Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson
Name	Gary Johnson
Caption	29th Governor of New Mexico
Order	29th
Office	Governor of New Mexico
Term start	January 1, 1995
Term end	January 1, 2003
Lieutenant	Walter Bradley
Predecessor	Bruce King
Successor	Bill Richardson
Party	Republican (before 2011; 2018–present), Libertarian (2011–2018)
Birth date	1 January 1953
Birth place	Minot, North Dakota, U.S.
Education	University of New Mexico (BA)
Spouse	Dee Simms, 1977, 2005

Gary Johnson is an American businessman and politician who served as the 29th Governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003. A former member of the Republican Party, he was the Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections. Known for his advocacy of limited government, fiscal conservatism, and classical liberal social views, he significantly raised the national profile of the Libertarian Party.

Early life and education

Gary Earl Johnson was born in Minot, North Dakota, and moved with his family to California before settling in New Mexico. He attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1975. During his time as a student, he worked various jobs, including as a door-to-door salesman, and was an avid triathlete, a pursuit that later influenced his disciplined approach to business and politics.

Business career

After graduation, Johnson founded Big J Enterprises in 1976, a one-man handyman operation. Through relentless work, he built it into one of the largest construction companies in New Mexico, eventually employing over 1,000 people. His success in the private sector, particularly in managing large-scale projects and budgets, formed the foundation for his political philosophy of entrepreneurship and small government.

Political career

Running as a political outsider and a Republican, Johnson was elected Governor of New Mexico in 1994, defeating incumbent Democrat Bruce King. He was re-elected in 1998, winning Bernalillo County, a Democratic stronghold. As governor, he vetoed 750 bills, more than all other governors combined at the time, earning the nickname "Governor Veto." He championed school voucher programs, privatization of state services, and drug policy reform, including advocating for the decriminalization of marijuana. He left office in 2003 with high approval ratings.

2012 presidential campaign

After initially seeking the Republican presidential nomination, Johnson joined the Libertarian Party in late 2011. He won the party's nomination at the 2012 Libertarian National Convention in Las Vegas. His campaign platform emphasized balancing the federal budget, ending the War on Drugs, and a non-interventionist foreign policy. With his running mate, judge Jim Gray, he appeared on the ballot in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., ultimately receiving nearly 1.3 million votes, the best result for a Libertarian candidate since 1980.

2016 presidential campaign

Johnson again secured the Libertarian nomination at the 2016 Libertarian National Convention in Orlando, selecting former Governor of Massachusetts Bill Weld as his running mate. The campaign gained significant media attention, participating in televised forums and achieving historically high polling numbers for a third-party ticket. A notable moment was his "Aleppo moment," a gaffe during a MSNBC interview regarding the Syrian Civil War. Despite this, he received over 4.4 million votes (3.27% of the popular vote), the highest raw vote total for a Libertarian presidential candidate.

Post-political activities

Following the 2016 election, Johnson remained active in public advocacy. He served as the honorary chairman of the Our America Initiative, a political advocacy committee. He returned to the Republican Party in 2018 but has continued to be a vocal critic of the Democratic and Republican establishments. He has been a frequent commentator on Fox News, CNN, and other outlets, promoting libertarianism and criticizing government overreach. In 2021, he became the CEO of Cannabis Sativa, Inc., a Nevada-based cannabis company, aligning his business career with his long-held policy views.

Category:American businesspeople Category:Governors of New Mexico Category:Libertarian Party (United States) politicians