Having received minimal publicity in the previous elections , which contributed to the low voting share that the party received , the Libertarian Party gained significant exposure and media attention in the lead-up to the 2012 Libertarian National Convention and the 2012 presidential election , starting with former two term New Mexico governor Gary Johnson 's announcement of his presidential run with the Libertarian Party . Using the publicity gained from the announcement , Johnson praised the Libertarian Party and championed their beliefs through interviews and public statements , which were often profane and harshly critical of both the Democratic and Republican parties . Johnson won the nomination at the 2012 Libertarian National Convention running to be more fiscally conservative than Republican nominee Mitt Romney and more socially liberal than Democratic President Barack Obama . Johnsons 's campaign for the presidency focused mostly on keeping the publicity gained by the Libertarian Party and gaining support from independents and dissenting Democratic and Republican voters , often echoing resentment towards the two parties . This included a court challenge against the Commission on Presidential Debates by Johnson that sought to include him in the official presidential election debates
2012 Libertarian National Convention
2012 Libertarian National Convention
2016 Libertarian Party presidential primaries