The map of Gary Johnson

While most national presidential polls don’t even test Gary Johnson’s name, the Libertarian Party nominee is registering between 7 and 13 percent in some key Mountain West battleground state surveys.

If those numbers are anywhere close to the mark – the performance of third-party presidential candidates often falls far short of what early polls suggest – Johnson could play a role in shaping the outcome in November.

The states where Johnson shows the most signs of life in polling so far are Arizona, Colorado and his home state of New Mexico, where he served as governor for two terms.

In an interview with POLITICO reporters Tuesday, Johnson laid out the “libertarian-leaning states” where he expects to do best: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Notably missing from the Johnson crescent: Utah, where his campaign is headquartered, and Idaho – the two states with the highest percentage of Mormons in the nation.

Katie Glueck has more from the Johnson interview.