Gary Johnson Survives To Win Libertarian Nomination

  Former New Mexico Governor, Gary Johnson (the 2012 nominee) survived a strong insurgency by Austin Petersen, this morning, to become the party 'standard-bearer'. Going into the convention, Johnson's 'insurmountable lead' began to see real slippage. Petersen's strong debate skills and Johnson's unpopular positions(with the party delegates) on a few issues; led to a strong push for a new face to lead the party.

Candidate Petersen endorses Johnson, after the results were announced.

  The first round of balloting resulted with Johnson was 1st with 49+%; falling short of the 50% requirement. Austin Petersen was 2nd with just over 21% and John McAfee was 3rd with 14%. Politicos saw this as a referendum of sorts, on whether Johnson should continue to lead.  About 10% of the very minor candidates' supporters sided with Johnson on a 2nd ballot, resulting in a 56% tally for Johnson.
​  Austin Petersen quickly made a public endorsement of Johnson, before the convention body.

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​Just before the nomination vote, Johnson said if he were to win the nomination, he would head to New York on Monday for media opportunities. Johnson, who served as New Mexico governor as a Republican from 1995-2003, said too few people knew what a Libertarian is, and that his job is to change that. In his acceptance speech, and speaking with reporters after, Johnson repeatedly urged delegates to vote for his preferred running mate, former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld. Many Libertarian activists are skeptical of Weld, arguing his 1991-97 tenure saw too much growth in government and new gun control measures. But Johnson argued that Weld is the most plausible running mate in appealing to a national electorate, and could help build momentum and fundraising power for the ticket.

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Oklahoma Libertarian candidate, Dax Ewbank, issued this statement:

​  Gary Johnson is the Libertarian nominee for President. He's a good choice and will have a broad appeal in the general election. He was not my choice as I preferred a more hard core principled Libertarian like John McAfee, however, Johnson's victory was a great demonstration of how a political party ought to operate. There was a contentious contest, mutual respect, and an honest series of votes.

  If this were any other of the major parties, Johnson would have been coronated just based on how he was polling before the convention, the voice of the delegates of the party be damned. However, Libertarians don't do it that way. We actually want a party where the principles are fought over and the candidates must appeal to the delegates, Johnson didn't even win on the first vote, it took two votes to gain him the nomination. It was no coronation by any stretch.

  This kind of contest is what helps to hold candidates accountable to the party's stated principles, and even if Johnson isn't the best Libertarian, he still has to answer to the purists as he moves forward with his campaign. He needs to feel the uncomfortable pressure of having to answer to a base that is serious about what they believe.

  I'm looking forward to promoting Libertarian ideals with a Johnson candidacy to point people towards as an extremely superior alternative to Trump or Hillary. ~ Dax Ewbank

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Presidential delegate count
Libertarian National Convention Presidential vote, 2016 - 1st Ballot[5] Candidate First Ballot Percentage Gary Johnson 458 49.514% Austin Petersen 197 21.297% John McAfee 131 14.162% Darryl Perry 63 6.811% Marc Allen Feldman 58 6.270% Kevin McCormick 9 0.973% None of the above 5 0.541% Ron Paul (Write-in) 1 0.108% Vermin Supreme (Write-in) 1 0.108% Heidi Zemen (Write-in) 1 0.108% Derrick Grayson (Write-in) 1 0.108% Totals 925 100%	Libertarian National Convention Presidential vote, 2016 - 2nd Ballot[6] Candidate Second Ballot Percentage  Gary Johnson 518 55.819% Austin Petersen 203 21.875% John McAfee 131 14.116% Darryl Perry 52 5.603% Marc Allen Feldman 18 1.940% None of the above 2 0.216% Derrick Grayson (Write-in) 1 0.108% Michael Shannon (Write-in) 1 0.108% Kevin McCormick (Write-in) 1 0.108% Rhett Smith (Write-in) 1 0.108% Totals 928 100%
No candidate achieved the majority on the first ballot, so there was a second ballot vote. Due to finishing last of the six nominated candidates, McCormick was excluded from the second ballot.