Gary E. Johnson
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| Gary Earl Johnson | |
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| In office 1995-1999 – 1999-2003 |
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| Lieutenant | Walter Bradley |
| Preceded by | Bruce King |
| Succeeded by | Bill Richardson |
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| Born | January 1, 1953 North Dakota |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dee Johnson (1977-2005) (divorced) |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Religion | Lutheran |
Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) was the Republican governor of the U.S. state of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003. He is also a well-known and outspoken opponent of the War on Drugs.
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[edit] Background
From a fairly humble, Lutheran background, Gary Earl Johnson attended the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, with an emphasis in business and political science. It was there that he met his future wife, Dee (1952 - December 22, 2006). In the early eighties, Johnson started a construction business from a loan given to him by his father-in-law. The business took off, as Johnson was able to capitalize on the need for modern buildings in the growing Albuquerque metropolitan area [1].
[edit] Governor of New Mexico
In 1994 he received the Republican nomination for governor after a long primary campaign and close primary election. It is noteworthy that Johnson did not stand out as the first choice among many party leaders. Because he had little experience in politics, many assumed that he would not be able to fund a campaign for governor. Using his own money, Johnson was able to sway both Republicans and Democrats towards his libertarian beliefs. In the state general election, he defeated the incumbent Democratic governor Bruce King 50-40 percent in a nationally Republican year[2].
In 1995, Johnson created some controversy when he met with representatives of the New Mexico militia movement, soon after the Oklahoma City bombing. Johnson said, however, that he was meeting with members of the New Mexico militia movement to ensure that they remained non-violent [3].
In 1998, Johnson was reelected as Governor, defeating Democratic Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez by a 55% to 45% margin [4].
In 1999, Johnson became the highest-ranking elected official in the United States to advocate the legalization of drugs. Saying the War on Drugs was "an expensive bust," he advocated the decriminalization of both drug use and possession in order to save money and potentially regulate currently illegal drugs. His position was similar to that of the Libertarian Party in many ways, and led many political observers to believe he would run for political office as a Libertarian in the future. [5]
[edit] After Governor
In 2003, Johnson left office, as required by the Constitution of the State of New Mexico which states that a governor may not serve more than two consecutive terms. As of 2007, Johnson has not announced any desire or decision to again seek election to any other office.
As some observers had expected, after his term as Governor, Johnson briefly considered running for president in 2004 as a Libertarian Party candidate. After declining the formation of a Presidential search committee and deciding against such a run for president, Johnson has largely retired from politics and left public life.
Johnson is also an avid triathlete who runs several miles each day and abstains from all drug use, caffeine, alcohol, and some sugar products. During his term in office, he competed in several triathlons and was also an outspoken advocate for physical fitness. In 2003, he climbed Mount Everest. [6]
It was reported in the September 29, 2005, Albuquerque Journal that Johnson quietly divorced his wife, Dee. The newspaper said that the couple were divorcing after "growing apart" and decided to go public with the news at that time [7]. The couple had been married in 1977. On December 22, 2006 Dee Johnson was found dead in her Taos, NM home. The Office of the Medical Investigator ruled that she died as the result of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. She was 54 at the time of her death [8].
Johnson currently serves on the board of directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a youth-oriented nonprofit organization that seeks to end the war on drugs [9].
In 2008, Johnson endorsed Ron Paul for the 2008 Republican nomination.[10]
[edit] External links
- "America's Most Dangerous Politician", interview in Reason by Michael Lynch.
[edit] References
- ^ interview in New Mexico Business Journal Jan-Feb, 1995
- ^ [1] 1994 NM Election Results
- ^ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2608_v124/ai_17868063/pg_9 "Militia movement: prescription for disaster - Cover Story" USA Today Thomas Halpern, David Rosenberg, and Irwin Suall Jan., 1996
- ^ [2] CNN election results 1998
- ^ CNN.com
- ^ "Former governor scales Mount Everest" Lawrence Journal-World Online Edition Lawrence, KS
- ^ Leslie Linthicum Albuquerque Journal
- ^ Santa Fe New Mexican Feb 11, 2007
- ^ http://ssdp.org/staff/ SSDP National Staff page
- ^ Official Ron Paul website
| Preceded by Bruce King |
Governor of New Mexico 1995-2003 |
Succeeded by Bill Richardson |
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