Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016

Gary Johnson 2016
Campaign	United States presidential election, 2016
Candidate	Gary Johnson Former Governor of New Mexico
Affiliation	Libertarian Party
Status	Announced: January 6, 2016
Slogan	Live Free
Website
Gary Johnson 2016

	This article is part of a series about Gary Johnson
Political positions Campaign for the Presidency 2016 Campaign for the Presidency 2012 Governor of New Mexico 1994 election 1998 re-election Our America Initiative

Former Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico declared his candidacy for the Libertarian Party (LP) nomination for President of the United States on January 6, 2016.

Background

Johnson ran as the Libertarian presidential nominee in the 2012 election. In that race, he finished with the third highest popular vote total, nearly 1.3 million votes, and garnered nearly 1% of the popular vote.^[1] Johnson's vote total was the highest received by any LP candidate—for any office—in the party's history.^[2][3] Shortly after the election, Johnson began to express interest in running for the Libertarian nomination again in the 2016 election.^[4][5][6]

Campaign

Johnson formally announced his candidacy for the 2016 Libertarian presidential nomination, in an interview with Neil Cavuto on the Fox Business Network program Coast to Coast, on January 6, 2016.^[7][8] He has since begun participating in a series of debates with the other candidates seeking the nomination, held at state LP conventions around the country leading up the Libertarian National Convention over Memorial Day weekend in Orlando, Florida.^{[9][10][11][12]}

On March 3, 2016, Johnson addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington D.C., touting himself as the third-party option for anti-Trump Republicans, and noting that the Libertarian Party will be the only third party candidate able to place its nominee on the ballot in all 50 states in 2016 due to ballot access deadlines.^[13][14][15] Johnson's campaign has attracted increased attention as a possible vehicle for the Stop Trump movement's votes in the general election, if Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee.^[16][17][18]

On March 15, 2016 Johnson won the North Carolina Libertarian primary with 42% of the vote, ahead of "No Preference" at 35%, with other candidates all polling below 6%.^[19] On March 1, 2016, Johnson won the Libertarian Party of Minnesota caucus with 75.7% of the vote.^[20]

On March 29, 2016 Johnson attended the first nationally televised Libertarian Party presidential debate hosted by Fox Business Network on John Stossel’s show Stossel. The two-hour debate was divided into two one hour segments which were televised on April 1 and 8 at 9:00 Eastern Time. The debate featured Johnson, along with Austin Petersen and John McAfee.^[21][22]

Polling

Since he announced his candidacy, Johnson had been the front-runner in primary polling until early May, where several polls showed him tied with or behind Austin Petersen.

Libertarian Primary

Poll source	Sample size	Date(s)	Feldman	Garcia	Ince	Johnson	Kerbel	McAfee	McCormick	Perry	Petersen	Reid	Robinson	Smith	Sterling	Waymire	Zeman	Others
A Libertarian Future[23]	Unknown	May 1-15, 2016	—	—	O	34%	O	20%	—	—	46%	—	—	—	—	O	—	None of the Above 0%/ Other 0%
Libertarian Party Choice[24]	5,325	April 25-May 5, 2016	4%	—	O	21%	O	10%	7%	5%	43%	—	—	—	—	O	—	None of the Above 0%/ Other 0%
A Libertarian Future[25]	~5,500	Apr 16-30, 2016	—	—	O	38%	O	25%	—	—	38%	—	—	—	—	O	—	N/A
A Libertarian Future[26]	~5,500	Apr 1-15, 2016	—	—	O	40%	O	21%	4%	3%	29%	—	—	—	—	—	—	None of the Above 3%
Libertarian Party website[27]	9,102	Mar 17-31, 2016	1%	0%	0%	58%	O	7%	9%	5%	13%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	None of the Above 1%/ Other 4%
A Libertarian Future[28]	~2,500	Mar 15-31, 2016	1%	—	—	50%	O	10%	—	4%	34%	—	—	—	—	—	—	None of the Above 1%
Libertarian Party website[29]	8,609	Feb 20- Mar 17, 2016	1%	—	0%	54%	4%	14%	—	2%	18%	0%	1%	0%	1%	0%	—	None of the Above 2%/ Other 4%
A Libertarian Future[30]	~2,500	Mar 1-15, 2016	—	—	—	44%	7%	14%	—	11%	24%	—	—	—	—	—	—	None of the Above 0%
A Libertarian Future[31]	3,341	Feb 12-29, 2016	2%	—	—	46%	11%	9%	—	—	31%	—	—	—	—	—	—	None of the Above 1%

General Election

March 17–20, 2016, Monmouth University: Hillary Clinton 42%, Donald Trump 34%, Gary Johnson 11%, not sure 11%. In comparison to a two-candidate race, Johnson's inclusion reduced support for Hillary Clinton by six points and Donald Trump by four points.^[32][33][34]

Endorsements

List of Gary Johnson endorsements

Scott Boman, Libertarian Party of Michigan activist and candidate [35] Drew Carey, comedian, host of The Price Is Right [36] Ed Clark, 1980 Libertarian presidential nominee [37] Kmele Foster, co-host of The Independents, political pundit[38] Judge Jim Gray, former judge, prosecutor, 2012 vice-presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party[39] Daniel Hannan, Member of the European Parliament, British politician [40] Mark Hinkle, Former Chairman of the National Libertarian Party[41] Vít Jedlička, President of Liberland, Czech politician and activist Penn Jillette, magician, entertainer, and political commentator [42] Steve Kerbel, Businessman, entrepreneur and former 2016 Libertarian presidential candidate[43] Adam Kokesh, political activist, talk show host[44] Jeff Krauss, Mayor of Bozeman, Montana [45] Krist Novoselić, musician, bassist and co-founder of Nirvana[46] Bill Redpath, Former Chairman of the National Libertarian Party[47] Robert Sarvis, attorney, businessman, politician and software developer[48] Doug Stanhope, comedian, actor, 2008 presidential candidate [49] Teller (magician), of Penn & Teller[50] Sean Waltman, professional wrestler[51] Randy Wayne, actor[52] Matt Welch, editor-in-chief of Reason magazine[53] Josh Wolf, comedian, television host[54] Adrian Wyllie, activist, radio show host, 2014 Libertarian candidate for Governor of Florida[55]

See also

• Political positions of Gary Johnson
• Libertarian Party presidential primaries, 2016

References

1. "FEDERAL ELECTIONS 2012 Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives" (PDF). FEC.gov. July 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
2. Pfeiffer, Eric (November 7, 2012). "Gary Johnson runs most successful Libertarian campaign in party’s history". Yahoo! News. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
3. Harrington, Gerry (November 8, 2012). "Libertarian Party buoyant; Greens hopeful". UPI.com. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
4. Quinn, Garret (November 6, 2012). "As Gary Johnson Hovers Below 1 Percent, Talk of 2016". Reason.com. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
5. Ershadi, Julie (April 30, 2013). "Gary Johnson: I’m More Conservative and More Liberal Than Both Parties". Roll Call. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
6. Kantrowitz, Alex (May 28, 2013). "Six Months Later: Gary Johnson In A Candid Conversation On Post Campaign Life". Forbes. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
7. Easley, Jonathan (January 6, 2016). "Libertarian Gary Johnson launches White House bid". The Hill. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
8. Schouten, Fredreka (January 6, 2016). "Gary Johnson announces presidential bid". USA Today. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
9. "Gary Johnson: Third party is going to be the Libertarian Party | On Air Videos | Fox Business". Video.foxbusiness.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
10. "Alabama and Mississippi LP host Presidential debate February 27 | Libertarian Party". Lp.org. 2016-02-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
11. "Libertarian Party of IL Presidential Debate at Springfield, Illinois". YouTube. 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
13. "Gary Johnson: Third party is going to be the Libertarian Party | On Air Videos | Fox Business". Video.foxbusiness.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
14. "Libertarian Presidential Candidate: Trump Policies Are ‘Fascist,’ and There Is a Conservative Alternative". TheBlaze.com. 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
15. "Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson Warmly Received at CPAC - Christine Rousselle". Townhall.com. 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
16. "The Third Party Dilemma". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
17. "nti-Trump Republicans Call for a Third-Party Option". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
18. Nick Gillespie (2016-01-06). "Exclusive: Gary Johnson Running For President, Call Trump's Plans "Just Whacked - Just Nuts!" - Hit & Run". Reason.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
19. "SenateNC HouseJudicialReferendaCross-County Local". Er.ncsbe.gov. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
20. "2016 LPMN Caucus Results of presidential preference poll | Libertarian Party of Minnesota". Lpmn.org. 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
21. "Inside the Beltway: Libertarian hopefuls spar over Nazi-themed wedding cake on Fox forum". Washington Times. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
22. "FBN’s John Stossel Hosts Libertarian Presidential Forum Featuring Johnson, McAfee & Petersen". Fox Business. 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
23. "Vote Now in Round Six of our Libertarian Party Poll: Who do you want to be the 2016 Libertarian Party nominee for President?". May 5, 2016.
24. [Libertarians Choice Poll "Choice Poll: Who do you want to be the 2016 Libertarian Party nominee for President?"] Check |url= value (help). May 5, 2016.
25. "Vote Now In Round Five Of Our Libertarian Party Poll". May 1, 2016.
26. "Vote Now In Round Four Of Our Libertarian Party Poll". April 16, 2016.
27. "Poll #2: Who do you want to be the 2016 Libertarian Party nominee for President?". April 2, 2016.
28. "V2016 Libertarian Party Poll Round Three: Which Presidential Candidate Are You Currently Supporting?". March 31, 2016.
29. "Who do you want to be the Libertarian Party nominee for President?". March 17, 2016.
30. "Vote Now In Round Two Of Our 2016 Libertarian Presidential Candidates Poll -". March 15, 2016.
31. "2016 Libertarian Party Presidential Candidates Poll: Who Are You Supporting? -". February 29, 2016.
32. "National: General Election Preview – Clinton Leads Trump, Cruz but not Kasich" (PDF). Monmounth. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
33. "Gary Johnson pulls 11% support in national presidential poll". KRQE News 13. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
34. "Gary Johnson Polling in Double-Digits Against Trump and Hillary". TownHall. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
35. Boman, Scotty (April 1, 2016). "Governor Gary Johnson Wins Libertarian Party of Michigan Presidential Straw Poll". Michigan Libertarian. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
36. "Drew Carey on Twitter: "@JamieJohnsonUSA #GaryJohnson2016 "". Twitter. 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
37. "ED CLARK ENDORSES GARY JOHNSON". Gary Johnson 2016. 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
38. "Kmele on Twitter: "@phipps @GovGaryJohnson"". Twitter. 2016-02-10. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
39. Jim, Judge (2016-01-25). "Why You Should Consider Gary Johnson for President". Voicesofliberty.com. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
40. "Daniel Hannan on Twitter: "If it really does come down to Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton, I know how I'd vote. Step forward @GovGaryJohnson, Libertarian candidate."". Twitter. 2016-03-02. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
41. "MARK HINKLE, FORMER NATIONAL LIBERTARIAN PARTY CHAIRMAN, ENDORSES GOV. GARY JOHNSON FOR PRESIDENT". garyjohnson2016.com. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
42. "WHY PENN JILLETTE IS TERRIFIED OF A PRESIDENT TRUMP". Newsweek.com. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
43. Lesiak, Krzysztof (16 March 2016). "Steve Kerbel ends presidential campaign, endorses Gary Johnson". American Third Party Report. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
44. "Adam Kokesh on Twitter: "@iFunny10at10 @RandPaul He hasn't announced yet: @GovGaryJohnson"". Twitter. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
45. "Mayor Krauss on Twitter: "I watched the last two debates. This morning I went looking for my Gary Johnson for President (2012) yard sign. Time to re-use"". Twitterm. 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
46. "Krist Novoselić (@KristNovoselic)". Twitter. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
47. "FORMER NATIONAL LIBERTARIAN PARTY CHAIRMAN AND NOTED BALLOT ACCESS ADVOCATE BILL REDPATH ENDORSES GOV. GARY JOHNSON FOR PRESIDENT". Gary Johnson Campaign page. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
48. Wilson, J. (1 April 2016). "The Most Successful Libertarian In Virginia History, Robert Sarvis, Endorsed Gary Johnson". A Libertarian Future. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
49. "Doug Stanhope on Twitter: "I feel no shame in throwing away my vote for @GovGaryJohnson since I'm a drunk and have no idea what most of #DemDebate are talking about."". Twitter. 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
50. "Teller on Twitter: "Putting my money where my mouth isn't: I just contributed the maximum donation to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson @PresidentGaryJ."". Twitter. 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
51. "Sean Waltman on Twitter: "@GovGaryJohnson or @RandPaul. Preferably Johnson, because he didn't switch to Libertarian Light. Chances are slim."". Twitter. 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
52. "Randy Wayne on Twitter: "Keep up the good fight @GovGaryJohnson! I'm spreading the word. #Libertarian4Prez"". Twitter. 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
53. "Matt Welch on Twitter: "Oh, I #FeelTheJohnson. Just spitballing here! "". Twitter. 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
54. "Josh Wolf on Twitter: "@_mbluther @GovGaryJohnson big time"". Twitter. 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
55. "Adrian Wyllie - Rand Paul has suspended his Presidential...". Facebook. 2016-02-03. Retrieved 2016-02-22.

External links

• Official campaign site