(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

He favors same sex marriage, the legalization of marijuana and prostitution, and an anti-war foreign policy.

Not your idea of a typical Republican candidate for president?

Probably not, which is why analysts say former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson could be the first real third-party contender in the race for the White House. Since entering the field in April -- Johnson has struggled to gain traction as a GOP candidate. (Video from Gary Johnson’s YouTube channel)

And his low poll numbers kept him out of all but two of the televised debates so far.

Now, he’s reportedly had enough according to Politico’s sources. Late Tuesday night, Politico broke the news with a tweet that the governor was dropping his bid for the GOP nomination and running instead as a Libertarian.

Portland’s KPTV takes it from there.

“Gary Johnson plans to announce the switch in Santa Fe later his month. Political experts called Johnson’s Republican campaign dead on arrival. …  Politico says 58-year-old will begin talks with Libertarian party because of his lack of attention from GOP officials.”

Not a HUGE surprise to political observers, but ABC’s Rick Klein tells Fox News Johnson’s absence from the GOP won’t mean much for the rest of the field.

“We're not talking about a serious contender for president. Before he had no traction as a Republican candidate. He is going run as a libertarian. Ron Paul could do more damage as a Libertarian or an Independent. I could see that could catch on more than Gary Johnson.”

That’s not how The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf see it. He notes, Johnson left office a popular governor. And as a fiscal conservative who advocates a hands-off government on social issues - the Libertarian ticket is just a better fit.

“There is at least one state where he'd be competitive in a three-way race: the swing-state of New Mexico, where Obama beat McCain in 2008, Bush beat Kerry in 2004, and Gore beat Bush in 2000. … Founded in 1971, the Libertarian Party has never fielded a presidential candidate who won a state. Johnson could give that party its best shot at doing so.”

But voters in several states are still gonna see Johnson as a Republican option on primary ballots. Politico points out that’s one potential snafu in the switch.

“One problem Johnson could face is so called ‘sore loser’ laws that will keep him from appearing as a third party candidate next November because he’s already on the GOP primary ballots in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan and Missouri.”

Johnson is expected to make the move official in a public announcement later this month.