Ron Nielson, a longtime adviser to former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and the campaign manager behind his 2016 Libertarian presidential bid, said in an interview this week that he would be open to working with Elon Musk’s newly launched America Party. Musk announced the party on Independence Day.
In a report published Tuesday by Axios, Nielson, who first began working with Johnson during his 1994 gubernatorial campaign, said Musk could make a third party effort “immediately viable,” calling his involvement a “game-changer.” He added that he would consider working with the America Party, though he is not involved at this time.
Nielson has played a central role in Johnson’s political career, most notably serving as campaign manager and senior adviser during his 2012 and 2016 presidential campaigns. The 2016 Libertarian ticket ultimately earned more than 4.4 million votes, becoming the party’s most successful presidential showing to date. Nielson also co-founded the Our America Initiative with Johnson following the 2008 election cycle and served as its honorary chair.
Musk announced the formation of the America Party last Friday, positioning it as a vehicle to win key congressional and Senate races and act as a balance of power in Washington. The launch follows weeks of speculation and online comments stemming from his dissatisfaction with both major parties, particularly the Republican Party and its support for President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Although the party’s platform remains largely undefined, early polling shows notable interest among Republican-leaning voters.
Nielson’s openness to the effort also comes as Libertarian National Committee Chair Steven Nekhaila has confirmed that the Libertarian Party has reached out to Musk, encouraging collaboration rather than starting a party from scratch. In an interview with Politico’s Morning Score, Nekhaila cited the logistical challenges of launching a new political party and pitched the Libertarian Party’s existing infrastructure, particularly its ability to achieve nationwide ballot access.
Meanwhile, Axios also reported that Musk and Forward Party co-founder Andrew Yang have recently connected. Yang is said to be open to helping Musk identify candidates to run in targeted House districts, after attempting to reach out to Musk both directly and through mutual contacts early last month.
I think you meant to say: “He Musk smell money”. 🙂
I think you hit it exactly, Andy.
He must smell money.