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Johnson first ran as a Libertarian in the 2012 presidential election. He had previously run as a Republican in the 1996 and 2000 presidential elections, but he left the party in 2011 due to his dissatisfaction with its increasing conservatism. Johnson's Libertarian candidacy in 2012 was notable for its strong showing, as he received over 1 million votes and finished third behind Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.