On Monday, 42 people gathered in the CMU University Center Ballroom to hear Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate Jim Gray speak on various topics. He covered freedom of speech and the press, LGBT rights, Amendment 64 and what it is like to run as a third party candidate.

Gray is the running mate of Libertarian Presidential candidate Gary Johnson.

KMSA General manager Kyle Davis said that Tim Menger, who “stands a chance of being the first Libertarian to win in the lower 48 states,” preceded Gray at the event. Davis  supported Johnson since the candidate started his presidential race as a Republican.

After Menger, Tisha Casida, who is running for Congress spoke. Casida is unaffiliated with any party and according to Davis, “she has raised more money than any other candidate in Colorado.”

Gray spoke for a little over an hour about everything from the national budget to marijuana rights.

“[Gray] is very pro about Amendment 64,” Davis said. “Which is one of the reasons he stands to do so well in Colorado.”

The Libertarian pair is also against the war and wants to work to get out of Afghanistan as soon as possible.

The war is also something many voters are interested in and because Colorado is a battleground state the votes can swing in any direction. While only five to 10 percent of Colorado’s voting population is Libertarian, many voters registered as Republicans and Democrats are planning on voting for Johnson and Gray this year.

The party hopes to win at least five percent of the vote. This ensures that they will have ballot access in the future as well as matching federal funds. With more funds, the party will have many more resources on hand to spread their message.

“Gray spoke about trying to break the two-party stranglehold,” Davis said. “Gary Johnson already has a fair amount of support on the Western Slope. It’ll be interesting to see the results of Election Day.”

kirick@mavs.coloradomesa.edu