Johnson bolts GOP for Libertarian race

KRQE TV

Alex Goldsmith

Updated: Dec 28, 2011 5:04 PM

SANTA FE (KRQE) — He vetoed a record number of bills when he was the governor of New Mexico, and now the former GOP presidential candidate has officially vetoed the Republican Party.

Former Gov. Gary Johnson announced in Santa Fe Wednesday morning that he is saying goodbye to the GOP and will seek the Libertarian Party's nomination.

In an interview with KRQE News 13, Johnson said he didn't feel like he was abandoning the Republican party. He was only invited to two of 18 Republican debates and felt his voice wasn't being heard.

"I think the Republican Party, and I've been a lifelong Republican, [the] Republican Party left me," said Johnson.

Johnson officially changed his party affiliation to the Libertarian Party Wednesday with party chair Mark Hinkle watching.

The former governor said his socially liberal, fiscally conservative and marijuana-friendly positions are popular ones.

“I'm doing this today because this is an agenda I think resonates with most Americans, and it's an agenda that's not being addressed by either political party,” Johnson said at his announcement in the Capitol rotunda.

Johnson cautioned the crowd that he's not looking past the primary process to the general election because he first has to earn the Libertarian Party's nomination.

University of New Mexico political science professor Lonna Atkeson was at Johnson's announcement and had some doubts as to how much of an impact the switch will have.

"If we think back to [Ross] Perot and his first run in 1992, he got 19 percent of the vote and [none] of the electoral college votes," said Atkeson. "It's really hard to see the Libertarian Party ultimately having a huge impact on the 2012 presidential election race unless they can garner a lot of resources and unless they have the polling power to get them in the presidential debates."

In his interview with KRQE, Johnson acknowledged fundraising is a potential obstacle.

"This remains a big challenge," said Johnson. "Optimistically we might be able to raise enough funds to get noticed."

This is not the first time he's been a member of the Libertarian Party.

During part of his two terms as the Republican governor of New Mexico, he was actually registered as a Libertarian.

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