By Glenn Davis – Last week amid considerable speculation, former New Mexico governor and 2012 Libertarian Party presidential candidate, Gary Johnson, formally announced his bid for the 2016 Libertarian Party nomination. In an exclusive interview for IVN, he clarified his announcement and ambitions for his 2016 campaign.

Gary Johnson is known for a wide range of accomplishments as an entrepreneur, two-term governor, marijuana advocate, and extreme athlete. To pave the way for his presidential bid, he resigned as CEO of Cannabis Sativa, Inc. – a position he recently described as his "dream job."

So why aim for an even loftier goal of becoming president?

"I have a great life. I don't need to be president. But I do need – and want – to alter the course the nation is on under the leadership of the past couple of decades," Johnson said of his objectives.

His first hurdle is securing the Libertarian nomination. There are at least ten others vying to be the LP candidate, including computer security pioneer John McAfee.

2016 LP candidate @GovGaryJohnson wants to alter the course of the nation. Click to Tweet

The LP endorsement is an open, competitive process, a process which Johnson believes in.

"I'll have to earn the nomination," he confirmed, adding that he is the candidate most capable of "providing a voice on the national stage."

He means that literally.

The Libertarian National Committee is a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit to change the rules that obstruct third party candidates from participating in presidential debates. While the court decision is still pending, Johnson says movement is expected in the next few weeks.

"We believe we have a strong case, and that we will not only prevail, but in the process, expose the Commission on Presidential Debates as the partisan, rigged organization that it is," he remarked.

Having a podium on the national debate stage is crucial to his success, suggesting that 2016 may be a "tipping point" in the viability of independent candidates.

Johnson believes that, like himself, the majority of voters are fiscally conservative and socially liberal. He elaborated:

"There are literally millions of Americans today who are libertarians, but frankly don't know it. Their beliefs align with ours, and they just need a political home. We must make the LP that home."