On Election Day, voters will see less familiar names on the presidential ballot including Gary Johnson for the Libertarian Party and Virgil Goode for the Constitution Party.
Johnson will appear with James Gray as his running mate and Goode will run alongside James Clymer.
Johnson is the former governor of New Mexico and held office from 1995 to 2003. He held office as a Republican, but is now running for president as a Libertarian. He was considered to be one of the most fiscally-conservative governors in the United States and decided to run for president when he became concerned about the national deficit, Johnson said on his campaign web site.
He believes that, “decisions should be made based on cost-benefit analysis rather than strict ideology,” according to his website.
One of the top issues Johnson is addressing is reforming policies regarding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in order to reduce the national debt and restore the country’s budget. His plan for restoring the budget includes a three-step process, which includes balancing the budget, enacting responsible entitlement reform and auditing the Federal Reserve, according to Johnson’s campaign website.
Along with the national budget, Johnson also is focusing on the economy and taxes. He has a three-step plan that involves cutting spending, cutting taxes, and reducing federal involvement in the economy. In reducing federal involvement in the economy, his plan would be to reject auto and banking bailouts, state bailouts, and corporate welfare, Johnson said.
Goode is running as a candidate for the Constitution Party. He was in the Virginia State Senate from 1973 to 1997 and also was in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2009, according to his website.
As members of the Constitution Party, Goode and Clymer believe in following the U.S. Constitution and that by doing so would mean a “smaller and less costly government, which is vital for the future prosperity and progress of the United States,” the candidates said on Goode’s campaign website.
Goode also address the issues of immigration and unemployment. While in Congress, Goode cosponsored legislation that would try to further prevent illegal immigration. As part of his stance on illegal immigration, Goode also is against granting amnesty for illegal immigrants because he says it has not worked in the past and does not believe it will solve anything now, according to his website.
Goode’s plan for unemployment rates is to reduce federal regulations and to become energy independent in order to create more American jobs. His plan would also include reducing legal immigration in order to keep more jobs open for American citizens, Goode said.
Though the official ballot only includes candidates Romney, Obama, Johnson, and Goode, there are others from the Green Party, American Independent Party, and American Third Position Party who are running as write-in candidates.
