WASHINGTON -- Libertarian vice presidential nominee William Weld said he and the party's presidential nominee Gary Johnson will work hard to win in Arkansas in November, and will perhaps use an unconventional campaign method to drum up votes.
"I love Arkansas, a sportsman's paradise. Gary and I are both outdoorsmen. We'll canoe the White River and look for votes that way," said Weld, a former two-term Republican governor from Massachusetts.
Johnson is a triathlete and, if elected, would be the first president to have climbed Mount Everest.
Weld, who supported some restrictions on firearms as governor, said Thursday that he'd oppose stronger gun laws as vice president, adding, "I've been a gun owner and a hunter my whole life."
Johnson, who was also the Libertarian nominee in 2012, captured 1.5 percent of the Arkansas vote then.
This time, there's potential to do a lot better, the former New Mexico governor said Thursday. He predicted that his message will resonate with Arkansans.
"I think the things that we are saying represent most of America," he said.
Getting the message out is the hard part, he said. "I really think that it's just an informational issue. I think that if people understood what we're talking about, what we stand for, our records, our resumes, I think it resonates everywhere."
The Libertarian Party says government should stay out of Americans' wallets and their bedrooms.
The party's 2016 platform supports abortion rights and gay equality while also favoring repeal of the federal income tax and eliminating the Internal Revenue Service.
Founded in 1971, the party has fielded a presidential candidate every year since 1972. The high-water mark came in 1980, when attorney Ed Clark captured nearly 1.1 percent of the vote nationwide. Johnson, who received nearly 1 percent of the vote four years ago, was the first Libertarian candidate to collect more than 1 million votes.
This time, Libertarians predict they will do far better. They point to their candidates' past electoral success.
Johnson and Weld both served as Republican governors in heavily Democratic states. Supporters say they have political experience and a proven ability to attract Democratic and independent voters.
Polls show Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump far ahead.
The Johnson-Weld ticket had 6.7 percent of the vote in RealClear Politics' average of polls from June 21 to Wednesday among Clinton, Trump, Johnson, and the Green Party's Jill Stein. If he reaches 15 percent in the major polls by Labor Day, Johnson will qualify for the fall presidential debates, assuming the rules don't change.
"If we get in the debates, I think we can persuade anybody because I think our cause is just," Weld said.
After losing for decades, Arkansas Libertarians said this year could be pivotal.
"It's a unique political situation where the presumptive candidates of the two major parties both have very high negative ratings, and I think the voters are looking for an alternative," said Michael Pakko, the state party chairman. Pakko is chief economist at the Institute for Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
By fielding two "very credible, experienced governors" to lead the ticket, the Libertarian Party is well-positioned to grow, he said.
"I certainly expect that Gov. Johnson will receive a higher vote total this year than he did four years ago, and we're very hopeful that we'll get at least 3 percent," Pakko said.
Three percent is an "important threshold" in Arkansas, he said. "It's the only way that we can maintain our status as a political party into the next cycle without going through the whole process of petitioning once again."
If they fall short, the party candidates will no longer be recognized by the state. To regain party status, they'll have to start over, collecting 10,000 valid signatures from Arkansas voters and submitting them to the secretary of state's office.
It's a time-consuming task, and one they hope to avoid in the future.
Mark West, the party's U.S. House candidate in the 1st District, said he thinks Johnson and Weld could easily surpass the 3 percent threshold, perhaps reaching double digits.
"If you don't have any shenanigans at either of the conventions and you still end up with a Trump on the Republican side and a Clinton on the Democrat side, I really think that you could see Johnson get up to 10-15 percent nationally," he said.
There's even a scenario, he said, where Trump fades and Johnson moves into contention.
Frank Gilbert, the state's Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate, predicted a record-breaking November for his party.
"To tell you the truth, I think probably Johnson and Weld will be the best we've ever seen in Arkansas for a Libertarian candidate," he said.
Frustrated voters will vote Libertarian this time because "the Democrats and Republicans have just fouled up so badly," he said, adding, "I think this will be a watershed year for us."
Metro on 07/11/2016