At the 2008 Libertarian Party National Convention in Denver, Colorado former Republican Congressman Bob Barr (GA) was nominated as the presidential candidate for the party. He served in Congress from 1995–2003.  
Barr officially entered the race on May 12, two weeks before the convention amidst months of speculation. He won the nomination on the sixth ballot of the convention edging Mary Ruwart 324–276. Wayne Allyn Root was nominated as his running mate after losing on the fifth ballot and throwing his support to Barr. 
Barr's main opposition in the Libertarian race highlighted his vote in Congress in favor of the USA PATRIOT Act in 2001 following the September 11 attacks. He has since renounced the vote, and has worked to repeal the act. Barr's candidacy was also seen by Libertarian "radicals" as an attempt by conservatives to take over the party.
Following his nomination Barr remarked that he "will not let [the Libertarian Party] down" and that it "will be a historic and positive campaign that will succeed." To detractors who say he will take votes away from Republican candidate John McCain, Barr stated that "If Senator McCain ... does not succeed in winning the presidency ... it will be because Senator McCain did not present, and his party did not present, a vision, an agenda, a platform and a series of programs that actually resonated positively with the American people." Party spokesman Andrew Davis described the situation among the electorate as "want[ing] and need[ing] another choice" and stating that "that choice is Bob Barr."
—Mike GravelBarr's nomination made former Alaskan senator Mike Gravel — who recently switched from being a Democratic candidate to a Libertarian candidate for President back on March 25, 2008 — announce he is ending his political career.
Gravel said, "I just ended my political career, from 15 years old to now, my political career is over, and it's no big deal. I'm a writer, I'm a lecturer, I'm going to push the issues of freedom and liberty. I'm going to push those issues until the day I die."

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Bob Barr wins the Libertarian Party presidential nomination