Hank Johnson
Hank Johnson | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 4th district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2007 | |
Preceded by | Cynthia McKinney |
Personal details | |
Born | Henry Calvin Johnson Jr. October 2, 1954 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Mereda Davis |
Children | 2 |
Residence(s) | Lithonia, Georgia, U.S. |
Education | Clark Atlanta University (BA) Texas Southern University (JD) |
Website | House website |
Henry Calvin Johnson Jr.
Life, education, and career
Johnson grew up in
Johnson received his B.A. degree from Clark College (now
From 1989 to 2001, Johnson served as an associate judge of the DeKalb County magistrate's court.[7] He was elected to the DeKalb County Commission in 2000 and served from 2001 to 2006.[7]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2006
In 2006, Johnson challenged Representative Cynthia McKinney in the Democratic primary for the 4th district—the real contest in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district. He forced McKinney into a runoff by holding her under 50% in the July 18 primary: McKinney got 47.1% of the vote; Johnson 44.4%, and a third candidate 8.5%.[8]
In the August 8 runoff, although there were about 8,000 more voters, McKinney got about the same number of votes as in the July primary. Johnson won with 41,178 votes (59%) to McKinney's 28,832 (41%).[9]
On October 6, 2006, Congressional Quarterly's "On Their Way", which features promising candidates soon to arrive in Washington, featured Johnson.[10]
In November, Johnson defeated the Republican nominee, Catherine Davis, with 76% of the vote—one of the largest percentages for a Democrat in a contested election, and the largest in the district's history. But he had effectively assured himself of a seat in Congress by winning the primary: with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+22, the 4th was the second-most Democratic district in Georgia (only the neighboring 5th, covering most of Atlanta, was more Democratic).
Johnson made aggressive use of the internet to court supporters and attract national attention to his primary challenge to McKinney. The National Journal wrote that of all Congressional candidates nationwide in 2006, "Johnson had the most unique blog strategy by far."[11] The National Journal ranked Johnson's use of the internet to defeat McKinney—and the broader trend of challengers using the blogosphere to challenge entrenched incumbents—as the third most significant blog-related story of 2006.[12] Johnson was the first Congressional candidate invited to blog[citation needed] for The Hill's Congress Blog, typically reserved for members of Congress.[13] "I'm tremendously excited about the opportunity to use this unique medium to strengthen democracy by increasing open interaction between constituents and candidates," Johnson wrote. "I hope to provide you with an inside view of this hotly-contested, high stakes runoff."
2008
Johnson was unopposed for reelection in 2008, winning 99.9% of the vote against write-in candidates Loren Christopher Collins, Faye Coffield and Jacob Perasso.
On July 30, 2007, Johnson was the first Democratic congressman in Georgia to publicly endorse
2010
Johnson was reelected over the Republican nominee, business owner Liz Carter, receiving 131,760 of 176,467 votes, or 74.67%. Carter, who is white, made headlines during the campaign by maintaining that she had been initially barred from appearing at a candidate forum hosted by Newsmakers Journal due to her race, an assertion the forum's organizers denied.[15]
2012
On November 4, 2012, Johnson won an uncontested general election.
2014
On November 4, 2014, Johnson won an uncontested general election.
2016
On November 8, 2016, Johnson won reelection over Republican Victor Armendariz.
2018
On November 6, 2018, Johnson won reelection over Republican Joe Profit.
2020
On November 3, 2020, Johnson won reelection over Republican Johsie Ezammudeen.
2022
On November 8, 2022, Johnson won reelection over Republican Jonathan Chavez.
Tenure
On November 18, 2008, the Democratic Caucus elected Johnson Regional Whip for the Eighth Region (GA, FL, MS, AL, U.S. Virgin Islands).[16]
Iraq War
On January 25, 2007, Johnson responded to
On February 8, 2007, Johnson introduced his first bill: a resolution requesting that the Secretary of Defense
On March 23, 2007, Johnson voted to pass H.R. 1591
Israel
Johnson has been a critic of Israel's occupation policies and has not altered his stance despite criticism.[25]
On July 25, 2016, in a speech in Philadelphia before the
The
Johnson apologized on Twitter for his "poor choice of words" but added that Israeli settlements were undermining the
Wilker held several meetings with Johnson to foster greater understanding and communication. In 2018, Johnson accepted his invitation to attend a vigil at Shearith Israel in the aftermath of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting for a national initiative called #ShowUpForShabbat.[35] In 2019, Johnson appeared at the American Jewish Committee's National Board of Governors Institute "Conversations With Congress" where the group told Johnson: "we were obviously grateful when you apologized for a previous comment a few years back that was unintentionally anti-Semitic and how you handled it so well with the Atlanta Jewish community, how can we better educate members of Congress and others about these problematic tropes."
Civil justice
Johnson has supported legislation aimed at strengthening the U.S. civil justice system. In March 2016, he and Representative John Conyers introduced legislation to protect consumers access to civil courts, the Restoring Statutory Rights Act. The legislation would "ensure that the state, federal, and constitutional rights of Americans are enforceable" and that consumers are not forced into secretive private arbitration hearings.[36]
Economic positions
Johnson voted against the
In 2007, Johnson's H.Con.Res.80, a resolution calling for peaceful resolution to the Ugandan civil war between the
Joe Wilson
In 2009, Johnson demanded censure of Representative
Comments on Guam tipping over
During a March 25, 2010, House Armed Services Committee hearing
Effectiveness in Congress
In 2014, Johnson was named the 18th most effective Democrat in the 112th Congress according to a study by Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia (UVA).[43] He was also ranked higher than any of his Republican colleagues from Georgia. The study judged effectiveness by looking at a lawmaker's "proven ability to advance a member's agenda items through the legislative process and into law." The scorecard looked at the number of bills a member introduced or sponsored, the bills' significance, and how far each made it in the legislative process.[44]
Impeachments
Johnson was a member of the
On September 24, 2019, Johnson called for the
Washingtonian "Best & Worst" of 2014
On October 5, 2014 The Washingtonian published its 15th biennial "Best & Worst of Congress" list. Johnson was voted "Most Clueless" by congressional staffers.[56]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[57]
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Progressive Caucus[58]
- Congressional Black Caucus[59]
- Congressional Freethought Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus[60]
- U.S.-Japan Caucus[61]
- Medicare for All Caucus
- Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission
Personal life
Johnson is married to attorney and DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson; they have two children.[62]
In December 2009, Johnson revealed that he had been battling
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- List of Buddhist members of the United States Congress
References
- ^ Marriages, The Atlanta Constitution, January 24, 1980
- ^ Williams, Dave (2006-08-04). "Low-key primary turns into high-profile runoff". Gwinnett (Georgia) Daily Post. Archived from the original on 2006-08-13. Retrieved 2006-08-07.
- ^ Tatum, Crystal (23 August 2011). "Newton to get new congressional districts". The Newton Citizen. Newtoncitizen.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ Jonathan Tilove. "New Congress brings with it religious firsts". Newhouse News Service. Archived from the original on 19 December 2006.
- ^ "Faith on the Hill: The Religious Composition of the 114th Congress". Pew Research Center. January 5, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
The number of Buddhists in Congress fell from three to two, as Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, lost her bid for a Senate seat.
- ^ Jacobs, Sonji; Mae Gentry; Ernie Suggs (2006-07-20). "Hank Johnson aims to energize McKinney's foes". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2006-08-04. [dead link]
- ^ a b Land, Greg (2006-07-31). "Johnson latest DeKalb lawyer in national eye, Criminal defense lawyer and ex-magistrate judge faces incumbent McKinney in runoff". Daily Report. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved 2006-08-04.
- ^ "Georgia Election Results: Official Results of the July 18, 2006 Primary Election". Brian P. Kemp, Georgia Secretary of State. Sos.georgia.gov. 16 July 2006. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2006.
- ^ "Democrat U.S. House District 4". WSBTV Action News 2 Atlanta. 2006-08-08. Archived from the original on August 13, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
- ^ "On Their Way: Johnson Hopes to be More Effective Than McKinney". Congressional Quarterly. 2006-10-06. Archived from the original on October 27, 2006. Retrieved 20 October 2006.
- ^ Glover, Danny (15 August 2006). "The Online Curse Of Incumbency". National Journal. Archived from the original on August 30, 2006. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- ^ Glover, Danny (12 January 2007). "Blog Power: The Top 10 Blog Stories Of 2006". National Journal. Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- ^ Johnson, Hank (2006-07-24). "The beauty of politics in a democracy". The Hill's Congress Blog. The National Journal. Archived from the original on August 18, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-17.
- ^ Galloway, Jim (30 July 2007). "Hank Johnson pitches his tent with the Obama camp". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Political Insider: blogs.ajc.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
- ^ Stirgus, Eric (10 June 2010). "Was candidate excluded because of her race?". PolitiFactGeorgia. politifact.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ "Johnson (GA04) | Press Release | Rep. Hank Johnson Elected Regional Whip for GA, FL, MS, AL, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico". House.gov. 18 November 2008. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ "Bush speech gets mixed reaction from Georgia lawmakers". Associated Press. 2007-01-23. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
- ^ "Johnson wants Iraqis to start street patrol". Gwinnett Daily Post. 2007-02-11. Archived from the original on 2007-02-18. Retrieved 2007-02-11.
- ^ Political Insider (2 February 2007). "An Iraq resolution without the wiggle room". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ajc.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
- ^ The U.S. Congress Votes Database (23 March 2007). "110th Congress, 1st session, House vote 186". The Washington Post. Washingtonpost.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2007.
- ^ "Exit Strategy: Why I Supported the Iraq Accountability Act". Hank Johnson. 2007-03-23. Archived from the original on 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
- ^ President George W. Bush. "House Document 110-31 – Veto Message On H.R. 1591". U.S. Government Printing Office. GPO.gov. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ "H.R. 1591 (110th): U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007". GovTrack. Govtrack.us. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ Knowlton, Brian (24 May 2007). "Bush praises Democrats' compromise on Iraq funding". The New York Times. NYTimes.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-10. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
- ^ Drew Gerber,Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson Compares West Bank Settlers to ‘Termites’ The Forward 25 July 2016.
- ^ "There Is No Excuse for Anti-Semitic Smears" By Rabbi David Wolpe July 26, 2016 Time
- ^ Stoil, Rebecca Shimoni (26 July 2016). "Georgia Democrat compares Israeli settlers to burrowing termites". www.timesofisrael.com.
- The Algemeiner26 July 2016.
- ^ Wolpe, David. "Rabbi Wolpe: There Is No Excuse for Anti-Semitic Smears". Time. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ 'Rep. Johnson clarifies and apologizes for remarks on Israeli settlement enterprise,' Office of Hank Johnson, Press release 26 July 2016.
- Washington Times26 July 2016.
- ^ Sommer, Allison Kaplan. "Democratic Congressman Apologizes for Comparing West Bank Settlements to Termites". Haaretz. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ Hallerman, Tamar (26 July 2016). "Georgia GOP calls for Hank Johnson to resign after he likens Israel's settlement policy to 'termites'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- J Street26 July 2016.
- ^ "Wilker Responds to Pittsburgh Tragedy | AJC". 19 November 2018.
- ^ [1]'s-rights-end-forced-arbitration
- ^ Isenstadt, Alex (16 September 2009). "In the race from race, Democrats rebut Jimmy Carter". Politico. Politico.Com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
- ^ "- FISCAL YEAR 2011 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT--BUDGET REQUESTS FROM THE U.S. PACIFIC COMMAND AND U.S. FORCES KOREA". Gpo.gov. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ^ Wilkie, Christie (31 March 2010). "Rep. Hank Johnson: Guam could 'tip over and capsize'". The Hill. Washingtonscene.thehill.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
- ^ "Hank Johnson (Congress D-GA) - Warns Guam May Capsize". YouTube.com. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
- ^ "Guam Reaches the Tipping Point". Snopes. 3 April 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ Galloway, Jim (April 1, 2010). "Your morning jolt: Hank Johnson and a 'capsizing' Guam". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Political Insider: blogs.ajc.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ "The Lawmakers Homepage". Thelawmakers.org. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ^ "Study: Rep. Johnson most effective member of GA Delegation in 112th Congress". Hankjohnson.house.gov. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
- ^ "TO CONSIDER POSSIBLE IMPEACHMENT OF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE SAMUEL B. KENT OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS HEARING BEFORE THE TASK FORCE ON JUDICIAL IMPEACHMENT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION JUNE 3, 2009 Serial No. 111–11" (PDF). govinfo.gov. United States House Judiciary Task Force on Judicial Impeachment. June 3, 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- "Roll Call 415 Roll Call 415, Bill Number: H. Res. 520, 111th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- "Roll Call 416 Roll Call 416, Bill Number: H. Res. 520, 111th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- "Roll Call 417 Roll Call 417, Bill Number: H. Res. 520, 111th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 19 June 2009.
- "Roll Call 418 Roll Call 418, Bill Number: H. Res. 520, 111th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ a b "List of Individuals Impeached by the House of Representatives". United States House of Representatives. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- "Roll Call 102 Roll Call 102, Bill Number: H. Res. 1031, 111th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- "Roll Call 103 Roll Call 103, Bill Number: H. Res. 1031, 111th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- "Roll Call 104 Roll Call 104, Bill Number: H. Res. 1031, 111th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- "Roll Call 105 Roll Call 105, Bill Number: H. Res. 1031, 111th Congress, 2nd Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "Congressman Johnson Calls for Impeachment of President Trump". Congressman Hank Johnson. hankjohnson.house.gov. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ Bade, Rachael; DeBonis, Mike; Demirjian, Karoun (September 24, 2019). "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces formal impeachment inquiry of Trump, says his actions were a 'betrayal of national security'". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
- ^ "THE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY INTO PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP: PRESENTATIONS FROM THE HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE AND HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION DECEMBER 9, 2019 Serial No. 116-68". www.govinfo.gov. U.S. Government Publishing Office. 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "Rep. Johnson Votes in Favor of Articles of Impeachment Against President Donald J. Trump". Congressman Hank Johnson. hankjohnson.house.gov. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "Roll Call 696 Roll Call 696, Bill Number: H. Res. 755, 116th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "Roll Call 695 Roll Call 695, Bill Number: H. Res. 755, 116th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "Roll Call 17 Roll Call 17, Bill Number: H. Res. 24, 117th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "The Best & Worst of Congress, 2014". The Washingtonian. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ "Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- ^ "Caucus Membrs". US House of Representatives. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "Membership". Congressional Black Caucus. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ "Members". U.S. - Japan Caucus. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- ^ "Hank Johnson Official Biography". Hank Johnson Official Website. Hank Johnson. Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ a b c Keefe, Bob (7 December 2009). "U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson battling hepatitis C". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ajc.com. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
- PMID 19903725.
- ^ Associated Press (8 July 2010). "Rep. Hank Johnson: Health is better, ready to get back to D.C." Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ajc.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
External links
- Congressman Hank Johnson official U.S. House website
- Hank Johnson for Congress
- Hank Johnson at Curlie