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MANCHESTER, NH -- Former two-term New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson officially dropped out of the Republican race for the White House today to run for the Libertarian Party's nomination.
Johnson said he's "deeply disappointed" by the GOP in a process he deemed "not fair." His campaign first announced the shift last week.
"Frankly, I have been deeply disappointed by the treatment I received in the Republican nomination process," Johnson said at his announcement in Sante Fe. "The process was not fair and open."
Johnson is the first major candidate to run as a third-party candidate. His jump comes after serving as New Mexico governor as a Republican from 1995 to 2003 and months of campaigning in New Hampshire, where he was unable to rise above low single digits in state-wide polls. Johnson was famous for criss-crossing the state on his bicycle and hosting a town hall meeting in Concord -- to which no one showed up.
Nationally, Johnson has been known for supporting the legalization of marijuana. Unlike most of his GOP counterparts, he also supports gay marriage and abortion rights.
As a libertarian-minded candidate, Johnson often had a difficult time escaping the shadow of the more popular Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who champions similar positions as Johnson. Paul has told NBC News he has no intentions of running as a third-party candidate, but did not completely rule it out if he is unsuccessful in his Republican bid.
Johnson said Paul's potential failure to win the GOP nomination was part of his own calculus to run as a Libertarian.
"While Ron Paul is a good man and a libertarian who I proudly endorsed in 2008, there is no guarantee he will be the Republican nominee," Johnson said.
Johnson said moving to the Libertarian Party was "both a difficult decision -- and an easy one."
"I have a lot of Republican history and a lot of Republican supporters. But in the final analysis ... I am a Libertarian -- that is someone who is fiscally very conservative but holds freedom-based positions on the issues that govern our personal behavior," he explained.
If Johnson wins the Libertarian Party's nomination, his name would appear on the general election ballot in all 50 states.
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Johnson who?
Run Gary run ... and maybe a 4th from America Elects. Creates jobs I guess.
Oh Forrest you bet me to it. Seriously, who is he? Was he in any of the debates?
Forrest,
How are you feeling and how is your wife doing? I hope you had a nice Christmas with plenty of family and friends surrounding you with their love.
Old news, this was announced last week....
He's going to run as... (wait for it) The LIBERTARIAN candidate!
who cares...
Top 5 at Americanselect.org:
Ron Paul, Barack Obama, Jon Huntsman, Buddy Roemer, Bernie Sanders
Hi Thetotas, Happy New Year, Christmas was bittersweet this year for Mrs. Grump and our family, yes it it always good to spend time with family and friends, however it does highlight that some are missing in the flesh but not in spirit. I'm doing fine, ha if the cure don't kill me I'll be around here for awhile longer.
I really have no idea about this Johnson guy he has to be the most obscure candidate for president ever.
He wasn't invited to the debates because he was told he didn't poll high enough; he didn't poll well because his name was rarely included in the list of candidates to choose from. I agree, that is not fair.
I think Buddy Roemer is a cutey patootey. Wouldn't vote for him, but he is a cuddley little ole guy.
I don't think the GOP will allow this.. We all know how fair they play ..like if Ron Paul wins they said it will have no meaning ! Creepy Mitt must be having a fit !
This just gets crazier by the minute! Who else is hiding in the wings, just waiting for their chance to wow the audience?
"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly
Palin should be running out of money soon ..so i assume she will rear that ugly head again ! You know how they pretend to run.. clip people of a couple million then fade away again ! Or maybe Christine O'Donnell she has been running for years rather then get a real job !
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Though this guy wasn't a real legitimate option before, now he is guanrteed to not be a legitimate option if he runs for a third party. Third party candidates are simply not viewed as being a legitimate option. The Reps and Dems have managed to create this situation over the course of the last century by creating a campaign finance system and balloting and Congressional procedure rules that favor these two parties. These systems have allowed the Reps and Dems to stay in power far longer than they should have (based on history, they should have fallen from power 50 years ago) and, at the same time, to gain far too much power. And, as that has occurred, the parties have moved increasingly farther from the middle, becoming diametrically opposed on essentially every issue. As such, now most Americans are forced to simply vote for the candidate they dislike the least as opposed to the candidate that they feel actually best represents their interests and ideals. This excessive entrenchment of the Reps and Dems has also caused our elected representatives to focus only on the needs and desires of the party itself (and its few large contributors), and also on making sure the other party does not get its way, as opposed to focusing on the needs and desires of their constituents and what is best for the country as a whole. These types of problems need to be corrected so that our government and our country can get back on the right track.
I encourage everyone to check out the American Overhaul Act at www.americanoverhaulact.org, which tackles these systemic government problems with a set of proposed Constitutional amendments focused on six areas of concern: Federal Election Campaign Reform, Congressional Compensation Limits, Elimination of Party Favoritism, Congressional Term Limits, Congressional Size Limits, and Federal Budget-Deficit Reform. These are the types of changes we need to get this country back on track again. Check it out, and, if you agree with the proposals of the Act, pass it on to your friends, family, and elected representatives so that we may actually make a positive impact on the future of our nation!