 Professor Jo Jorgensen of South Carolina, the U.S. Libertarian Party's 2020 presidential nominee, answered some questions about her campaign from Wikinews accredited reporter William S. Saturn.
Jorgensen is a psychology professor at Clemson University.   In 1992, with the Libertarian Party's backing, she ran for public office, seeking South Carolina's 4th congressional seat in the United States House of Representatives.  She finished the race in third place with almost 2.16 percent of the total vote. Four years later, the Libertarian Party tapped Jorgensen to be its vice presidential nominee.  She joined a ticket with the late Harry Browne.  Browne-Jorgensen appeared on every state ballot and received a total of 485,798 votes, which was roughly 0.5 percent. This marked the best performance for the party since 1980 and would not be topped percentage-wise until 2012 when former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson attained 0.99 percent of the vote.  Johnson bested that performance in 2016 as the party's presidential nominee for a second time, earning 3.27 percent of the vote, the highest percentage for the party  since its 1971 inception.
For the 2020 nomination, Jorgensen navigated through a primary campaign that featured the short-lived campaigns of former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee and Congressman Justin Amash of Michigan, the first sitting Congressman to be a member of the Libertarian Party.  At the virtual 2020 Libertarian National Convention, Jorgensen won the nomination on the fourth ballot, edging attorney Jacob Hornberger, performance artist Vermin Supreme and activist Adam Kokesh, among others.  Podcaster Spike Cohen, originally the running mate of Supreme, was picked to be the party's vice presidential nominee.  Cohen spoke to Wikinews back in June.  The Jorgensen-Cohen ticket has since secured ballot access in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
As a libertarian, an ideology that advocates for lesser government, both in the social and economic realms, Jorgensen's issue positions include a mix of traditionally liberal and conservative stances.  She supports both LGBT rights and gun rights.  She opposes the police state and the taxing authority equally.  And, she supports an open immigration policy while arguing against the welfare state. 
With Wikinews, Jorgensen discusses her background, COVID-19, her potential cabinet, gridlock, and an assortment of issues including climate change, foreign affairs, free speech, and race relations. 
((WSS)) : Which past U.S. president(s) do you most admire and why?
((WSS)) : How have your past experiences prepared you for the job of President?
((WSS)) : How would you describe your style of leadership?  How does it compare to the leadership styles of President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama?
((WSS)) : If you were president, how would you have handled the coronavirus pandemic differently than President Trump?
((WSS)) : How has the pandemic affected your campaign and your ability to reach out to voters?
Jorgensen with a supporter wearing a facemask.Image: Gage Skidmore.
Jorgensen supporters during a rally in North Carolina.Image: Jo Jorgensen for President.
Spike Cohen with Jorgensen supporters in August 2020 Image: Gage Skidmore.
Jorgensen in July 2020.Image: Jo Jorgensen for President.
((WSS)) : In 2016, Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson, the former Governor of New Mexico, received about 3.28 percent of the popular vote, a record for the party.  Based on your polling and general feeling on the ground, what percentage of the popular vote do you expect to receive in the 2020 election?
((WSS)) : During the 2016 campaign, Gary Johnson responded to a reporter's question about the Syrian city of Aleppo with "What is Aleppo?"  This seems to be one thing people most remember about Johnson.  If there's one thing the public will remember about you and your campaign, what do you want it to be?  What do you expect it to be?
((WSS)) : What would a Jorgensen administration look like?  Which specific individuals would you ask to be in your cabinet?
((WSS)) : There is currently only one Libertarian in Congress, Justin Amash.  He is not seeking re-election.  If you win the election, the government will remain divided.  How will you work with Congress to avoid gridlock and pass your agenda?
Libertarian Congressman Justin Amash.Image: House of Representatives.
Vice presidential nominee Spike Cohen.Image: Jo Jorgensen for President.
Whistleblower Edward Snowden.Image: TheWikiLeaksChannel.
Whistleblower Julian Assange.Image: New Media Days.
((WSS)) : What should be done, from the government's perspective, to combat global climate change?
((WSS)) : What are your views on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan?  What would you do as president to help resolve the conflict and how does that comport with your overarching philosophy on foreign affairs?
((WSS)) : Are you concerned about the deplatforming and social media censorship of notable conservatives and libertarians?  How would you address this issue as president?
((WSS)) : What can you do, as president, to improve race relations in the United States?

Have an opinion on this story? Share it!
Share this: 






This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.
Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.
Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.
Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.
Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.
Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.
Wikinews interviews Jo Jorgensen, U.S. Libertarian Party presidential nominee