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At Indy Mayors Conference, Libertarian Candidate Revels In 'Spoiler' Label

Brandon Smith
/
Indiana Public Broadcasting

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson addressed the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Indianapolis Monday, The former New Mexico governor says he relishes playing the spoiler in the presidential race.

Libertarian Johnson’s speech to the mayors conference was essentially a recitation of his policy positions – everything from imposing term limits to legalizing marijuana to his solution for affordable housing

“If you just ask an architect to design affordable housing without regard to any rules or regulations or any laws that are on the books,” he says, “I guarantee you that affordable housing would be very, very affordable.”

The former New Mexico governor – who ran for president as a Libertarian in 2012 as well – says he happily takes on the mantle of spoiler in the presidential race.

“Oooh,” says Johnson. “If I could just be the spoiler; this is a party that needs spoiling and I am talking about the two-party system. Really. It’s the dinosaurs and maybe I’m the comet.”

Johnson says being included in the presidential debates could make a huge difference in helping him earn as much as 15 percent support in November’s election.   

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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