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Gary Johnson
COMMENTARY: After two weeks of speculation, former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico and 2016 Libertarian presidential candidate, Gary Johnson, has announced he’s joined the race for Senate as the Libertarian Party’s nominee.
As an elections advocate and committed voter, I find this move intellectually and morally deceptive. Why? Because the voters of the Libertarian Party had already chosen Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn as their candidate.
Commissioner Dunn secured the nomination in June, after running uncontested, but recently withdrew from the race, urging Johnson — presumably a more viable candidate — to run instead. In a statement, Dunn said he’d been in discussion with Johnson about replacing him on the ticket since early July, and encouraged the Libertarian Party to offer him the nomination.
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Ariel Bickel
In doing so, the Libertarian Party has left their voters out in the cold.
Mr. Johnson would have been a legitimate candidate had he run in the June primary, but he chose to stay out of the race. And now, rumors are circulating that pressure is mounting on Republican candidate Mick Rich to drop out of the race and endorse Johnson, to avoid splitting votes.
This manipulation of the electoral process is exactly the kind of political game-playing that erodes voters’ trust. What’s the cost to our democracy?
Voter anger, disillusionment and disengagement. Shaken faith in our governing institutions and politics. Declining interest in registering to vote.
Frankly, to run with integrity, Johnson should have faced the voters in the primary. He should have shared his platform, debated the issues, presented himself as a serious candidate, and let the voters decide.
When Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska failed to secure her party’s nomination for re-election in 2010, the state Libertarian Party rightly decided not to switch out their candidate for her. Instead, Sen. Murkowski ran an unprecedented write-in campaign across Alaska, and earned each and every vote to win a second term.
Before his announcement, Johnson told The Albuquerque Journal, “To be clear, though, I will not run unless I believe I can win.” It seems that Johnson’s move, then, is more motivated by self-interest than service. Shouldn’t a former public servant value the sanctity of the votes and the primary process over his political career?
During my time with New Mexico Vote Matters — an organization dedicated to voter registration, turnout and protection — I worked to ensure that our elections were fairly administered and that New Mexico’s Election Code was enforced. It’s galling to me that the Libertarian Party has blatantly undermined the spirit of these laws to clear the field and stack the deck for Johnson. It’s not just underhanded; it’s downright undemocratic.
New Mexicans deserve better.
No party insider or public servant should be so arrogant as to disregard the will of voters, or anoint candidates behind closed doors. If Mr. Johnson wanted to gain voters’ respect, and the honor of serving us in the Senate, he should have run in the primary election to earn the nomination.
I end with a message to our former Republican governor – Mr. Johnson, New Mexico voters are not blind; we see you and what you are trying to do. Frankly, we’ve had enough of washed-out politicians who are so desperate to stay relevant that they manipulate the process for their own gratification.
Ariel Bickel is a coach, consultant and community organizer based in Albuquerque. She’s committed to helping individuals empower themselves and develop into the great leaders our world needs and deserves. She’s worked on voting rights and election law reform in New Mexico for more than 10 years. Agree with her opinion? Disagree? We welcome your views. Learn about submitting your own commentary here.