US Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson speaks to AFP during an interview in Washington, DC, on May 9, 2016. Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson is running for president as a Libertarian, just as he did 2012 when he managed to get 1.2 million votes. Regardless of his chances of a win, Johnson is reaching out to undecided Republican voters who are looking for a third-party option and are unconvinced that Donald Trump is the answer. / AFP / Nicholas KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

SHARE SALT LAKE CITY, UT - AUGUST 6: Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson talks to a crowd of supporters at a rally on August 6, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Johnson has spent the day campaigning in Salt Lake City, the home town of former republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

By Tammie Robinson

Gary Johnson is honest, trustworthy and notably free of political scandal. He was a successful two-term governor of New Mexico with a proven record, including 750 vetoes for wasteful spending legislation. He cut taxes 14 times, while leaving the state of New Mexico with new highways, bridges, schools and hospitals and a billion-dollar surplus.

As a Libertarian, Johnson supports a noninterventionist foreign policy but a robust national defense. He is a champion of civil liberties and protector of person privacy. He supports small business, entrepreneurship and free markets. He would like to see fewer restrictions in our immigration policy and would work toward intelligent immigration reform, such as a sensible guest worker program.

Government is too large and he would focus on reducing its size, intrusiveness and regulations. Government should be there to protect our rights, not threaten or negate them.

Our war on drugs is an abject failure that has cost society in a multitude of ways and has had worldwide impacts. Johnson would end this war. He does support legalizing marijuana.

It is true that voting for Gary Johnson is a vote to advance the Libertarian Party, but it also weakens the Democrat-Republican duopoly, allowing opportunities for real alternatives now and in the future. The vote also advances the cause of limited government.

Instead of the division seen in the current two-party system, Gary Johnson and libertarianism can help bridge the parties divide. Unlike the other two candidates, Johnson and Bill Weld are attracting voters from across the political spectrum and are supported by grassroots efforts and individual donors, not special interests. They bring with them the unique opportunity to bring ideological and demographic diversity together and promote unity.

Americans want a voice that will represent the people, not lobbyists or special interest groups. Gary Johnson's voice of reason and responsibility would certainly offer a healthy advantage for our national political discourse.

Tammie Robinson is chairwoman of the Tom Green County Libertarian Party.