Mark Hinkle is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 libertarian

Libertarianism

Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...

 activist and businessman. He is the National Chairman of the United States Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party (United States)

The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...

. He was elected by the delegates of the 2010 Libertarian National Convention

2010 Libertarian National Convention

The 2010 Libertarian National Convention was a biennial convention of the Libertarian Party that was held in St. Louis, Missouri from Friday May 28 to Monday May 31, 2010....

 in St. Louis, Missouri on May 30, 2010.

In 2010, he ran for the 15th District

California's 15th State Senate district

California's 15th State Senate district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It was most recently represented by Republican Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria, who resigned on April 27, 2010, to become Lieutenant Governor of California...

 California State Senate

California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 seat that had been vacated when Republican Abel Maldonado

Abel Maldonado

Abel Maldonado is an American politician who was the 48th Lieutenant Governor of California. On November 23, 2009, then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Maldonado as his nominee for Lieutenant Governor to fill the vacancy created by John Garamendi's election to the United States House of...

 was named Lieutenant Governor. He lost to Sam Blakeslee

Sam Blakeslee

Samuel Norman Blakeslee is a Republican California State Senator representing California's 15th State Senate district, a former California State Assemblyman from California's 33rd State Assembly district, and a former State Assembly Republican Leader...

in a special election held August 17, 2010.