Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson on the rise

Gary Johnson

Carlsbad Current-Argus - Few noticed Gary Johnson's political fall. The former New Mexico governor hopes a country will watch him rise. Johnson, 59, still a stranger to much of America, hopes his visibility will start to increase this week if he wins the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party. Even various Libertarians who are not fans of Johnson concede that he is a lock to become their party's presidential candidate on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nev. A former Republican, Johnson quit the party in December because he said it abandoned him when he tried to run for president under the GOP banner. Johnson could not crack into the Republican presidential debates and his poll numbers languished. He sat on the sidelines as opponents such as Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman and Michele Bachmann took the stage. Rather than accepting certain defeat as a Republican, Johnson switched to the Libertarian Party in December. He became its best-known presidential candidate as soon as he signed his Libertarian membership card. Johnson relishes his reputation as a skinflint with the public's money. He became famous for vetoing legislation and cutting budgets in New Mexico, where he was nicknamed "Governor No." One old rival says Johnson was always more Libertarian than Republican, though he disguised it for years. Read More News New Mexico

Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson on the rise