Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson
on Sunday was chosen as the nominee of the Libertarian Party at its
convention in Orlando, Florida.
Johnson, 63, picked former
Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld as running mate.
In announcing his run for the White
House in January on Fox Business, Johnson said that the
nation's biggest issue is its increasing debt.
This is Johnson's second presidential
campaign. In 2012, he dropped his bid to become the GOP presidential
nominee to pursue the Libertarian Party's nomination.
Before leaving the Republican Party,
Johnson endorsed marriage equality.
“As a believer in individual freedom
and keeping government out of personal lives, I simply cannot find a
legitimate justification for federal laws, such as the Defense of
Marriage Act, which 'define' marriage. That definition should be
left to religions and individuals – not government. Government's
role when it comes to marriage is one of granting benefits and rights
to couples who choose to enter into a marriage 'contract.' As I have
examined this issue, consulted with folks on all sides, and viewed it
through the lens of individual freedom and equal rights, it has
become clear to me that denying those rights and benefits to gay
couples is discrimination, plain and simple,” Johnson
said during an online town hall hosted by gay GOP group GOProud.
Johnson is currently polling in two
different polls at 10 percent. But candidates must be at 15 percent
in the polls to participate in the presidential debates.