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Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson said Monday that he wont release his tax returns, joining his voice to that of presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney, who has declined to release more than the two most recent years.

In a meeting with editors and reporters at The Washington Times, Mr. Johnson said he hadnt previously been asked to release his forms, but said he understood Mr. Romneys reluctance. Mr. Johnson, a former New Mexico governor who built a contracting company from the ground up, said he hasnt owed taxes to the federal government in recent years because he has suffered heavy losses and he speculated that may be the same reason Mr. Romney has declined to release his own.

I think the consensus is, is that hes trying to hide the fact that hes made a whole lot of money, as opposed to that he actually probably didnt pay any tax because he lost so much money. Thats my guess. Because Im in the same camp, Mr. Johnson said.

Asked specifically whether he would release his returns, the candidate said he would respectfully decline.

Mr. Johnson, who won the Libertarian Partys nomination in May after dropping out of the GOP race late last year, said he is asking voters to give him and his party another look and said he is counting on dissatisfaction with both major parties to push voters into his corner.

A lot more people say they are libertarian than vote Libertarian, so what Im trying to tap into is: Vote Libertarian just this one time and really give me a chance to really make a difference, he said.

He said his only path to victory is to gain attention by being allowed into the presidential debates, where he can raise his profile and try to build a coalition of voters who tend to be fiscally conservative and socially accepting.

The only way that I win is if I am on the national debate stage with Romney and Obama, and the only way I do that is if Im in the polls that determine who gets in the debates. And right now, only three polling organizations out of 18 are including my name, he said.

Mr. Johnson meets the age and citizenship qualifications to be president and will appear on enough state ballots to be able to win the electoral votes needed to claim the White House two of the criteria the commission that sponsors the debates requires.

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Johnson to voters: Give Libertarian a chance