Houston City Council (2005–2009)

This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (December 2021)

In 2005, Johnson ran for Houston City Council District B, a seat held by term limited Carol M. Galloway. In an eight candidate race, Johnson received nearly 4,000 votes, earning a spot in the December run off election. In December 2005, Johnson won the Houston City Council District B race by over 60% of the vote. He was subsequently re-elected to a second and third term.

Johnson served as chair of the City of Houston's Human Services and Technology Access Committee. Johnson also served on the Houston City Council Flooding and Drainage, Housing and Community Development, International Liaison and Protocol, M/WBE, Small Contractor Development and Contract Compliance, Pension Review, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Regulation, Development, Neighborhood Protection and Transportation, Infrastructure & Aviation committees.

Johnson was arrested in 2010 on a felony charge of evading arrest.^[1]

2010 U.S. House of Representatives campaign

On January 5, 2010, Johnson announced his candidacy for Texas's 18th Congressional District seat, a seat held by incumbent Sheila Jackson Lee.^[2]

Jackson Lee was in her third term on the Houston City Council in 1994 when she beat incumbent U.S. Representative Craig Washington on the theme that he was out of touch with his district. When Johnson announced his candidacy in 2010, he had just won a third term to a council seat within the 18th Congressional District. The congressional district encompasses much of urban Houston and is about 40% black with the remainder split between whites and Hispanics. It accounts for about a quarter of the city's more than 2 million residents.^[3]

Texas House of Representatives

Johnson ran in the 2016 primary election, advanced to the runoff election, and won a special election called to determine an interim representative for 2016 and won the primary election runoff. Since he was unopposed in November 2016, Johnson winning the special election and runoff meant he was the District 139 state representative who would succeed Sylvester Turner. After 26 years, Turner stepped down from his state seat to become Houston's mayor.

Johnson won the May 7 special election, with 85% of the vote, to finish out the remainder of Turner's term as state representative of District 139. Turner swore him in,^[4] allowing Johnson to serve through December and immediately, fully assume former Turner's seniority status and his roles that include vice-chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

2024 Texas Senate campaign

Johnson announced his campaign for the Texas Senate in the 15th district, the seat vacated by incumbent Democrat John Whitmire upon winning the 2023 Houston mayoral election. He placed first in the primary with 36% of the vote, advancing to a May runoff with Molly Cook.^[8]

2005

2007

2009