[h=1]Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson to speak at UNM on April 14[/h] [h=5]By
Chris Quintana / Journal Staff Writer[/h] [h=6]Friday, April 1st, 2016 at 11:19am[/h]
Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson announced plans to run for U.S. president seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party during an interview in Santa Fe on Jan. 6, 2015. (Morgan Lee/The Associated Press)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Gary Johnson, the 29th governor of New Mexico, will be coming to the University of New Mexico to speak about his campaign to become the 2016 Libertarian Party’s candidate for president.
The Young Americans for Liberty at UNM will be hosting Johnson. The student group is a chapter of the national group, Young Americans for Liberty.
Johnson is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m., April 14 in Student Union Ballroom A. The event is free, but no signs will be allowed. Johnson also participated in the Libertarian debate set to air Friday, April 1 on Fox Business at 7 p.m. MDT/ 9 p.m. EDT.
Johnson, who served two terms as a Republican governor of New Mexico from 1994 to 2003, also ran for president as the Libertarian candidate in 2012, finishing third with more than 1.2 million votes, or about 1 percent of the vote.
A Monmouth University poll released March 24 predicted Johnson could secure 11 percent of the vote if running against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump.
“2016 could very well be the year when American voters recognize that there are more than just two choices for President,” Johnson said in a news release. “The fact that we are in double digits before the general election campaign has even begun is a strong signal that voters are finally ready to challenge the premise that their President must be either a Republican or a Democrat.”
That poll presumed Johnson would win the Libertarian contest. The party will hold its convention starting May 26 in Orlando, Fla.
