# 3rd Party Candidates **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 19, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3rd-party-candidates/638284 "2012-10-19T22:29:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3rd-party-candidates/638284/1 "2012-10-19T22:29:03Z")
Who are the minor candidates in the race this year? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3rd-party-candidates/638284/2 "2012-10-20T00:58:57Z")
The only ones who might feasibly make a difference are Gary Johnson and Virgil Goode, by siphoning some votes from Romney. Otherwise there are probably dozens if not over a hundred across the 50 states. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3rd-party-candidates/638284/3 "2012-10-20T01:11:54Z")
Gary Johnson could actually play an important role in the Presidential election. Colorado is a key swing state and Johnson is well known here due to being a governor of a neighboring state, Coloradoans have a Libertarian bent on both the left and the right, and his support for legalization of marijuana keeps his profile high (heh) with a statewide ballot initiative on the subject polling well. I know a lot of liberals who support the initiative who are very sympathetic to Johnson. Still, he will probably draw more R’s than D’s. I’ve seen polls that show him with 5% support.