Gary Johnson for President

Libertarians Tap Johnson as Presidential Candidate

Judge James P. Gray picked for Vice-Presidential slot

Wilkes-Barre, PA—At its National Convention this past weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Libertarian Party nominated former two-term Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson as its Presidential candidate and California Judge James P. Gray as his Vice-Presidential running mate according to Lou Jasikoff, delegate at the convention and former Chair of the Pennsylvania Libertarian Party.

A successful businessman, Johnson first ran for office in 1994, when he beat all odds and was elected as Republican Governor of heavily Democratic New Mexico. Prior to his election, Johnson built one of the state's largest construction companies, amassing over 1000 employees. As Governor he cut taxes fourteen times, while never raising them. He vetoed over 750 bills, with a mere two vetoes being overridden, and upon his departure New Mexico was one of only four states in the country to have achieved a balanced budget.

Johnson retired from public office in 2003 after being term-limited to eight years. He is an avid skier, adventurer, and bicyclist and has climbed the highest peak on four of the seven continents, including a successful ascent of Mount Everest. He has promised to submit to Congress a balanced federal budget in 2013, necessitating an unprecedented year-over-year reduction in federal outlays.

Judge James P. Gray is a highly regarded jurist who served on California's Orange County Superior Court from 1989 to 2010. In 2009, the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County named its annual “Judge of the Year” award after Judge Gray.

Jasikoff beamed, “The Libertarian Party has arrived not only on the national scene but also in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Locally the Libertarian Party will be running candidates in state assembly races where there is currently only one candidate on the ballot, and in addition, Betsy Summers will be the Libertarian candidate for State Auditor. We must have competition in politics and the Libertarian Party will provide viable choices to voters in Pennsylvania as well as throughout the Union.”