Johnson seeks Libertarian nomination for president

1 of 5. Former New Mexico Governor Governor Gary Johnson waves at media event announcing he was dropping out of the Republican Presidential nomination race and he would seek the Libertarian nomination for President of the United States in Sante Fe, New Mexico December 28, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Jane Phillips

SANTA FE, NM | Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:37pm EST

SANTA FE, NM (Reuters) - Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson said on Wednesday he is dropping out of the Republican presidential race and is seeking the Libertarian Party nomination for president.

"We are getting fed up with the two-party system," Johnson said at a news conference at the state capitol in Santa Fe, where he was joined by some 50 supporters and by Libertarian Party chairman Mark Hinkle.

Democrats, Johnson said, have backed off on social issues such as gay rights and Republicans "are no longer stewards of the pocketbook."

Johnson said that he'd been "snubbed by the Republican Party" and ignored by the national media.

As a long-shot candidate for president, Johnson had proposed cutting government spending, reducing taxes and legalizing marijuana.

As governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003, Johnson vetoed so many bills -- some 750 -- that he was later nicknamed "Governor Veto."

Hinkle did not endorse Johnson, but the Libertarian Party released a statement welcoming Johnson to the party and commending him for "stopping the expansion of Big Government" when he was governor.

Johnson, a mountain climber, skier and bicyclist, lives in Taos.

He said he hopes that by running as a Libertarian he will get more press coverage and "catch a little fire."

(Reporting by Dennis Carroll; Writing by Corrie MacLaggan; Editing by Jerry Norton)
Politics
Barack Obama
Election 2012
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
Comments (18)
paulrever wrote:
Another pro-narcotics candidate enters the ring. More Drug cartel money influencing are government. First the racist ronaldo paulinsky, now this one, Johnson…Our children pay the price. More hollow arguments of we wont make it legal for kids…ya, like that will stop it.. the more prevalent it is, the more children will be destroyed. This must stop.

Dec 28, 2011 12:59pm EST  --  Report as abuse
pderoo1 wrote:
Who?

Dec 28, 2011 1:15pm EST  --  Report as abuse
powerwhip wrote:
Who?

Dec 28, 2011 1:34pm EST  --  Report as abuse
This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication.
See All Comments »