Gary Johnson
Former N.M. Gov. Gary Johnson is heading to New Hampshire — the nation’s first presidential primary state — next month.
Johnson, the honorary chairman of his political action committee Our America Initiative, will be the keynote speaker at the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire On Jan. 23 at the Grappone Center in Concord, N.H.
While Johnson, a libertarian-leaning Republican, has not declared his candidacy for president — or really even said he’s seriously considering running — he has been mentioned as a possible candidate in 2012 and has been a favorite of many of the same people who supported Ron Paul in 2008.
Last week, Politico reported that Johnson is “doing little to knock down the idea that he may be looking toward a 2012 presidential run.” Heading to New Hampshire two years before the nation’s first primary could add fuel to speculation that he’s preparing a national campaign.
Johnson, a two-term governor who preceded Gov. Bill Richardson, endorsed Ron Paul for president last year and spoke at Paul’s Rally for the Republic in Minnesota in 2008.
A grassroots group has been running JohnsonForAmerica.com and another group has set up a Gary Johnson For President in 2012 group on Facebook. Earlier this year, the American Conservative reported that Johnson said he was keeping his options open in regards to a 2012 presidential run.
Johnson has been quite active lately. He recently talked with NMPolitics.net’s about the budget crisis in Santa Fe, and in this audio and video Johnson speaks about his continued push for decriminalizing and legalizing drugs in the United States.
St. Cyr is a contributing writer for this site and a reporter at 770KKOB.com. He can be reached at peter.stcyr@gmail.com.