"This is very, very real," he told the Iowa rally, noting he and his running mate, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, are the only third-party candidates on general-election ballots in all 50 states. "The possibility exists to run the table on this election and for all the right reasons."

During his remarks, Johnson, who ran as the Libertarian Party's 2012 presidential nominee, touted policies aimed at ensuring economic, racial and marriage equality with less government intrusion into people's lives and more money in their pockets with a streamlined and simplified tax system. He advocated for gun rights, term limits and health care choices while balancing the federal budget by refocusing military spending, reforming entitlements and returning more power to states in areas of school choice and overseeing Medicaid and Medicare programs.

He spoke against the death penalty, advocated for legalized marijuana, embraced and welcomed expanded immigration and argued in favor of a foreign policy not seeking to be the world's police force.

"We should have an invincible national defense," he said. "We should demonstrate military superiority. But when we involve ourselves in regime change, it results in a less-safe world. In my lifetime, I cannot think of one instance where we inject ourselves in a civil war and it turns out for the better."

When the public-address system briefly malfunctioned during Johnson's appearance, the crowd picked up a chant of "let Gary debate" while they waited for power to be restored. Johnson closed by telling the supporters "you rock" and urged them to help "make a difference in this election."

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