Gary Johnson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Johnson in 2018 | |
| 29thGovernor of New Mexico | |
| In office January 1, 1995 – January 1, 2003 | |
| Lieutenant | Walter Bradley |
| Preceded by | Bruce King |
| Succeeded by | Bill Richardson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gary Earl Johnson (1953-01-01)January 1, 1953 (age 72) Minot, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Political party | Libertarian (2011–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (until 2011) |
| Spouse | |
| Domestic partner | Kate Prusack (engaged 2009) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of New Mexico (BS) |
| Signature |  |
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|---|---|---|
Governor of New Mexico Presidential campaigns
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Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953)[1] is an American businessman and politician who served as the 29thgovernor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of theRepublican Party. He has been a member of theLibertarian Party since 2011 and was the party's nominee forPresident of the United States in the2012 and2016 elections. He was also the Libertarian nominee in the2018 U.S. Senate election in New Mexico.[2][3]
Johnson entered politics for the first time by running for governor of New Mexico in1994 on a low-tax, anti-crime platform,[4] promising a "common-sense business approach". He defeated incumbentDemocratic governorBruce King, 50% to 40%. He cut the 10% annual growth in the budget, in part by using the gubernatorial veto 200 times during his first six months.[5] He was unable to convince the state senate to pass any of his motions. Johnson sought reelection in1998, winning by 55% to 45%. In his second term, he concentrated on the issue ofschool voucher reforms as well as campaigning forcannabisdecriminalization.[6] During his tenure as governor, Johnson adhered to an anti-tax policy, setting state and national records for the number of times he used hisveto power:[5] more than the other 49 contemporary governors put together.[7][8]Term-limited, Johnson retired from front-line politics in 2003.
Johnsonran for president in2012, initially as a Republican on alibertarian platform emphasizing theUnited States public debt and abalanced budget, protection of civil liberties, militarynon-interventionism, replacement ofincome tax with theFairTax, and opposition to theWar on Drugs.[9] In December 2011, he withdrew his candidacy for the Republican nomination and ran for the Libertarian nomination instead,[10]winning the nomination in May 2012. Johnson received 1.3 million votes (1%), more than all other minor candidates combined.[11]
Johnsonran again for President in2016,[12] once again winning theLibertarian nomination. He named former Republicangovernor of MassachusettsBill Weld as his running mate.[13] Johnson received nearly 4.5 million votes (3.3% of the total vote), which is the most for a third-party presidential candidate since1996 and the highest national vote share for aLibertarian candidate in history. After the 2016 presidential election, Johnson said he would not run for president again.[14] He ran for theU.S. Senate as a Libertarian in the2018 New Mexico senate race against incumbent Democratic senatorMartin Heinrich, coming in third with 15.4% of the statewide vote (107,201 votes).[15][16] Johnson has since maintained a low profile and has had little involvement in politics.[17]
Johnson was born on January 1, 1953, inMinot, North Dakota, the son of Lorraine B. (née Bostow), who worked for theBureau of Indian Affairs, and Earl W. Johnson, apublic school teacher and World War II Army veteran who participated in theInvasion of Normandy and fought at theBattle of Bastogne, earning threePurple Hearts during his service in the101st Airborne Division.[18] In 1971, Johnson graduated fromSandia High School inAlbuquerque, New Mexico, where he was on the schooltrack team.[19] He attended theUniversity of New Mexico (UNM) from 1971 to 1975 and graduated with aBachelor of Science degree inpolitical science. While at UNM, he joined theSigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.[20][21] It was there that he met his future wife, Denise "Dee" Simms.[22][23]
While in college, Johnson earned money as a door-to-door handyman.[24] His success in that industry encouraged him to start his own business, Big J Enterprises, in 1976. When he started the business, which focused on mechanical contracting, Johnson was its only employee.[25] His firm's major break came when he received a large contract fromIntel's expansion inRio Rancho, which increased Big J's revenue to $38 million.[26]
To cope with the growth of the company, Johnson enrolled in atime management course atnight school, which he credits with making him heavily goal driven.[26] He eventually grew Big J into a multimillion-dollar corporation with over 1,000 employees.[27] By the time he sold the company in 1999, it was one of New Mexico's leading construction companies.[28]
Johnson entered politics in 1994 with the intention of running for governor and was advised by "Republican Elders"[26] to run for theState Legislature instead.[26] Despite their advice, Johnson spent $500,000 of his own money and entered the race with the intent of bringing a "common sense business approach" to the office.[29] Johnson's campaign slogan was "People before Politics".[30] His platform emphasized tax cuts, job creation, state government spending growth restraint, andlaw and order.[4] He won the Republican nomination, defeating state legislatorRichard P. Cheney by 34% to 33%, withJohn Dendahl and former governorDavid F. Cargo in third and fourth. Johnson subsequently won a plurality in the three-way general election, defeating the incumbent GovernorBruce King (a relatively conservativeDemocrat) and the former Lieutenant GovernorRoberto Mondragón (who ran as aGreen) with just under 50% of the vote. Johnson was elected in a nationally Republican year, although party registration in the state of New Mexico at the time was 2-to-1 Democratic.[31]
As governor, Johnson followed a strict small-government approach. According to former New MexicoRepublican National Committee memberMickey D. Barnett, "Any time someone approached him about legislation for some purpose, his first response always was to ask if government should be involved in that to begin with."[32] He vetoed 200 of 424 bills passed in his first six months in office – a national record of 47% of all legislation – and used theline-item veto on most remaining bills.[5] In office, Johnson fulfilled his campaign promise to reduce the 10% annual growth of the state budget.[5] In his first budget, Johnson proposed a wide range of tax cuts, including a repeal of the prescription drug tax, a $47 millionincome tax cut, and a 6-cents-per-gallongasoline tax cut. However, of these, only the gasoline tax cut was passed.[33] During theNovember 1995 federal government shutdown, he joined 20 other Republican governors who called on the Republican leadership in Congress to stand firm against the Clinton administration in budget negotiations; in the article reporting on the letter and concomitant news conference he was quoted as calling for eliminating thebudget deficit through proportional cuts across the budget.[34] Although Johnson worked to reduce overall state spending, in his first term he raised education spending by nearly a third.[35] When drop-out rates and test scores showed little improvement, Johnson changed his tactics and began advocatingschool vouchers – a key issue in budget battles of his second term as governor.[35]
In 1998, Johnson ran for reelection as governor against Democratic AlbuquerqueMayorMartin Chávez. In his campaign, Johnson promised to continue the policies of his first term: improving schools; cutting state spending, taxes, and bureaucracy; and frequent use of his veto and line-item veto power.[36] Fielding a strong Hispanic candidate in a 40% Hispanic state, the Democrats were expected to oust Johnson,[35] but Johnson won by a margin of 55% to 45%.[37] This made him the first governor of New Mexico to serve two successive four-year terms after term limits were expanded to two terms in 1991.[29] Johnson made the promotion of a school voucher system a "hallmark issue" of his second term.[38] In 1999, he proposed the first statewide voucher system in America, which would have enrolled 100,000 students in its first year.[35]
That year, he vetoed two budgets that failed to include a voucher program and a government shutdown was threatened,[35] but ultimately yielded to Democratic majorities in both houses of the New Mexico Legislature, who opposed the plan. Johnson signed the budget, but line-item vetoed a further $21 million, or 1%, from the legislative plan.[39] In 1999, Johnson became one of the highest-ranking elected officials in the US to advocate the legalization of marijuana.[40] Saying theWar on Drugs was "an expensive bust", he advocated the decriminalization of marijuana use and concentration on harm-reduction measures for all other illegal drugs.[41] He compared attempts to enforce the nation's drug laws with thefailed attempt at alcohol prohibition. In remarks in 2011, he noted: "Half of what government spends on police, courts and prisons is to deal with drug offenders."[25] He suggested that drug abuse be treated as a health issue, not as a criminal issue. His approach to the issue garnered supportive notice from conservative iconWilliam F. Buckley,[42] as well as theCato Institute andRolling Stone.[26][43]
In 2000, Johnson proposed a more ambitious voucher program than he had proposed the year before, under which each parent would receive $3,500 per child for education at anyprivate orparochial school.[38] The Democrats sought $90m extra school funding without school vouchers, and questioned Johnson's request for more funding for state-run prisons, having opposed his opening of two private prisons.[44] Negotiations between the governor and the legislature were contentious, again nearly leading to agovernment shutdown. In 2000, New Mexico was devastated by theCerro Grande Fire. Johnson's handling of the disaster earned him accolades fromThe Denver Post, which observed that:
Johnson.....was all over the Cerro Grande Fire last week. He helped reporters understand where the fire was headed when low-level Forest Service officials couldn't, ran herd over the bureaucratic process of getting state and federal agencies and the National Guard involved, and even helped put out some of the fire with his feet. On a tour of Los Alamos last Wednesday, when he saw small flames spreading across a lawn, he had his driver stop his car. He jumped out and stomped on the flames, as did his wife and some of his staffers.[41]
Johnson's leadership during the fire was praised by Democratic CongressmanTom Udall, who said: "I think the real test of leadership is when you have circumstances like this. He's called on his reserves of energy and has just been a really excellent leader under very difficult circumstances here."[41] Johnson rebuffed efforts by theLibertarian Party todraft him in the2000 presidential election, stating himself to be a Republican with no interest in running for president.[45]
According to anonymous sources, Governor Johnson was known for a lack of interest in policy details[46] and those who worked with Johnson at the time "recall a chief executive who would speed through meetings and often preferred to discuss his fitness routine than focus on the minutiae of policymaking."[46] In his first term, he frequently clashed with the legislature, but in the second term, he "became more comfortable with the limits of his executive power" and took a more conciliatory approach.[46]
CommentatorAndrew Sullivan quoted a claim that Johnson "is highly regarded in the state for his outstanding leadership during two terms as governor. He slashed the size of state government during his term and left the state with a large budget surplus."[47] In an interview inReason in January 2001, Johnson's accomplishments in office were described as follows: "no tax increases in six years, a major road building program, shiftingMedicaid tomanaged care, constructing two new private prisons, canning 1,200 state employees, and vetoing a record number of bills."[29] According to one New Mexico paper, "Johnson left the state fiscally solid" and was "arguably the most popular governor of the decade... leaving the state with a $1 billion budget surplus."[48]The Washington Times reported that when Johnson left office, "the size of state government had been substantially reduced and New Mexico was enjoying a large budget surplus."[32] In a 2016National Review article, Johnson was criticized for claiming to have balanced New Mexico's budget every year.[49] TheConstitution of New Mexico requires that the state budget be balanced,[49][50] with its debt in a separate "capital outlay" budget.[49] The article stated that under Johnson New Mexico's debt increased from $1.8 billion to $4.6 billion[49] and its budget increased from $4.397 billion to $7.721 billion.[49]
According to a 2011 profile of Johnson in theNational Review, "During his tenure, he vetoed more bills than the other 49 governors combined – 750 in total, one third of which had been introduced by Republican legislators. Johnson also used his line-item-veto power thousands of times. He credits his heavy veto pen for eliminating New Mexico's budget deficit and cutting the growth rate of New Mexico's government in half."[51] According to theMyrtle Beach Sun News, Johnson "said his numerous vetoes, only two of which were overridden, stemmed from his philosophy of looking at all things for theircost–benefit ratio and his axe fell on Republicans as well as Democrats."[25]
While in office, Johnson was criticized for opposing funding for an independent study of private prisons after a series of riots and killings at the facilities.[52] Martin Chavez, his opponent in the 1998 New Mexico gubernatorial race, criticized Johnson for his frequent vetoing of programs, suggesting that it resulted in New Mexico's low economic and social standing nationally.[36] JournalistMark Ames described Johnson as "a hard-core conservative" who "ruled the state like a right-wing authoritarian" and only embraced marijuana legalization in his second term for populist gain.[53] This was mainly in reference to a commercial from Johnson's reelection campaign featuring Johnson saying that a felon in New Mexico would serve "every lousy second" of their prison sentence. Johnson insisted, however, that the commercial was directed at "the guy who's got his gun out" rather than nonviolent drug offenders.[53]
Johnson wasterm limited and could not run for a third consecutive term as governor in 2002.[54] In the2008 presidential election campaign, Johnson endorsedRon Paul for the Republican nomination, "because of his commitment to less government, greater liberty, and lasting prosperity for America."[55][56] Johnson spoke at Paul's "Rally for the Republic" on September 2, 2008.[57]
Johnson serves on the Advisory Council ofStudents for Sensible Drug Policy,[58] a studentnonprofit organization which advocates for drug policy reform.
As of April 2011[update], he serves on the board of directors ofStudents For Liberty, a nonprofit libertarian organization.[59] His first book,Seven Principles of Good Government, was published on August 1, 2012.[60]
In 2009, Johnson began indicating interest in running for president in the 2012 election.[61][62] In the April 20, 2009, edition ofThe American Conservative magazine,Bill Kauffman told readers to "keep an eye out" for a Johnson presidential campaign in 2012, reporting that Johnson had told him that "he was keeping his options open for 2012" and that "he may take a shot at the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 as an antiwar, anti-Fed, pro-personal liberties, slash-government-spending candidate – in other words, a Ron Paul libertarian".[61] During a June 24, 2009, appearance onFox News'sFreedom Watch, host JudgeAndrew Napolitano asked Johnson if he would run for president in 2012, to which Johnson responded that he thought it would be inappropriate to openly express his desires before President Obama is given the opportunity to prove himself, but he followed up that statement by saying "it appears personal freedoms are being shoveled out the window more and more."[63]
In an October 26, 2009, interview with theSanta Fe New Mexican's Steve Terrell, Johnson announced his decision to form an advocacy committee called theOur America Initiative to help him raise funds and promote small government ideas. In December 2009, Johnson asked strategist Ron Nielson of NSON Opinion Strategy, who has worked with Johnson since 1993 when he ran his successful gubernatorial campaign, to organize the Our American Initiative as a501(c)(4) committee. Nielson serves as a senior advisor to Our America Initiative. The stated focus of the organization is to "speak out on issues regarding topics such as government efficiency, lowering taxes, ending the war on drugs, protecting civil liberties, revitalizing the economy and promoting entrepreneurship and privatization".[64] The move prompted speculation among media pundits and Johnson's supporters that he might be laying the groundwork for a 2012 presidential run.[65][66] Throughout 2010, Johnson repeatedly deflected questions about a 2012 presidential bid by saying his 501(c)(4) status prevented him from expressing a desire to run for federal office on politics.[67][68]
In February 2010, Johnson was a featured speaker at both theConservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and theRepublican Liberty Caucus.[citation needed] At CPAC, "the crowd liked him – even as he pushed some of his more controversial points."[69] Johnson tied with New Jersey GovernorChris Christie for third in the CPAC Straw Poll, trailing only Ron Paul andMitt Romney (and ahead of such notables as formerSpeaker of the HouseNewt Gingrich, former Minnesota GovernorTim Pawlenty, Indiana GovernorMitch Daniels and former Alaska Governor and 2008vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin).[70]David Weigel ofSlate called Johnson the second-biggest winner of the conference, writing that his "third-place showing in the straw poll gave Johnson his first real media hook ... He met tons of reporters, commanded a small scrum after the vote, and is a slightly lighter shade of dark horse now."[71]
On April 21, 2011, Johnson announced viaTwitter, "I am running for president."[72] He followed this announcement with a speech at theNew Hampshire State House inConcord, New Hampshire.[9] He was the first of an eventually large field to announce his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.[73] Johnson again chose Ron Nielson of NSON Opinion Strategy, a director for both of his New Mexico gubernatorial campaigns, as his presidential campaign manager and senior advisor.[73] The campaign was headquartered inSalt Lake City,Utah, where Nielson's offices are located.[73] Johnson's economics advisor wasHarvard economics professorJeffrey Miron.[74] Initially, Johnson hoped Ron Paul would not run for president so that Johnson could galvanize Paul's network of libertarian-minded voters, and he even traveled to Houston to tell Paul of his decision to run in person,[73] but Paul announcedhis candidacy on May 13, 2011.
Johnson participated in the first of theRepublican presidential debates, hosted by Fox News inSouth Carolina on May 5, 2011, appearing on stage withHerman Cain, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, andRick Santorum. Mitt Romney andMichele Bachmann both declined to debate. Johnson was excluded from the next three debates on June 13 (hosted byCNN inNew Hampshire), August 11 (hosted by Fox News inIowa), and September 7 (hosted by CNN inCalifornia).[73] After the first exclusion, Johnson made a 43-minute video responding to each of the debate questions, which he posted onYouTube.[73][75] The first exclusion, which was widely publicized, gave Johnson "a little bump" in name recognition and produced "a small uptick" in donations.[73] But "the long term consequences were dismal."[73] For the financial quarter ending June 30, Johnson raised a mere $180,000.[73] Fox News decided that because Johnson polled at least 2% in five recent polls, he could participate in a September 22 debate in Florida, which it co-hosted with the Florida Republican Party (the party objected to Johnson's inclusion).[73] Johnson participated, appearing on stage with Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul,Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum. During the debate, Johnson delivered what many media outlets, including theLos Angeles Times, andTime, called the best line of the night: "My next-door neighbor's two dogs have created moreshovel ready jobs than this administration."[76][77]Entertainment Weekly opined that Johnson had won the debate.[78]
Although Johnson had focused the majority of his campaign activities on the New Hampshire primary, he announced on November 29, 2011, that he would no longer campaign there due to his inability to gain traction with less than a month until the primary.[79] There was speculation in the media that he might run as a Libertarian Party candidate instead. Johnson acknowledged that he was considering such a move.[80][81][82] In December,Politico reported that Johnson would quit the Republican primaries and announce his intention to seek the Libertarian Party nomination at a December 28 press conference.[83]
On December 28, 2011, Johnson formally withdrew his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, and declared his candidacy for the2012 presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party inSanta Fe, New Mexico.[10] On May 5, 2012, at the 2012 Libertarian National Convention, Johnson received the Libertarian Party's official nomination for president in the 2012 election, by a vote of 419 votes to 152 votes for second-place candidateR. Lee Wrights.[2][84] In his acceptance speech, Johnson asked the convention's delegates to nominate as his running mateJudge Jim Gray of California.[85] Gray subsequently received the party's vice-presidential nomination on the first ballot.[84]
Johnson spent the early months of his campaign making media appearances on television programs such asThe Daily Show with Jon Stewart[86] andRed Eye w/Greg Gutfeld.[87] Starting in September 2012, Johnson embarked on a three-week tour of college campuses throughout the US.[88][89] On October 23, 2012, Gary Johnson participated in a third-party debate that was aired onC-SPAN,RT America, andAl Jazeera English.[90][91] A post-debate online election allowed people to choose two candidates from the debate they thought had won to face each other head-to-head in a run-off debate. Gary Johnson andJill Stein won the poll.[92]
Johnson stated that his goal was to win at least 5 percent of the vote, as winning 5 percent would allow Libertarian Party candidates equalballot access andfederal funding during the next election cycle.[93][94] In a nationalGallup poll of likely registered voters conducted June 7 through June 10, 2012, Johnson took 3% of the vote,[95] while a Gallup poll conducted September 6 through September 9, 2012, showed Johnson taking 1% of likely voters.[96]
The final results showed Johnson received 1% of the popular vote, a total of 1,275,971 votes.[97] This was the best result in the Libertarian Party's history by raw vote number, though under the 1.1 percentage of the vote won byEd Clark in1980.[11][98][99] Despite falling short of his stated goal of 5%, Johnson stated, "Ours is a mission accomplished."[100] In regards to a future presidential bid, he said "it is too soon to be talking about2016".[100]
After the 2012 elections, Johnson continued to criticize theObama administration on various issues. In an article forThe Guardian, Johnson called onUnited States Attorney GeneralEric Holder to let individual stateslegalize marijuana.[101] In aGoogle Hangout hosted by Johnson in June 2013, he criticized the US government's lack oftransparency anddue process in regards to theNSA'sdomestic surveillance programs. He also said that he would not rule out running as a Republican again in the future.[102]
In December 2013, Johnson announced the founding of his ownSuper PAC, Our America Initiative PAC. The Super PAC is intended to support libertarian-minded causes. "From the realities of government-run healthcare setting in to the continuing disclosures of the breadth of NSA's domestic spying, more Americans than ever are ready to take a serious look at candidates who offer real alternatives to business-as-usual," the release announcing the PAC said.[103]
In July 2014, Johnson was named president andCEO of Cannabis Sativa Inc., aNevada-based company that aims primarily to sellmedical cannabis products in states where medicinal and/or recreational cannabis is legal.[104][105][106]
In 2020, Johnson joined the Libertarians for National Popular Vote's advisory board.[107]
In an April 2014 "Ask Me Anything" session onReddit, Johnson stated that he hoped to run for president again in2016.[108] On whether he would run as a Libertarian or a Republican, he stated: "I would love running as a Libertarian because I would have the least amount of explaining to do."[108]
In November 2014, Johnson affirmed his intention to run for the2016 Libertarian nomination.[109] In July 2015, Johnson reiterated his intentions for a presidential campaign but stated he was not announcing anything imminently: "I just think there are more downsides than upsides to announcing at this point, and, look, I don't have any delusions about the process. In retrospect, 90 percent of the time I spent [trying to become president] ended up to be wasted time."[110]
In January 2016, Johnson resigned from his post as CEO of Cannabis Sativa, Inc., to pursue political opportunities, hinting to a 2016 presidential run.[111][12]
On January 6, 2016, Johnson declared that he would seek theLibertarian nomination for the presidency.[12] On May 18, Johnson named formerMassachusettsGovernorWilliam Weld as his running mate.[112] The2016 Libertarian National Convention was held in May later that year, with Johnson among the candidates seeking the nomination. The third day of the convention featured a debate among the candidates. When each of the candidates was asked if he would support mandating driver's licenses, Johnson was the sole candidate to answer affirmitavely. When he began responding that he believed drivers should "show some competency", he was promptly booed.[113] Nonetheless, on May 29, 2016, Johnson received theLibertarian nomination on the second ballot.[13] Johnson wason the ballot in all 50 states.[114]
On September 8, Johnson appeared onMSNBC'sMorning Joe and was asked by panelistMike Barnicle, "As president, what would you do about Aleppo?" Johnson responded, "And what is Aleppo?" Aftera clarification from Barnicle, Johnson answered by saying that "the only way that we deal with Syria is to join hands with Russia to diplomatically bring that at an end."[115] Johnson criticized U.S. support for theFree Syrian Army andKurdish forces and stated that the "mess" in Syria was "the result of regime change that we end up supporting. And, inevitably, these regime changes have led to a less-safe world."[115] Johnson's "what is Aleppo?" question drew widespread attention, much of it negative.[116][117] In response to charges that he was uninformed, Johnson said that he had "blanked," that he did "understand the dynamics of the Syrian conflict," and that he had thought that Barnicle's reference to "Aleppo" was in relation to "an acronym, not the Syrian conflict."[117]
On September 23, in an MSNBC interview with Kasie Hunt, Gary Johnson noted the benefits of being invited to the2016 Presidential Debates. While discussing this topic, Johnson stuck out his tongue through his teeth at the reporter while explaining that he could win a three-way debate, and ultimately the Presidency, versus Clinton and Trump while speaking in that manner. Johnson's spokesperson, John LaBeaume, later stated, "He was just having fun" and that it was "lighthearted".[118]
On September 28, in a MSNBC Town Hall, Johnson was asked by Chris Matthews to name a world leader he respected, he tried to nameVicente Fox, a former President of Mexico, but could not remember his name.[119][120][121] The following day, he tweeted, "It's been almost 24 hours...and I still can't come up with a foreign leader I look up to."[122] Later in a CNN interview, he expanded upon his reluctance to endorse political leaders, "I held a lot of people in this country on pedestals and then I get to meet them up front and personal and I find out that they're all about getting reelected, that they're not about issues, a lot of empty suits that I held up on pedestals."[123]
When asked on October 5 byThe New York Times if he knew the name of theleader of North Korea, Johnson said "yes," but declined to give the name despite being pressed.[124][125]
Johnson was not invited to participate in thepresidential debates because he did not meet the criterion of 15% support in five polls set by theCommission on Presidential Debates. In 2015, Johnson andGreen Party nomineeJill Stein filed a lawsuit against the commission, arguing that the commission and its rules violatedantitrust law and theFirst Amendment. In August 2016, the lawsuit was dismissed.[126] Johnson's poll numbers had been averaging between 7 and 9 percent.[127] Johnson's campaign manager Ron Nielson argued for Johnson's inclusion, citingRoss Perot's admission to the debates in the 1992 debates, when Perot was polling at 8 percent.[128]
AWashington Post-SurveyMonkey 50-state poll, conducted online between August 9 and September 1 found Gary Johnson polling at 10% or higher in 42 states, and at 15% or higher in 15 states (Johnson received 25% in his home state ofNew Mexico and 23% inUtah).[129] Another poll conducted in mid-August by thePew Research Center found Johnson supported by about 10% of registered voters. Of Johnson supporters, more than 60% identified asindependent and more than 70% were younger than fifty years old. Johnson's supporters were evenly divided between men and women.[130]
After the election, Johnson stated in an interview with theAlbuquerque Journal that he does not intend to run for public office again, saying, "Maybe I stay politically active, but not as a candidate. I will leave that to others."[14] He subsequently confirmed that he would not seek theLibertarian Party's nomination in 2020.
Johnson was speculated to run in the2018 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico afterLand CommissionerAubrey Dunn Jr., then the Libertarian nominee, dropped out of the race.[131] In August 2018, Johnson formally accepted theLibertarian Party of New Mexico's nomination.[132][133][134] Republican U.S. SenatorRand Paul ofKentucky crossed party lines to endorse Johnson's bid;[135] Johnson was also endorsed by the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine,Eric Brakey.[136]
In the November 2018 election, Democratic incumbentMartin Heinrich was reelected with 376,998 votes (54%); Republican nominee Mick Rich received 212,813 votes (31%); and Johnson received 107,201 votes (15%).[137]
Johnson's views have been described asfiscally conservative andsocially liberal[138] with a philosophy oflimited government[139] and militarynon-interventionism.[140][141] Johnson spoke at the 2016Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC),[142] a forum for conservative politicians. He has identified as aclassical liberal.[143] He would repealObamacare.[144] Johnson has said he favorssimplifying and reducing taxes.[145] During his governorship, Johnson cut taxes fourteen times and never increased them.[146] Due to his stance on taxes, political pundit David Weigel described him as "the originalTea Party candidate."[147] Johnson has advocated theFairTax as a template for tax reform. This proposal would abolish all federal income, corporate and capital gains taxes, and replace them with a 23% tax on consumption of all non-essential goods, while providing aregressiverebate to households according to household size, regardless of income level. He has argued that this would ensure transparency in the tax system and incentivize the private sector to create "tens of millions of jobs."[148] In June 2016, Johnson said that he supported theTrans-Pacific Partnership, stating that he previously was skeptical "because these trade agreements are just laden with crony capitalism," but is now informed it, in fact, fosters free trade.[149]
In 1994, Johnson ran for governor of New Mexico, campaigning as a strong proponent of thedeath penalty,[150] but over time, he changed his opinion. He now supports abolishing capital punishment and replacing it with life sentences.[151] In 2001, Johnson refused to grant clemency to convicted child rapist and murdererTerry D. Clark, who became the only person to be executed in the modern era in New Mexico.[152] At the time, Johnson expressed concern over capital punishment, but said there were no doubts about the guilt of Clark, who had pleaded guilty and waived his remaining appeals.[153]
Johnson's 2016 campaign website acknowledged that the climate is "probably" changing and that humans are "probably" contributing to this change. Johnson has argued that climate change will not matter in the "long-term" and rejects government action to control or limit – includingcap and trade – as ineffective: "When you look at the amount of money we are looking to spend on global warming – in the trillions – and look at the result, I just argue that the result is completely inconsequential to the money we would end up spending," he said. "We can direct those moneys to other ways that would be much more beneficial to mankind."[154] Johnson has signed theWestern Governors' Association resolution, which aims at "collaborative, incentive driven, locally-based solutions," and has advocated forfree market solutions to environmental problems. He has stated that he will not "compromise when it comes to clean air, clean land, or clean water."[155] Johnson supports nuclear energy and fossil fuels, but has stated that the government has a role to protect Americans against businesses that would harm human health or property, including environmental harm.[156]
Johnson opposed the U.S. Supreme Court decision inCitizens United v. FEC, allowing unlimited corporateindependent expenditures on political campaigns, while also encouraging full disclosure of such expenditures.[151][157]
Johnson has said that he would immediatelybalance thefederal budget, and would demand abalanced budget amendment,[158] but maintained a state deficit. He has advocated passing a law allowing forstate bankruptcy and expressly ruling out a federalbailout of any states.[139]
He has stated he supports "slashing government spending", includingMedicare,Medicaid, andSocial Security,[145] which would involve cutting Medicare and Medicaid by 43 percent and turning them intoblock grant programs, with control of spending in the hands of the states to create, in his words, "fifty laboratories of innovation."[158] He has referred to Social Security as apyramid scheme.
Johnson hasexpressed opposition to theFederal Reserve System, which he has cited as massively devaluing the strength of the U.S. dollar, and would not veto legislation to eliminate it – although he has stated that no such bill is likely to come out of Congress during his administration. He has also supported anaudit of the central bank, and urged Members of Congress in July 2012 to vote in favor of Ron Paul'sFederal Reserve Transparency Act.[159]
In his campaign for the Libertarian Party nomination, he stated he opposed foreign wars and pledged to cut the military budget by 43 percent in his first term as president.[141] He would cut the military's overseas bases, uniformed and civilian personnel, research and development, intelligence, andnuclear weapons programs, while maintaining an "invincible defense."[160][161] Johnson opposed U.S. involvement in theWar in Afghanistan and opposed theU.S. involvement in theLibyan Civil War.[162] He has stated that he does not believeIran is a military threat, would use his presidential power to prevent Israel from attacking Iran, and would not follow Israel, or any other ally, into a war that it had initiated.[163] While Johnson views theIslamic threat to the US as overrated, he has been openly advocating for greater diplomacy with China regardingNorth Korea, which, in his view, "is the biggest threat in the world today," stating "...one of these days, one of their ICBMs is going to work."[164] However, he does support waging war for humanitarian reasons.[165][166][167]
Johnson has been a strong supporter ofcivil liberties and has received the highest score of any candidate from theAmerican Civil Liberties Union for supportingdrug decriminalization while opposing censorship and regulation of the Internet, thePatriot Act, enhanced airport screenings, and theindefinite detention of prisoners.[168] He has spoken in favor of theseparation of church and state, and has said that he does not "seek the counsel of God" when determining his political agenda.[169] Johnson endorsedsame-sex marriage in 2011;[170] he has since called for a constitutional amendment protecting equal marriage rights,[170] and criticized Obama's position on the issue as having "thrown this question back to the states."[170] Johnson supports the enforcement of Protected Classes that was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and believes that providers should be prohibited from discriminating between customers based on demographics, such as race or sexuality. This differentiated him from his Libertarian Party opponents in the party primary, especiallyAustin Petersen. He has been a longtime advocate oflegalizing marijuana and has said that if he were president, he would remove it fromSchedule I of theControlled Substances Act as well as issue an executive order pardoning nonviolent marijuana offenders.[171] Johnson has stated that he would pardonNSAwhistleblowerEdward Snowden.[172] He believes that decriminalizingsex work should be left up to the states, but has said that prostitutes are more "at risk" in an illegal environment.[173][174]
Johnson supports abortion access. He has stated he believes that "it's the woman's choice." His 2016 position page on abortion states the "woman must be allowed to make decisions about her own health" and "government should not be in the business of second guessing".[175]
Johnson supports comprehensive immigration reform and has criticized the immigration stances of Obama, Trump, and Hillary Clinton. In his 2012 campaign, he summed up his proposals as simplifying legal immigration while tackling illegal immigration.[176] Johnson proposes "eliminating categories and quotas" and offering illegal immigrants without criminal records in the U.S. a path to legal status. In 2012, he called walls ineffective in stopping illegal immigrants and argued that the U.S. should instead work on tackling Mexican drug cartels by decriminalizing marijuana and giving cartels "diminished incentives to violate U.S. law."[176] Johnson believes the root of illegal immigration is what he calls America's complicated immigration policies and has said the U.S. should "recognize the real problem – a flawed system – and fix it". "Even for those from the right countries or with the right skills, our bureaucracy makes it ridiculously slow and cumbersome to come here legally", he has said.[177] Johnson advocates simplifying restrictions on temporary work visas, granting illegal immigrants who obey the law a two-year grace period to obtain work visas and streamlining the immigration process. He has also said, "a work visa should include a background check and a Social Security card so that taxes get paid" and supports aone strike, you're out deportation rule for immigrants who try to circumnavigate or cheat a simplified immigration process.[178][179][180]
Johnson opposes federal and stategun control legislation, saying: "I'm a firm believer in the Second Amendment and so I would not have signed legislation banning assault weapons or automatic weapons."[181] Johnson says that theSecond Amendment "was designed to protect us against a government that could be very intrusive. And in this country, we have a growing police state – if people can ownassault rifles orautomatic rifles, I think leads to a more civil government."[181] Johnson would, however, limit weapons such asrocket launchers.[181] Johnson believes that allowingconcealed carrying of guns reduces crime and gun violence.[181][182] He opposes barring gun sales to individuals on theno-fly list, because he claims that such lists have a high error rate.[182] Johnson has called for a "thousand-person taskforce" or "hot line" to prevent terrorists from obtaining guns, and has questioned why the perpetrator of theOrlando nightclub shooting was not "deprived of his guns" after being interviewed three times.[183]
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Johnson was married to his college girlfriend, Dee Johnson (née Simms; 1952–2006) from 1977 to 2005.[22][23] As First Lady of New Mexico, she engaged in campaigns against smoking and forbreast cancer awareness[184] and oversaw the expansion of theGovernor's Mansion. He initiated aseparation in May 2005, and four months later announced that they would divorce.[185] At the age of 54, Dee Johnson died unexpectedly on December 22, 2006,[184] her cause of death later attributed tohypertensive heart disease.[186] The couple had two children, now adults.[22] He also has a granddaughter, Cora, through his son Erik.[187]
Johnson was an avid triathlete who biked extensively. During his term in office, he competed in severaltriathlons,marathons and bike races. He competed three times (1993, 1997, 1999) as a celebrity invitee at theIronman World Championship in Hawaii, registering his best time for the 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim, 112-mile (180 km) bike ride, and 26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon run in 1999 with 10 hours, 39 minutes, and 16 seconds.[188][189] He once ran 100 miles (160 km) in 30 consecutive hours in theRocky Mountains.[26] On May 30, 2003, he reached the summit ofMount Everest[190] "despite toes blackened withfrostbite."[32] He has climbed all of theSeven Summits:Mount Everest,Mount Elbrus,Denali,Mount Kilimanjaro,Aconcagua,Mount Vinson, andCarstensz Pyramid – the tallest peaks in Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, South America, Antarctica, and Australia respectively.[191] He completed theBataan Memorial Death March atWhite Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, in which participants traverse a 26.2 mi (42.2 km) course through the desert, many of them in combat boots and wearing 35-pound (16 kg) packs.[192]
On October 12, 2005, Johnson was involved in a near-fatalparagliding accident when his wing caught in a tree and he fell approximately 50 feet (15 m) to the ground. He suffered multiple bone fractures, including a burst fracture to his twelfththoracic vertebra, a broken rib, and a broken knee; the accident left him1+1⁄2 inches (3.8 cm) shorter.[193][143][194] He usedmedicinal marijuana for pain control from 2005 to 2008.[195]
Johnson is aLutheran and has said that his belief in God has given him "a very fundamental belief thatwe should do unto others as we would have others do unto us."[196]
Johnson hasceliac disease and maintains agluten-free diet.[197]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gary Johnson | 232,945 | 49.8% | +4.7% | |
| Democratic | Bruce King (inc.) | 186,686 | 39.9% | −14.7% | |
| Green | Roberto Mondragón | 47,990 | 10.3% | ||
| Majority | 46,259 | 9.9% | +0.4% | ||
| Turnout | 467,621 | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gary Johnson (inc.) | 271,948 | 54.5% | +4.7% | |
| Democratic | Martin Chávez | 226,755 | 45.5% | +5.6% | |
| Majority | 45,193 | 9.1% | −0.8% | ||
| Turnout | 498,703 | ||||
| Republicanhold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Barack Obama (inc.) | 65,915,795 | 51.2% | −1.8% | |
| Republican | Mitt Romney | 60,933,504 | 47.3% | +1.6% | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson | 1,275,971 | 1.0% | +0.6% | |
| Green | Jill Stein | 469,627 | 0.4% | +0.2% | |
| Constitution | Virgil Goode | 121,616 | 0.1% | −0.1% | |
| Others | Others | 434,247 | 0.3% | −0.5% | |
| Majority | (1,333,513) | (1.0%) | |||
| Turnout | 129,132,140 | 57.5% | |||
| Democratichold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald Trump | 62,984,828 | 46.1% | −1.1% | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton | 65,853,514 | 48.2% | −3.0% | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson | 4,489,235 | 3.3% | +2.3% | |
| Green | Jill Stein | 1,457,226 | 1.1% | +0.7% | |
| Constitution | Darrell Castle | 203,069 | 0.1% | 0% | |
| Others | Others | 984,722 | 0.7% | +0.4% | |
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Martin Heinrich (inc.) | 373,799 | 54.0% | ||
| Republican | Mick Rich | 211,301 | 30.6% | ||
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson | 106,524 | 15.4% | ||
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{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help){{cite web}}:|author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)We Are Libertarians for National Popular Vote.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Frank Bond | Republican nominee forGovernor of New Mexico 1994,1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Libertariannominee forPresident of the United States 2012,2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Aubrey Dunn Jr. Withdrew | Libertarian nominee forU.S. Senator fromNew Mexico (Class 1) 2018 | Most recent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of New Mexico 1995–2003 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former Governor | Order of precedence of the United States | Succeeded byas Former Governor |
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| U.S. Military Admin(1846–1851) |  | |
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| U.S. Territory(1851–1912) | ||
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