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Gary Johnson (New Mexico)

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Gary Johnson
Image of Gary Johnson
Prior offices
Governor of New Mexico

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 6, 2018

Contact

Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party) was the Governor of New Mexico. He assumed office in 1995. He left office in 2003.

Johnson (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent New Mexico. He lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.

Johnson was the Libertarian nominee for the office of president of the United States in 2016. He was defeated by Donald Trump (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Johnson was the Libertarian Party's 2012 nominee and received 1,275,971 votes in the general election, amounting to nearly 1 percent of the popular vote.[1] Johnson was previously a member of the Republican Party and served as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003.[2]

Elections

2018

See also: United States Senate election in New Mexico, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. Senate New Mexico

Incumbent Martin Heinrich defeated Mick Rich and Gary Johnson in the general election for U.S. Senate New Mexico on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Martin Heinrich
Martin Heinrich (D)
 
54.1
 
376,998
Image of Mick Rich
Mick Rich (R)
 
30.5
 
212,813
Image of Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson (L)
 
15.4
 
107,201

Total votes: 697,012
(100.00% precincts reporting)
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico

Incumbent Martin Heinrich advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 5, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Martin Heinrich
Martin Heinrich
 
100.0
 
152,145

Total votes: 152,145
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico

Mick Rich advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 5, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mick Rich
Mick Rich
 
100.0
 
67,502

Total votes: 67,502
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico

Aubrey Dunn advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate New Mexico on June 5, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Aubrey Dunn
Aubrey Dunn
 
100.0
 
623

Total votes: 623
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Note: Aubrey Dunn withdrew from the race in July.

2016

See also: Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016 and Presidential election, 2016

Johnson sought the presidency in 2016. He was defeated by Donald Trump in the general election. For more information on his campaign, please see: Johnson's 2016 campaign.[3]

See also: Splits between the Electoral College and popular vote
U.S. presidential election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 48.3% 65,844,969 227
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump/Mike Pence 46.2% 62,979,984 304
     Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 3.3% 4,492,919 0
     Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 1.1% 1,449,370 0
     - Other 1.2% 1,684,908 7
Total Votes 136,452,150 538
Election results via: Ballotpedia


Note: Trump and Clinton were projected to receive 306 and 232 electoral votes, respectively. Seven electors, however, cast votes for other candidates. Read about what happened here. The results listed above are based on reports from state secretary of state offices and election boards.

Public opinion on the two-party system
November 20, 2017: In 2017, Gary Johnson, a former Libertarian Party candidate for president, claimed that "the largest group of American voters are actually neither Democrats or Republicans" and "the overwhelming majority would like to have more choices than just the two 'major' parties."
Was Johnson correct about party affiliation and public opinion on the two-party system? Read Ballotpedia's fact check »

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Johnson ran for President of the United States in 2012.[4]

Barack Obama sought and won re-election on the Democratic ticket. Mitt Romney ran as a Republican and Jill Stein ran for the Green Party.[5]

U.S. presidential election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBarack Obama/Joe Biden Incumbent 51.3% 65,899,660 332
     Republican Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan 47.4% 60,932,152 206
     Libertarian Gary Johnson/Jim Gray 1% 1,275,804 0
     Green Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala 0.4% 469,501 0
Total Votes 128,577,117 538
Election results via: FEC official election results


Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Roseanne Barr, Rocky Anderson, Thomas Hoefling, Jerry Litzel, Jeff Boss, Merlin Miller, Randall Terry, Jill Reed, Richard Duncan, Andre Barnett, Chuck Baldwin, Barbara Washer, Tom Stevens, Virgil Goode, Will Christensen, Stewart Alexander, James Harris, Jim Carlson, Sheila Tittle, Peta Lindsay, Gloria La Riva, Jerry White, Dean Morstad and Jack Fellure.[6]

Campaign themes

2018

Campaign website

Johnson’s campaign website stated the following:

Foreign Policy and National Defense
A More Practical Foreign Policy The objective of both our foreign policy and our military should be straightforward: To protect us from harm and to allow us to exercise our freedoms.

Over the past couple of decades, it is difficult to see how the wars we have waged, the interventions we have conducted, the lives sacrificed, and the trillions of tax dollars we have spent on the other side of the globe have made us safer. If anything, interventionist policies have made us less safe.

Many senior military and foreign policy analysts have concluded that the rise of ISIS, for example, was encouraged by instability created by our meddling in the affairs of others. The last several administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have used our military resources to pursue regime changes, embark on impossible nation-building exercises, and to establish the United States as the policeman of the world.

The results: New enemies and perpetual war.

We have enough problems to solve right here at home.

We must repair relationships with our allies, clarify our objectives, and only send our brave members of the military to war when clearly authorized by Congress after meaningful, transparent deliberation and debate.

The idea that we can defeat terrorism by simply putting more boots on the ground or dropping more bombs ignores the reality that this expensive tactic simply hasn’t worked.

Education
Education Belongs With the States, Parents Nothing is more important to our future than educating our next generations.

As Governor, Gary Johnson worked tirelessly to have a more substantive discussion about the best way to provide good education for our children.

He did so while working with an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature and despite fierce opposition from powerful special interests.

Gary Johnson believes state and local governments should have more control over education policy. Decisions that affect our children should be made closer to home, not by bureaucrats and politicians in Washington, D.C.

The key to restoring education excellence in the U.S. lies in innovation, freedom, and flexibility that Washington, D.C. cannot provide.

Taxes
The Tax Code Does All the Wrong Things Today’s federal tax code does all the wrong things. It penalizes productivity, savings and investment, while rewarding inefficiency and designating winners and losers according to political whim.

As Governor, Gary Johnson worked with a Democratic legislature to cut New Mexico taxes on incomes, gasoline and small businesses.

For far too long, federal tax laws have been used not just as a means to collect needed revenues, but as a way for special interests to penalize their competitors while subsidizing themselves. The result is a tax code that is more than 70,000 pages long, enforced by a government agency with almost 100,000 employees. The result is a nightmare for the average American and unfair advantages for those with the means to manipulate the politicians.

Gary Johnson advocates lower taxes, the elimination of special interest loopholes, and a system that is both simple and fair.

Civil Liberties
Civil Liberties Are Fundamental to America Whether it’s trying to tell you who to love, or looking through your cell phone, the greatest threat to our civil liberties has become the government itself. That needs to be stopped by a renewed appreciation for what it means to be free.

Our Founding Fathers crafted the 4th Amendment, for example, to prevent the government from snooping into our private lives without a warrant.

Yet today, we have a government that spies on private communications, monitors our financial transactions, and even photographs our license plates -- all without legitimate warrants or due process of law.

Gary Johnson wants to get the government out of your personal life. Out of your cell phone. Out of your bedroom. And back into the business of protecting your freedoms, not threatening them.

Gary Johnson believes that people, not politicians, should make choices in their personal lives, as long as harm is not done to others.

Support Our Veterans
We Have a Solemn Obligation to Our Veterans Gary Johnson believes strongly that we have a solemn obligation to honor those who have fought for us, sacrificed for us, and put their lives on the line to defend our great nation. When it comes to fulfilling that obligation, there can be no equivocation.

Health care choices should rest with veterans themselves. While there are many dedicated, caring professionals working in VA facilities, much of the bureaucracy of the VA is more concerned with its own perpetuation than with providing veterans with the care they need. That must be corrected NOW.

From elder care to PTSD to the specific health challenges of women who have served in uniform, veterans have a wide range of urgent needs. For some, the VA medical system is the best or only option. That system must function efficiently, provide timely care, and meet the standards we would expect for our own family members. For those who need care from private physicians or hospitals, that option must be available.

Likewise, Gary Johnson understands the challenges faced by many veterans in their transition to civilian life and careers. The discipline and skills earned from military service are of tremendous value to many employers. It is part of our moral contract with those who have served to not only maintain the GI Bill, but to enhance public-private partnerships designed to match veterans’ skills with the career choices they wish to make.

Family support, counseling and other tools for helping veterans deal with their unique challenges are essential. Homelessness, substance abuse, and yes, suicide are all-too frequent among veterans as they re-enter civilian life – and our obligation to support those who have served does not end when they sign their discharge papers.

Immigration
Practical Reform. No Walls. Assimilation. New Mexicans understand immigration. Long before immigration -- and immigrants themselves -- became pawns in a huge political game, we had learned to share a border with Mexico, welcome those who want to come here to work and make better lives for their families, and appreciate the tremendous contributions they make.

Having served as Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson knows the complex issues associated with immigration reform first hand. Solving immigration problems is not as easy as building a wall or militarizing OUR border with Mexico.

And separating parents from their children, and putting those children in detention centers is most certainly not a solution to anything.

Politicians who have for too long played on fear and demonized immigrants have rendered Congress incapable of common sense reforms. A straightforward system that allows immigrants to obtain work visas and move back and forth across the border efficiently will go a very long way toward reducing illegal entry and allow the government to focus resources on actual criminals and those who would do us harm.

Gary Johnson doesn’t want a Wall. He wants a common sense system that works.[7]

—Gary Johnson’s campaign website (2018)[8]

Campaign advertisements

The following is an example of an ad from Johnson's 2018 election campaign.

"You Know Gary Johnson" - Elect Liberty PAC ad released August 13, 2018

National debate

The Fox Business Network held a Libertarian Party presidential primary debate in March 2016. The debate was moderated by John Stossel and aired on the Stossel show. Word of the debate first appeared on Gary Johnson’s official Tumblr page on February 16, 2016. Political commentator Austin Petersen, Gary Johnson and John McAfee participated.[9]

National convention

The Libertarian National Convention was held May 26-30, 2016, at the Rosen Centre Hotel & Resort in Orlando, Florida. Delegates selected Gary Johnson as the party's presidential nominee and former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld as the vice presidential nominee.[10]

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Gary Johnson campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2018U.S. Senate New MexicoLost general$394,826 N/A**
Grand total$394,826 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

External links

Footnotes


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
Democratic Party (5)