Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz may be able to avoid a 50-state scramble for presidential ballot access by seeking the Libertarian Party’s support.

Members of the large national third party, which took more than 3 percent of the vote in 2016, are intrigued by Schultz and might be willing to give him the party nomination in 2020, meaning he would not have to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures as an independent.

Schultz has branded himself a “centrist independent” as he teases a potential challenge to President Trump. But he has Libertarians swooning over his concern about the national debt and opposition to socialist policies such as single-payer healthcare, free college, and high taxes.

“Mr. Schultz describes himself as fiscally conservative and socially liberal, so I kindly encourage Mr. Schultz to look at our platform, as that title goes hand in hand with what the Libertarian Party stands for,” said Florida Libertarian Party Chairman Marcos Miralles.

The idea of Schultz running as a Libertarian was discussed over the weekend in Southern California, where that state’s Libertarian Party executive committee gathered in Long Beach for a meeting, followed by a fundraiser.

California Libertarian Party Chairwoman Mimi Robson said there was interest in learning more about Schultz’s positions.

"He’s definitely a fiscal conservative and he appears to be generally for civil liberties and individual rights — so yeah, those are all things in line with the Libertarian Party," she said. “There's kind of a wait and see attitude ... It’s one of those things like, ‘Oh, it's an interesting idea,’ but there are other people who may run as Libertarians."

States with the toughest ballot access rules for independents also have the most electoral votes. California, Texas, and Florida, together holding a quarter of electoral votes, have the toughest rules, said Ballot Access News editor Richard Winger.

Winger said if Schultz runs as an independent, he would need to collect 196,000 signatures. In Florida, he would need 120,000. In Texas, he needs about 90,000. Winger said he’s optimistic that a pending lawsuit will overturn California’s rules.

Robson said she doesn’t have a stance on Schultz, but does have advice. "If he’s thinking about doing a run and doing it independently, I think that's not the best way to win," she said.

In 1992, another billionaire, Ross Perot, achieved ballot access in all 50 states, but he had to gather about 800,000 valid signatures, which he did with help from a grassroots draft campaign.

Schultz, raised in a Brooklyn housing project, has made his rags-to-riches tale of free-market success central to his possible campaign, while emphasizing Starbucks’ voluntary commitment to worker welfare. If he seeks the Libertarian nomination, however, it would reopen a debate between party purists and those willing to accept a more mainstream candidate. Recently, the more mainstream wing has won out, nominating former Republican Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico for president in 2012 and 2016.

Johnson made some Libertarians squirm when he appeared to endorse state governments forcing bakers to supply same-sex wedding cakes — but it wasn’t the first time party members plugged their noses. In 2004, Libertarians nominated Bob Barr, a former Georgia Republican congressman who had voted for the surveillance-expanding Patriot Act and authored the Defense of Marriage Act, which banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

Nicholas Sarwark, chairman of the national Libertarian Party, said some of Schultz’s political positions are well in-line with the party, but others could be problematic.

“Howard Schultz seems to hold some libertarian positions on issues like marriage equality and reducing the national debt,” Sarwark said. “On the other side, his position on gun control would probably be very unpopular with libertarians.” Schultz said he believes “ guns of war” should be banned.

“It’s hard to say whether he would be a good fit for libertarian voters, since there is not a consensus on how many non-libertarian positions would disqualify a candidate,” Sarwark added. “Should he choose to seek our nomination, delegates in Austin next year would have the final say on that issue.”

It’s rare for a state party to nominate its own candidate, Sarwark said. He’s only familiar with one instance: the Arizona Libertarian Party doing so in 2000.

Schultz's spokespeople did not respond to a request for comment.

Winger, the ballot access expert, is also a longtime Libertarian who has participated at national conventions since the 1980s. He doubts Schultz could win the party’s nomination, and said debate access may ultimately prove a bigger concern.

“Many Libertarians have been impatient with the party moderates for nominating Gary Johnson and Bill Weld in 2016, and they are now feeling happy and confident that this time the Libertarians will nominate someone more pure,” he said.