The Detroit News has never in its 143-year history endorsed any candidate for president other than a Republican. That is about to change Thursday when the newspaper endorses Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson.

Many normally Republican-leaning editorial boards have refused to back Trump this year. Some have endorsed Hillary Clinton, but a handful have given the nod instead to Johnson, the former two-term governor of New Mexico.

The Detroit News is set to become the most prominent member to join the pro-Johnson club, according to sources close to the paper.

The editorial will take a page out of the Ted Cruz playbook and emphasize voting one's conscience.

Unlike Sen. Cruz, R-Texas, the free market-leaning editorial page will explain why that ought to compel many voters to cast ballots not for Trump or for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton but for Johnson.

The paper will argue that Trump is not conservative and possibly dangerous and that a Clinton presidency would be mired in scandals and ethical problems.

The Detroit News will hold up by contrast Johnson, a former governor with a reasonably clean record of public service, and invite many conservative and free market-oriented voters who would have held their nose to take the clothespin off and vote Libertarian.

UPDATE:

Shortly after midnight Thursday, the Detroit News published its endorsement of Gary Johnson.

Click here to read it.