov. Blagojevich's Ballot Fraud, Have Proof of Blago's Frivolous Objections — Illinois Green Party". www.ilgp.org. Archived from the original on May 28, 2009.
  9. ^ "Nader/Gonzalez Submit Signatures for Illinois Ballot Line – Ralph Nader for President in 2008". Votenader.org. 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  10. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Third Party Presidential Debate (Full Video). YouTube.
  11. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: 2012 Third Party Presidential Debate | 2012 Third Party Presidential Debate | Ora TV. YouTube.
  12. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: 2012 Second Presidential Debate Moderated by Thom Hartmann & Christina Tobin. YouTube.
  13. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: 2016 Presidential Debate Moderated by Ed Asner & Christina Tobin. YouTube.
  14. ^ "Daily Herald | Foes try to knock Green Party off ballot in 14th Congressional District". Daily Herald. dailyherald.com. 21 November 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  15. ^ "Blogger: Aanmelden om te lezen". Chicagoray.blogspot.com. 4 February 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
  16. ^ "Chicago Teachers Receiving Big Pension Payouts? | On Air Videos | Fox News". video.foxnews.com. May 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  17. ^ "Stop Top Two". stoptoptwo.org. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  18. ^ "Prominent Bali Jewelry Firm Sued in US". thebalitimes.com. 18 January 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  19. ^ "MEMORANDUM Opinion and Order signed by the Honorable Joan B for BaliJewel, Inc. v. John Hardy Limited :". Justia Dockets & Filings. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
  20. ^ "Christina Tobin | Libertarian Party". Libertarian Party. Lp.org. Retrieved 2010-11-17.[dead link]
  21. ^ "Statement of Vote" (PDF). California Secretary of State. 2011-01-06. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2014. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
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