2016 elections

Johnson gets his choice for VP

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ORLANDO — Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld won the Libertarian Party Vice President nomination on Sunday afternoon and will be on the party’s ticket with former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson. The two-term governor won the nomination with just over 50 percent of the delegate vote, or 441 votes, on the second ballot. Weld endured cynicism and questions regarding his past with the Republican Party throughout the Libertarian National Convention over Memorial Day Weekend. At issue was Weld’s ability to present Libertarian ideas and values on a national stage. Like Johnson, Weld narrowly missed a majority of delegates on the first ballot.

Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson secures Libertarian nomination

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ORLANDO — Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson is the Libertarian nominee for president. After two rounds of voting Johnson secured 518 number of votes or 55.8 percent. The first round of votes resulted in Johnson securing almost 50 percent of the vote, or 458 delegates. According to convention rules, a candidate must receive at least 51 percent of the votes in order to become the official nominee. By the second round, Johnson won 55 percent of the votes and secured the nomination.

Gary Johnson

Johnson jeered for support of Civil Rights Act, driver’s license laws

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ORLANDO — Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson went up against four other candidates Saturday night vying for the Libertarian Party nomination at the party’s National Convention. The two hour debate did not see any personal attacks as in previous debates, but Johnson found himself the subject of rounds of jeers. The crowd first booed Johnson after he was asked a question about climate change and the effects on the environment. Johnson said he wasn’t sure what the cause was, but that the coal industry was bankrupt due to free market ideals. The crowd showed their loud disapproval of Johnson’s stance that doesn’t quite fit with their ideas of Libertarian ideals.

Libertarian National Convention

Libertarians have dim view of Johnson’s preferred running mate

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ORLANDO — Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and his running mate, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, spent a decent portion of Saturday stumping and campaigning to delegates at the Libertarian National Convention. While Johnson received a warm welcome, many questioned why Johnson picked Weld as his running mate in the first place. Johnson’s campaign headquarters, located inside the hotel’s convention center, served as the place for the revolving door of delegates to voice concerns and ask the two-term governor New Mexico governor questions. Steven Nielsen, a delegate from Port Orchard, Washington, showed up and asked Johnson to make the case for Weld. “Gary, I need confidence,” Nielsen said.

2016 elections

Johnson wins debate at Libertarian National Convention

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ORLANDO — Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson won the first round of debates at the National Libertarian Convention on Thursday. After a multi-tiered process that lasted most of the evening, 34 percent of the delegates said they favored Johnson. The process involved multiple debates with the winner moving on to the next round. In the final round Johnson was joined by software anti-virus mogul John McAfee, media entrepreneur Austin Petersen, radio host Darryl Perry and Dr. Marc Feldman. Note: NM Political Report reporter Andy Lyman is in Orlando to follow former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and his attempt for a second consecutive nomination from the party.

Libertarian National Convention

Guns, pot and choosing a presidential candidate: A preview of the Libertarian Party convention

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While Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders trade insults and barbs in an attempt to gain momentum and supporters, a group of nearly  20 candidates will converge on Orlando, Florida this weekend to sell themselves in an attempt to appear on all 50 state ballots. They are the Libertarian Party candidates. This year’s Libertarian National convention, where the party will nominate their candidate for president, seems to have more riding on it. With Trump as the presumable Republican nominee and Clinton as the Democratic frontrunner, the Libertarian Party is ready to present the United States with a viable, third-party option. See Also: How Gary Johnson went from ‘Governor No’ to third party icon

The Libertarian Party candidates currently in the spotlight are anti-virus software mogul John McAfee, entrepreneur Austin Petersen and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.

Gary Johnson

Johnson names running mate

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It didn’t work for Ted Cruz, but maybe it will work for Gary Johnson. The former New Mexico governor announced on Monday who his running mate would be if he wins the Libertarian Party nomination next week at the party’s national convention in Orlando, Florida. NM Political Report will be at the convention in Florida to report on Johnson and his attempt for a second consecutive nomination from the party. Johnson’s choice is another fellow governor, Bill Weld. Weld was a two-term Republican governor of Massachusetts in the 1990s.

Gary Johnson

How Gary Johnson went from ‘Governor No’ to third party icon

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In a room with about 100 people—a mix of students and older adults—Gary Johnson signs pocket constitutions, takes selfies with young people and literally kisses the cheek of at least one child. Johnson just finished an hour-long forum at the University of New Mexico hosted by the Young Americans for Liberty. Some of the older people in the crowd ask about his family and reminisce about his tenure as the governor of New Mexico in the mid to late 1990s. “There were no pizza parties,” one woman says, smugly referring to an event in Santa Fe involving beer bottles thrown off a hotel balcony and a possibly intoxicated Gov. Susana Martinez. This piece also appeared in the April 20 edition of the ABQ Free Press.

Elections

Libertarian eyes a third-party presidential chance

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SAN ANTONIO — In a presidential campaign season featuring polarizing front-runners and infighting among Republicans and Democrats, Gary Johnson sees an opening. That’s if more folks realize they have options outside of the country’s two juggernaut parties, says the former two-term New Mexico governor. The Republican-turned-Libertarian got something of a pick-me-up late last month. He drew 11 percent support in a nationwide Monmouth University poll asking registered voters whom they would pick in a contest between Republican Donald Trump, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Johnson, the 63-year-old fitness freak who has climbed each continent’s tallest mountain (Everest was the biggest challenge). But even Johnson, who received about 1.2 million votes in a 2012 presidential run, admits the polling results probably don’t signal that he’ll soon become a household name.

Looking at the Libertarian candidates

Bitcoins and Kanye West for VP?

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See Part One for Gary Johnson and two other prominent candidates. Darryl Perry of New Hampshire has a history in libertarian politics, at least on a local level, and has a hand in a handful of podcasts and online publications related to free market and limited government. What may separate Perry from other libertarian candidates is his non-traditional method of raising campaign funds. His campaign is only accepting donations in the form of “crypto-currencies” and precious metals. Perry’s campaign website lists all of the donations made, almost exclusively through Bitcoin, which totals an estimated $600 depending on the market price of silver and Bitcoin.