Gary Johnson, Libertarian nominee for president in 2012 and 2016, made big news in his native New Mexico when he recently endorsed Republican Mark Ronchetti for governor.
"I felt that crime reduction and the economy could benefit from a fresh outlook," Johnson, himself a two-term Republican governor of New Mexico before becoming a Libertarian, explained to Newsmax last week.
Johnson's "small-L libertarian" philosophy and signature "straight talk" was evident in his decision to back former TV weatherman Ronchetti against Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
"She basically put us in prison during the pandemic," said the former governor, adding that Grisham "wrote the most restrictive policy toward business" and, as a result, the Land of Enchantment lost business and parts of it won't return.
Johnson believes that Grisham's lockdown agenda "will adversely affect our state's economy for years to come" and that it's time for a fresh alternative.
His endorsement of Ronchetti comes at a time that a recent Trafalgar Poll showed the first-time candidate leading Grisham by 47% to 46% among likely voters. An Alburquerque Journal poll completed last week showed Grisham leading Ronchetti 50% to 42%.
Johnson switched from Republican to Libertarian in 2012 and, as his new party's presidential nominee, drew just over 1% of the vote. Four years later, with fellow former Republican and onetime Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld as his running mate, Johnson drew 3.3% of the vote.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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