| 2012 presidential election | |
 .jpg) Nominees Johnson and Gray | |
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | May 2–6, 2012 |
| City | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Venue | Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino |
| Chair | Ruth Bennett (WA) |
| Keynote speaker | Michael Cloud |
| Notable speakers | Theodora "Tonie" Nathan Edward Clark Mary Ruwart |
| Candidates | |
| Presidential nominee | Gary Johnson ofNew Mexico |
| Vice-presidential nominee | Jim Gray ofCalifornia |
| Voting | |
| Total delegates | 593 |
| Votes needed for nomination | 297 |
| ‹ 2010 · 2014 › | |
The2012 Libertarian National Convention, in whichdelegates of theLibertarian Party (LP) chose the party's nominees forpresident andvice president in the2012 general election, was held May 2–6, 2012, inLas Vegas, Nevada, at theRed Rock Resort Spa and Casino.[1][2] FormerGovernor of New MexicoGary Johnson won the presidential nomination on the first ballot.[3] RetiredCalifornia state court judgeJim Gray won the vice presidential nomination, also on the first ballot.[4] The convention also chose to replace most of theLibertarian National Committee party officers and members-at-large.
The theme of this convention wasLiberty Will Win.[5]
Several non-binding advisory primaries were held ahead of the convention as part of the2012 Libertarian Party presidential primaries.
This was the first presidential nominating convention ever held in the Las Vegas Valley.[1][2][6] Other cities that bid to host the convention includedDallas, Texas, andSan Francisco, California.[6]
In February 2012,Gary Johnson, Lee Wrights, Bill Still,Carl Person, and Leroy Saunders participated in a debate held by theLibertarian Party of Florida and moderated by LPUSA Chair Mark Hinkle.[citation needed]The debate participants were selected by convention delegates in a secret ballot, in which a candidate needed to score 10 percent of the vote or higher to be allowed to take part. Libertarian candidates in the debate called for ending government interference in personal, family and business decisions; much lower government spending; deregulation; lower taxes; a currency free of government manipulation; free trade; and a peaceful,non-interventionist foreign policy.[7]
The convention covered five days over May 2–6. The business of deciding the national platform and candidates formally began on May 3, and a second candidate debate was held on May 4. On May 5, the party nominated Gary Johnson as its presidential candidate and Jim Gray as vice presidential candidate. On May 6, elections for the Libertarian National Committee concluded.[8]
Candidates for the presidential nomination were required to gather "tokens" from delegates. 53 tokens were required to participate in debates, while 30 were needed to be listed on the ballot.[9][unreliable source][10]
Speakers at the convention included:[11]
| Libertarian Party presidential candidates, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Home state | Profession | Campaign | |
 | Jim Burns | Nevada | ||
| Jim Duensing | Nevada | 2012Boston Tea Party presidential nominee (nominated at their March 30 convention) | |
 | R. J. Harris | Oklahoma | United States Army National Guard | (campaign) |
 | Gary Johnson | New Mexico | Governor of New Mexico (1995–2003) |  (campaign •positions •website) |
 | Carl Person | New York | Attorney | (campaign) |
 | Sam Sloan | New York | Member of the executive board of theUnited States Chess Federation (2006) Manhattan Libertarian Party County Committee Director of Media Relations (2006–2007) | (campaign[broken anchor]) |
| R. Lee Wrights | Texas | Vice chair of theLibertarian National Committee (2004–2006) | (campaign) |
| 2012 Libertarian National Convention presidential vote[12] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | first ballot | Percentage |
| Gary Johnson | 419 | 70.4% |
| R. Lee Wrights | 152 | 25.6% |
| Jim Burns | 12 | 2.0% |
| Carl Person | 3 | 0.5% |
| NOTA | 3 | 0.5% |
| Sam Sloan (write-in) | 2 | 0.3% |
| Max Abramson (write-in) | 2 | 0.3% |
| Ron Paul (write-in) | 1 | 0.2% |
| Wayne Allyn Root (write-in) | 1 | 0.2% |
| Totals | 595 | 100% |
| 2012 Libertarian National Convention vice-presidential vote[12] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | first ballot | Percentage |
| Jim Gray | 357 | 59.5% |
| R. Lee Wrights | 229 | 38.2% |
| NOTA | 7 | 1.2% |
| Jim Burns | 6 | 1.0% |
| Sam Sloan (write-in) | 1 | 0.2% |
| Totals | 600 | 100% |
The 2012 Libertarian National Convention saw a two-day election of officers and members-at-large of the Libertarian National Committee officers leading to the defeat of most of the incumbents who were seen as being part of a "top-down faction".[13][14] The voting for chair saw the first instance where "None of the Above", which was listed as a choice on the party ballot, received more votes than any of the candidates for chair. After a new list of individuals was nominated,Geoff Neale was elected chair. R. Lee Wrights was elected Vice Chair, Ruth Bennett Secretary, and Tim Hagan Treasurer. Elected as national committee members-at-large wereBill Redpath,Michael Cloud,Arvin Vohra, andWayne Allyn Root.[15]
