Justin Amash says he will not be running for president as a libertarian
Congressman Justin Amash announced Saturday he would not be running for president in a third-party bid, three weeks after launching an exploratory committee to seek the Libertarian Party's nomination for president. Amash left the Republican Party last year after becoming disillusioned with party politics, and is a vocal critic of President Trump.
"Thanks for your support as I've been exploring a run for president as the potential nominee of the Libertarian Party," Amash wrote on Twitter. "I've spent nearly three weeks assessing the race, appearing in media, talking to delegates and donors, watching the Libertarian Party's convention plan unfold, and gathering feedback from family, friends, and other advisers."
"After much reflection, I've concluded that circumstances don't lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate," Amash continued. However, he wrote that he continues to "believe that a candidate from outside the old parties, offering a vision of government grounded in liberty and equality, can break through in the right environment."
Amash said it was a "difficult decision" for him to make, and said he was concerned about polarization in the country's politics. However, he expressed his desire to continue working with the Libertarian Party to help it become "a major and consistent contender to win elections at all levels of government."
"I remain invested in helping the party realize these possibilities and look forward to the successes ahead," Amash said.
Amash, 40, declared on July 4, 2019, that would be leaving the GOP and said today's political system is "trapped in a partisan death spiral." He also lamented that politicians appear more loyal to their party than the American people. In December, Amash voted to impeach Mr. Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Mr. Trump was acquitted of the charges by the Senate.
