Earnest Johnson
{{Short description|American politician (1952–2024)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name =
| state_house = Alabama
| district = 58th
| term_start = 1995
| term_end = 1999
| preceded = David Barnes
| succeeded = Oliver Robinson
| party = Democratic
| birth_date = {{birth date|1952|11|30}}
| birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
| death_date = {{dda|2024|12|23|1952|11|30}}
| death_place =
}}
Earnest Johnson (November 30, 1952 – December 23, 2024) was an American politician from the state of Alabama. He served as a Democratic Party member of the Alabama House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999.
Born in Birmingham, the son of Johnie and Virginia Sherrer Johnson, he graduated from Springdale High School in 1971. He then served in the U.S. Navy for two years, and subsequently in the U.S. Navy Reserve until 1977. He served as an engineer for CSX Railroad from 1974 to 1988, and in 1985 founded an eponymous funeral home that he would run for the rest of his life.{{cite news|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/birmingham/name/earnest-johnson-obituary?id=57148080|title=Earnest Johnson|work=AL.com|date=January 1, 2025}} He was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1994, defeating incumbent David Barnes in the Democratic primary, but he in turn was defeated by Oliver Robinson in the 1998 Democratic primary. This came after he faced assault charges from his wife in 1996.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser/163560948/|title=Legislator accused of assault by wife|work=The Montgomery Advertiser|date=October 29, 1996}} He received a bachelor of theology from Birmingham-Easonian Baptist Bible College, becoming a minister. He died on December 23, 2024.
Electoral history
=1994=
==Primary election==
{{Election box begin no change|title=Alabama House of Representatives, District 58, 1994 primary election
* denotes incumbent{{nb5}}Source:{{cite news|url=https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/election-data|title=1994 Election Results Archive - Alabama Legislature|work=Alabama Secretary of State|access-date=January 20, 2025}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Terrace Booker|votes=1198|percentage=29.5}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Earnest Johnson|votes=1108|percentage=27.3}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=David Barnes *|votes=647|percentage=15.9}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Patrick Packer|votes=434|percentage=10.7}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Ludie Martin|votes=352|percentage=8.7}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=James Prayer|votes=318|percentage=7.8}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=4057|percentage=100}}
{{Election box runoff no change}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Earnest Johnson|votes=1889|percentage=61.8}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Terrace Booker|votes=1169|percentage=38.2}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=3058|percentage=100}}
{{Election box end}}
==General election==
{{Election box begin no change|title=Alabama House of Representatives, District 58, 1994 general election
* denotes incumbent{{nb5}}Source:}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Earnest Johnson|votes=6055|percentage=87.9}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Patriot Party (1990s)|candidate=Melvin Leland|votes=813|percentage=11.8}}
{{Election box write-in with party link no change|votes=18|percentage=0.3}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=6886|percentage=100}}
{{Election box end}}
=1998=
==Primary election==
{{Election box begin no change|title=Alabama House of Representatives, District 58, 1998 primary election
* denotes incumbent{{nb5}}Source:{{cite news|url=https://www.sos.alabama.gov/alabama-votes/voter/election-data|title=1998 Primary Election Results - Democratic Party (1st and 2nd primary)|work=Alabama Secretary of State|access-date=January 20, 2025}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Oliver Robinson|votes=1402|percentage=46.2}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Earnest Johnson *|votes=1081|percentage=35.6}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Frank Matthews|votes=330|percentage=10.9}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Sharon Daniel|votes=199|percentage=6.6}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Ron Whetstone|votes=22|percentage=0.7}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=3034|percentage=100}}
{{Election box runoff no change}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Oliver Robinson|votes=1364|percentage=54.4}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Earnest Johnson|votes=1143|percentage=45.6}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=2507|percentage=100}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Earnest}}
Category:Democratic Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives
Category:20th-century Alabama politicians
Category:African-American state legislators in Alabama
{{Alabama-politician-stub}}