By James Sweet III | United States

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is endorsing Gary Johnson (L-NM) in his bid to become the next Senator from New Mexico.

The race currently has a Republican candidate, but he is trailing behind Johnson in recent polls. Gary Johnson served as Governor of New Mexico as a Republican, and was the Libertarian Party’s candidate for President in 2012 and 2016.

If more Republicans continue to throw their support behind Gary Johnson, Mick Rich, the Republican candidate, could be pressured into dropping out to ensure that the Democrat incumbent does not win the election.

Rand Paul and Gary Johnson both advocate for small government and fiscal responsibility, so the shock lies in the fact that Rand Paul is endorsing a Libertarian candidate despite being a Republican. Rand Paul has strayed from the party before, however, so it’s not outside of his comfort zone to do this.

If Johnson wins, he could possibly become a swing vote in the Senate if the Democrats pick up more seats in the Midterm Elections. Right now, Democratic incumbent Martin Heinrich is leading the race, but Gary Johnson has only been rising in recent polls.

Rich, the Republican nominee, is a construction contractor that is new to the political sphere. He states on his campaign page that he knows “how to create jobs and grow businesses”. If Rich does adhere to the pressure and support Gary Johnson, it is likely and possible that Johnson could become the Libertarian Party’s senator from New Mexico.

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