Former N.M. Governor Johnson Announces Presidential Bid

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson announced Thursday his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination on the steps of the New Hampshire State Capitol, the first primary state.

The two term governor (1995-2003) and libertarian-leaning Republican, focused his announcement on Washington spending, asking “How high do taxes have to go? How much deficit is too much?” He is the first candidate to officially enter the race.

Johnson painted the president and his opposition in the Republican primary as equally entrenched in Washington politics. In his announcement letter, Johnson touted his business experience and said that owning a construction company enabled him to balance the New Mexico budget as governor.

In a Twitter message soon after his announcement, Johnson outlined his intention to end military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and added that he opposes U.S. engagement in Libya. 

Johnson has little name recognition outside New Mexico and may be most known for his endorsement of legalized marijuana. Gallup polls since January suggest he has the least amount of name recognition among a group of 14 potential candidates. As of April 3, 14 percent of American’s recognized Johnson’s name as opposed to 95 for Sarah Palin.

In fact, in a New York Times article Thursday describing the lack of voter familiarly with Republican candidates, Johnson’s name failed to be mentioned.