Here's what you need to know about the Libertarian candidate for president

Could a psychology lecturer at Clemson University cost Donald Trump the presidency?

Possibly, according to Joseph DiSarro, chairman of the political science department at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington County.

Jo Jorgensen is the Libertarian Party candidate for president. She won’t win, but for those who won’t hold their nose and vote for Trump or Joe Biden, Jorgensen is an alternative. And Jorgensen said it’s a common belief that a Libertarian candidate draws more from Republican voters than Democratic voters, according to a LancasterOnline.com report.

Here’s what you need to know about Jorgensen and the Libertarian Party:

What is the Libertarian Party?

Libertarians are generally believed to be socially liberal and fiscally conservative. The party was established in 1971 and has grown to become the third-largest political party behind the Democratics and Republicans. According to the Libertarian Party website, “Libertarians strongly oppose any government interference into their personal, family and business decisions. Essentially, we believe all Americans should be free to live their lives and pursue their interests as they see fit as long as they do no harm to another.” You can read more here.

Who is Jo Jorgensen?

Jorgensen, 63, has been a senior lecturer at Clemson since 2006 and holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Clemson. She started her own software sales business in 1983 after working in marketing at IBM. In 2002, she founded a business consulting company. She traces her Libertarian roots to the early 1980s and was the Libertarian vice presidential candidate under nominee Harry Browne in 1996. You can read more about Jorgensen here.

On the ballot

The Libertarian Party has had a presidential candidate on the ballot dating to 1972 but has never received more than 4% of the popular vote, according to Ballotpedia.org. In 2016, Gary Johnson received 3.3% of the vote, or about 4.5 million votes in all. That was the most in the party’s history.