Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson (R) declared his candidacy for President Thursday morning, adding a libertarian voice to the emerging GOP field.
Dubbing himself a “fix-it man” for America, Johnson announced his run from the New Hampshire statehouse.
“America needs a ‘President Veto’ right now – someone who will say ‘no’ to insane spending and stop the madness that has become Washington,” he said in a press statement. “That’s why I am here today to announce that I’m running for President of the United States. And I don’t do so lightly.”
Johnson has gained the most attention so far for his strong opposition to America’s drug laws and he mentioned the “drug crisis” in passing in his announcement. His newly-launched 2012 website prominently features “Drug Policy Reform” as one of four core parts of his platform, with a large section promoting the legalization of marijuana, suggesting the issue will play a major role in his campaign.
While many candidates have admitted to experimenting with drugs in their youth, Johnson turned heads when he said in a recent interview that he smoked medicinal marijuana from 2005 to 2008 to help cope with back pain. His take on drugs has earned him some contempt in conservative circles: CPAC organizers cut off a pro-legalization address from Johnson at their most recent convention mid-speech.
An avid outdoorsman, Johnson’s website spends almost as much time recounting his travel and sports achievements as it does his tenure as governor. A section labeled “Personal Accomplishments” includes entries like “Scaled the highest peaks of 4 continents, including Everest” and “Competed in the Bataan Memorial Death March, a 25 mile desert run in combat boots wearing a 35 pound backpack.”
After his announcement, he’ll remain in New Hampshire for the next few days to hike and ski while courting supporters.
