Libertarian Gary Johnson offers 'whatever I can do' to help Tulsi Gabbard in New Hampshire amid third party talk around the candidate
- Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico and the 2016 Libertarian Party nominee, offered "whatever I can do" to support Tulsi Gabbard ahead of Tuesday's New Hampshire Primary.
- Gabbard, a Democrat, has bucked her party in the past and consistently draws Republicans, 2016 Trump supporters, libertarians and other non-Democrats to her events in the Granite State.
- Johnson's support came the same day that Gabbard responded to an audience question that she would be "receptive to a third party" in front of a room that included many independent and Libertarian voters. She later clarified, "I am not running as a third party candidate."
- Johnson won more votes than any third party candidate for the presidency in 2016 since Ross Perot did in 1992.
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KEENE, N.H. - Former New Mexico governor and 2016 Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson offered his support to Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard ahead of Tuesday's New Hampshire Primary in a voicemail obtained by Insider.
"Hey, I was asked a long time ago to endorse Tulsi, and I did, and you know, whatever I can do - I'm not active on social media - but I did endorse her, and you know, whatever quote you wanna attribute to me to say vote for her, you got it," Johnson told a local Gabbard volunteer.
"Anyway, talk to you later," he continued.
Gabbbard, a 38-year-old Congresswoman from Hawaii, has set herself apart in American politics through her willingness to buck her own party.
During the 2016 election, she resigned from a post with the Democratic National Committee to endorse Bernie Sanders and allege the DNC was hindering his campaign in favor of Hillary Clinton. Most recently, she voted "present" on both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in the House, the only representative to do so in either party.
While Gabbard has denied mulling a potential third party run in the past - often insisting she will remain in the Democratic primary "through the convention" - she told a voter in Greenland, N.H. today that she would be receptive to a third party in general, according to Michael Shure of i24 News. She later clarified to BuzzFeed's Rosie Gray, "I am not running as a third party candidate."
Although no candidate in either major party has won the New Hampshire primary by winning among independent voters without a plurality of support in their own party, Gabbard has drawn a significant proportion of supporters to her events who self-identify as Republicans, 2016 Trump voters and non-Democrats, particularly libertarians.