Legalization proponents rejoice: There's a chance Johnson's kickoff could be moved to April 20. Aide: Johnson to launch bid April 21

Gary Johnson will formally announce his candidacy for president on April 21 in New Hampshire, an aide told POLITICO.

The former New Mexico governor will skip creating an exploratory committee — the traditional path of many of his potential GOP rivals — to immediately start campaigning and fundraising in the first-in-nation primary state.


“Gary is going to be spending a lot of time there doing retail politics,” the aide said. “Might as well start now.”

Johnson’s campaign headquarters will be based in Salt Lake City, home to his longtime adviser Ron Nielson, who worked on his two successful campaigns for New Mexico governor. Nielson’s firm NSON Opinion Strategy has doubled as the base of operations for Johnson’s 501(c)4 group Our America Initiative.

Aides are still hammering out the details of when and where Johnson will announce his candidacy. And there is a small possibility that his announcement could be moved to April 20, an unofficial holiday for the marijuana legalization movement. Johnson, a leading advocate of legalization, is already planning to speak at a New Hampshire so-called 4/20 rally.

And after a few days of campaigning, Johnson will hit the slopes at Tuckerman Ravine in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. But the man who climbed Mt. Everest doesn't just ski at resorts. To get to the mountain, Johnson will packing up his gear and hiking up the vast inverted half-dome. It's been called one of the most difficult back-country skiing spots in North America — and Outside Magazine will be tagging alone to chronicle his trek.