Justin Amash launches exploratory committee for Libertarian presidential bid

“We’re ready for a presidency that will restore respect for our Constitution and bring people together. I’m excited and honored to be taking these first steps toward serving Americans of every background as president,” Amash said in a tweet Tuesday evening. “Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the people.”

He must secure the Libertarian Party’s nomination at its national convention. While the party has held some state presidential preference contests, the primaries and caucuses have no bearing on whom delegates may choose to nominate at the national convention.

The Libertarian Party national convention was scheduled to take place in Austin, Texas, at the end of May, but was abruptly canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Party leaders have a meeting set for Saturday to reschedule the event.

Amash, 39, was elected to Congress in the 2010 Tea Party wave and is a co-founder of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus. In 2019, Amash publicly concluded that his Republican colleagues cared more about party loyalty than they did about the principles he holds dear — constitutional order, limited government, economic freedom, and individual liberty. He “declared his independence” from the GOP in a July 4 opinion piece, making him the only independent member of the House.

In December 2019, Amash voted in favor of the two articles of impeachment against President Trump pushed forward by House Democrats.

The formerly Republican congressman is the highest-profile politician seeking the Libertarian nomination. Other candidates include retired California Superior Court Judge Jim Gray, who was former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson’s running mate on the 2012 Libertarian ticket, and Vermin Supreme, a perennial performance artist joke candidate who wears a boot as a hat.