Like many Libertarian candidates in recent years, Gardner C. Osborne knows what it's like to run for an elected seat as a "paper candidate" -- with no real hope, or effort, for that matter, of winning.

The Hillsboro resident, who made an unsuccessful bid for a U.S. House of Representatives seat outside his home district in 2006, is one of dozens who have put their name on the ballot simply to get the party's name and its issues out there.

But this year, things are different, he said.

Osborne, who is this time hoping to vie against U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards in his home district, is one of five area Libertarians who have registered to be on Brazos County ballots this election year. He and Bryan resident John Roemer, who is running against Kristeen Roe for the county's tax assessor-collector seat, both have said they plan to run serious campaigns.

It's a trend local Libertarian Party officials are trying to encourage.

"In the past, we've tried to recruit more paper candidates," said Brazos County's party chair, Christopher Jagge. "We're not following that strategy this year. Winnable races with serious candidates -- that's where most of our focus is turning."

The party made strides locally two years ago, when Linda Wilbert received 18 percent of the vote in a three-way race for Brazos County's Precinct 4 justice of the peace slot. She lost the race to longtime Democratic incumbent Ramiro "Big Q" Quintero, but with more than 700 votes, she did better than most other Libertarians in Texas, Jagge said.

"We made a decision here in Brazos County: We were not going to be satisfied with 5 percent, so we campaigned hard," he explained.

This year, the only Libertarian running for a county position is Roemer, a retired information technology worker from the A&M System's former Agricultural Extension Service. He received a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics from A&M in 1972 and went on to earn a master's in Business Administration from the University of North Dakota in 1977.

"I want to give people an option for somebody who will be fair and look at their side of the issues," Roemer said, agreeing with Jagge that he might have a chance. "Ultimately, it's people's money. I want to approach the position with that in mind.

"I know some people who put their name down just to give people an option, but I do plan on campaigning."

The 57-year-old acknowledged that running as a Libertarian may put him at a disadvantage, but it would seem disingenuous, he said, to run with a different party to improve his odds.

Roemer might be the party's best chance this season, Jagge said, explaining that the candidate is qualified and his Republican opponent doesn't have the same name recognition as her predecessor, Gerald "Buddy" Winn.

Roe was hired as Winn's chief deputy in 2001 and before that served as the tax assessor-collector in Coke County for 13 years. She was appointed to replace Winn upon his retirement this summer.

"We're going to push that race just as hard as we can," said Jagge, explaining that volunteers plan to canvas areas where Libertarians have fared well in the past.

The party has been growing since it formed in 1971, and in 2006, Texas had 168 candidates -- most of whom shared a common platform of less government. The party has also spoken out against the war in Iraq. On a per capita basis, the Brazos County group is probably one of the most active in the state, Jagge said.

Although Roemer is the only Libertarian who has signed up for the tax assessor-collector race, he is not yet guaranteed a spot on the ballot. During the party's county convention, which will take place March 15, members will have the option of voting for "none of the above."

Osborne, who is seeking Rep. Edwards' seat, has an additional challenge. Bryan resident Robert Allan Vernon, a 42-year-old A&M Consolidated High School graduate who works in banking, has also asked to be on the Libertarian ticket.

Vernon said he wants to use a candidacy as a platform to talk about fair taxes, but he doesn't expect the effort to result in much more than that.

"If it looks like I've got some serious backing, I'd love to run a serious campaign, but I don't really see that happening," the first-time candidate said.

Osborne, 41, said he is running because he wants Edwards, D-Waco, ousted. Veterans' health care should be privatized and the United States should get out of Iraq, he said, taking direct swipes at the incumbent, who has touted his work with veterans.

"I was hoping that there wouldn't be a Republican in this race, but I'm planning on running as active of a campaign as I can," the investment adviser and part-time vintner said. "It will be hard to defeat him, but I think he has gotten vulnerable. If people can be shown there is a better solution than the Chet Edwards VA system, they'd appreciate it and support it."

Other Libertarians hoping to represent Brazos County this year are:

• Bryan resident Ron Darby, 75, who will be the only opponent of state Rep. Fred Brown, R-College Station.

• Somerville resident Alan W. Duesterhoft, 50, who will be vying for the District 17 Texas House seat that will be vacated by Democrat Robby Cook. The district includes the northern tip of Brazos County.

Both are first-time candidates.

Duesterhoft, a supervisor for a construction company, acknowledged he will be running a paper campaign. He'd like to attend some forums and debates, but his primary focus will be his job, he said, explaining that he wants to give voters a choice while also promoting the party.

Darby, a chemical engineering professor emeritus who spent 38 years at Texas A&M, said he doesn't plan to raise a lot of money or do a lot of advertising. He put his chances of winning the race at "somewhere between nil and zero."

"But that doesn't mean I won't try," he said. "I don't really expect to carry a majority, but if we get some people's attention and get some votes, that's what we're after."

• Craig Kapitan's e-mail address is craig.kapitan@theeagle.com.

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