Bill Weld being ‘seriously considered’ for Libertarian Vice President
Vice presidential speculation is becoming a Massachusetts affair this election season.
Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld is “being seriously considered” as a choice for vice president on the Libertarian party ticket alongside presidential nominee and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, the campaign said in statement on Tuesday.
“For a former Governor and well known public figure, ‘vetting’ is not the operative word, nor necessary,” said Joe Hunter, communications director for Johnson. “But yes, Governor Weld is being seriously considered.”
The Daily Caller first reported that Weld was on the VP shortlist, citing a source close to the Johnson campaign.
Weld joins both former Sen. Scott Brown and current Sen. Elizabeth Warren as sources of vice presidential speculation. Brown was an early advocate of Donald Trump, and Warren’s popularity on the left makes her a potential VP choice for either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.
Weld, a libertarian-leaning Republican, served as Massachusetts governor from 1991 until 1997, when he resigned in a failed attempt to be confirmed as Ambassador to Mexico. In 2006, he ran as a Libertarian and Republican candidate for governor of New York, but withdrew from the race after losing in the Republican primary.
Weld did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Johnson was elected governor of New Mexico three times, leading the state from 1995 to 2003. In 2012, he ran for president as a member of the Libertarian party, garnering about one percent of the vote nationally.
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