By John Dempsey, WLS-AM News

(CHICAGO) Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson says he is ​fighting to be taken seriously by national news organizations, who have focused most of their attention on the battle between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Johnson, the former New Mexico Governor, told “The Big John Howell Show” on WLS, that he’s encouraged by a new CNN poll that shows him with nine percent support nationwide.

“It’s all racheting up which is really positive.   I think if they just asked, ‘Johnson, Trump or Clinton’ right off the top, that it would be a lot closer to 20 (percent).”

Johnson is upset that pollsters generally start their questioning by asking whether a person supports Trump or Clinton, but don’t include his name till later in the questioning.

Johnson’s public support is key for him because if he can attain 15 percent support in a series of polls this fall, it will allow him to be on stage during debates between Clinton and Trump.

@ 2016 WLS-AM News