This piece originally appeared in The Wall Street Journal on February 23, 2026.
Your editorial “Edward H. Crane, Libertarian Builder” (Review & Outlook, Feb. 14) rightly celebrates Ed’s extraordinary contributions to libertarian ideas and institution-building. But another dimension of his legacy is worth noting: his commitment to free speech.
Ed said that the “core of libertarianism is a defense of free speech,” and he often put himself on the front lines of its defense.
As a Libertarian Party official, Ed gave testimony on behalf of the party, one of the plaintiffs in Buckley v. Valeo, the landmark 1976 Supreme Court case that saved free speech in election campaigns.
Ed joined me as a plaintiff in SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission, in which the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in 2010 that Americans had a First Amendment right to pool resources for independent political speech without contribution limits.
Ed also played a consequential role in shaping the Federal Election Commission. It was through Ed’s encouragement that Bradley A. Smith—then an emerging scholar on free speech—came to the attention of policymakers. That connection eventually led to Brad’s appointment to the FEC as a commissioner, where he became one of the most consequential advocates for free speech in the agency’s history.
After Brad left the FEC in 2005, he founded the Institute for Free Speech, with Ed as an original director. Ed’s invaluable guidance and support through the rest of his life demonstrated his passion for free speech.
Ed Crane leaves behind a remarkable legacy. For those of us defending free speech, it is a legacy we carry forward with gratitude.
