Amend constitution because of Gary Johnson, NM Democrat writes

Johnson’s super PAC: The case for campaign finance reform | My View | santafenewmexican.com - Dede Feldman, Santa Fe New Mexican:

September 14, 2018 - "On Aug. 21, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson officially announced his U.S. Senate candidacy at an event hosted by the super PAC that supports him, Elect Liberty.

"Elect Liberty paid for the venue, invited guests, fundraised in support of him, and Johnson promoted their/his event on his social media channels. How can a PAC that is not supposed to coordinate with a candidate throw an announcement party for him? The answer is a United States Supreme Court case, when it ruled in favor of the conservative group Citizens United against the Federal Election Commission.

"How could Elect Liberty hold Gary Johnson’s kickoff event? The Federal Election Commission decided that candidates could appear at PAC events as long as they are labeled 'special guests.' In fact, not only can candidates attend a PAC event, but they can fundraise as long they don’t ask for more than $5,000. Then, as soon as the candidate leaves the room, a super PAC official can ask attendees for a $1 million check....

"Elect Liberty ... PAC was created and is run by Johnson’s former campaign manager and decades-long associate, Ron Nielson. Are we really expected to believe that one of Johnson’s longest-serving advisers, the man he chose to run his 2016 presidential race and is in charge of a PAC that supports him, operates independently of the official campaign?

"Optics aside, everything Johnson is currently doing is legal. But that’s one of the fundamental problems.... While it should come as no surprise that Johnson — who supports the Citizens United ruling and unlimited campaign contributions — would use these loopholes, it’s a system that encourages candidates to skate around the edges of the law.

"Gary Johnson and the Elect Liberty PAC are a textbook case for why we need a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. Both of New Mexico’s U.S. senators support the effort, including Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., who is running against Johnson. New Mexicans should be mindful of this when deciding which candidate shares their beliefs on the role of money in politics."

Read more: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/my_view/johnson-s-super-pac-the-case-for-campaign-finance-reform/article_dc564bad-ec05-5bf1-8a4a-b7a89cf7038c.html
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PAC backing Gary Johnson polls him at 28%

"Johnson Gaining Ground" - Media Advisory, Elect Liberty PAC:

September 26, 2018 - "Former Gov. Gary Johnson is closing the gap in the [New Mexico 2018 U.S.] Senate race, according to a recent poll. A survey conducted September 20-24 by NSON Opinion Strategy, places Johnson ahead of the Republican by 18 percentage points – and 7 points behind the incumbent. The NSON poll of 932 likely voters has Heinrich at 35%, Johnson at 28%, and Rich at 10%, with 20% undecided....

"NSON's R.T. Nielson said, 'These results, more than six weeks before the election, show the New Mexico senate race to be very much in play.... Gary Johnson now has a realistic possibility of winning this election.

"'The favorable / unfavorable results for Johnson and Heinrich are almost identical. The Republican candidate's name [recognition] is dismal, with 80% of voters having never heard of him or having no opinion.

"'Across the country, primary elections have shown voters to be very engaged and motivated, a factor some polls have failed to capture. Millenials and independent voters tend to be "under-counted," and those are both groups with whom Governor Johnson appears to be doing very well.'

"Data collection was conducted by Lux Research of registered voters.... Data was balanced according to age, gender, ethnicity, congressional district, and party."

Read more: https://electliberty.com/frequencies-sept-26/
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Gary Johnson declares for U.S. Senate

Former Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson running for U.S. Senate - CBS News:

August 14, 2018 - "Former Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson began his campaign Tuesday to unseat New Mexico's junior Democratic senator, seeking political opportunity in the space between Democrats and voters loyal to President Donald Trump.

"Johnson, a former two-term governor of New Mexico, was added to the state's list of Senate candidates as final paperwork was being filed with election officials. His campaign manager said a formal announcement would come soon.

"Johnson remains popular in New Mexico.... [His] 2016 presidential bid as a Libertarian sputtered after a live-television gaff on foreign policy. Democrats saw the presidential run, with currents of social liberalism, as a bane to their party, even as Johnson criticized Trump for his treatment of women and border-wall proposal.

"Elected and re-elected governor of New Mexico as a Republican, Johnson stayed true to a small-government philosophy while vetoing more than 700 bills. His open advocacy for legalized marijuana broke mainstream 1990s political taboos and made him a national curiosity....

"Rod Adair, a Republican political strategist and former state senator, said Johnson's reputation for disciplined, business-savvy governance and as an independent thinker ... 'seems to be right in the wheelhouse of measurable disgust with both the left and the right. He may be the perfect third-party option right now.'

"Johnson, a 65-year-old fitness enthusiast who has summited Mount Everest and this summer completed a grueling 2,700 mile (4,350 kilometer) bicycle race along the Continental Divide, says Democrats and Republicans alike are guilty of deficit spending and military overreach that he says limits economic freedom.

"A campaign ad rolled out Monday by the Elect Liberty PAC touts Johnson's image as a self-made businessman who is disciplined and competitive....

"Registered Libertarians make up a tiny sliver of the New Mexico electorate — less than 1 percent of registered voters..... Democrats dominate voter registration rolls, but the state has swung back and forth between Republican and Democratic governors for decades."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-libertarian-candidate-gary-johnson-running-for-u-s-senate/
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