Gary Johnson

In this Sept 23, 2011 file photo, Libertarian Party presidential nominee and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson speaks in Orlando, Fla. A spokesman for the Libertarian Party of Ohio says the organization plans to focus this year on helping Johnson run as an independent candidate in Ohio rather than seek to regain state recognition as a minor political party.

(AP Photo/Joe Burbank, Pool, File)

COLUMBUS, Ohio--No candidates will run as Libertarians in Ohio this year, as the state organization has declined to apply for recognition as a minor party, according to a spokesman.

Tuesday is the deadline for prospective minor parties in Ohio to apply for state recognition. But Libertarian Party of Ohio spokesman Aaron Keith Harris said his group decided against gathering the required 30,600 signatures of registered Ohio voters.

Instead, Harris said, Ohio Libertarians are focusing on collecting the 5,000 signatures needed for Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson to appear on the ballot in Ohio as an independent candidate.

Besides Johnson, Harris said he didn't know of any Libertarians who intend to run for any office in Ohio this year as unaffiliated candidates.

"Unless there's somebody I don't know about, everybody's taking the stance of 'We're going to support Gary Johnson this year,'" Harris said.

However, Harris said Ohio Libertarians are planning to regain minor party status in time for the 2018 midterm elections.

"We're clearly a viable party with lots of support," Harris said.

The Libertarian Party of Ohio lost state recognition after state lawmakers passed stiffer ballot access rules ahead of the 2014 general election and their gubernatorial candidate, Charlie Earl, was disqualified from running because of invalid petitions.

Currently, the Green Party is the only recognized minor party in Ohio. No other prospective minor parties applied for state recognition as of Tuesday afternoon, according to a spokesman for the Ohio secretary of state's office.