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When Kentucky Republican Rand Paul announced his campaign for president last week, one of my first thoughts was how – or if – it would affect Gary Johnson’s political plans.

The former governor of New Mexico, an avid mountain climber, is preparing for another uphill climb in running for president.

Johnson campaigned for the White House in 2012, initially as a Republican. But he changed his party affiliation to Libertarian mid-campaign when he realized he couldn’t get any traction with the GOP voters who tend to oppose drug legalization, abortion rights, same-sex marriage and relaxed immigration policies – all of which Johnson supports.

The party switch didn’t help Johnson’s campaign much. He got crushed on Election Day.

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But he did manage to eke out 1 percent of the vote — a record for a Libertarian candidate.

Meanwhile, the famously tenacious Johnson is eyeing another run.

Even though Johnson hasn’t held public office since 2004 and failed to make much noise with his 2012 presidential campaign, the national media still seems at least somewhat intrigued. MSNBC, Fox, the Daily Caller and other outlets also sought out his opinion on Paul’s announcement and whether Johnson hopes to mount another run.

“It is something I would like to do,” the former governor told me in a telephone conversation last week. “I do believe I provide a voice that is reflective of most Americans.”

But what about Paul, who has a fairly libertarian philosophy of his own? How does his entrance into the presidential race affect Johnson’s own calculations?

Not much, the former governor said.

“I think it’s a good thing he’s running and it’s a good thing he’s being attached to being a libertarian,” Johnson said.

“People are asking me why would you run as a Libertarian candidate when you already have a Libertarian (Paul) running?” Johnson said. “No, we don’t. If he was a Libertarian he would be running as a Libertarian.”

There are some points on which Johnson and Paul agree, including a desire for tax cuts and a less interventionist U.S. military posture. But Johnson notes that Paul has reigned in his call for defense spending cuts, opposes same-sex marriage and is squishy on the issue of marijuana legalization.

Paul has tried to dodge the pot question to some extent, suggesting the federal government shouldn’t legalize it but that states should have some leeway.

“You don’t get nominated (in the Republican Party) unless you toe that line,” Johnson said.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has called on Republicans to return campaign contributions from disgraced former Rep. Aaron Schock, an Illinois Republican who resigned last month after reporters found that he was using some sketchy accounting to account for the taxpayers’ dime.

Some have obliged.

But now that Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, has been indicted on corruption charges, some Democrats are turning over now-tainted campaign cash they have received from him.

Count Rep. Ben Ray Luján, a New Mexican who chairs the DCCC, among that group.

Luján’s spokesman told me last week he would donate $2,500 he received from Menendez in 2008 to charities in Santa Fe.

“The campaign will donate the money to two local organizations that are doing great work supporting our veterans – Horses for Heroes in Santa Fe and Not Forgotten Outreach in Taos,” Luján spokesman Andrew Stoddard said.

Horses for Heroes bills itself as a “horsemanship, wellness and skill-set restructuring program based in Santa Fe, NM free to all post 9/11 veterans and active military (both men and women) especially those who have sustained PTSD, physical injuries, or have experienced combat trauma during their time serving our country.”

The Not Forgotten Association describes itself as “a unique national tri-service charity which provides entertainment, leisure and recreation for the serving wounded, injured or sick and for ex-service men and women with disabilities.”

Email: mcoleman@abqjournal.com. Go to ABQjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.