Ruth Johnson
{{Short description|American politician (born 1955)}}
{{for-multi|the member of the Minnesota House of Representatives|Ruth Johnson (Minnesota politician)|American music critic|Ruth Scott Miller}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ruth Johnson
| image = Ruth Johnson 2011.jpeg
| caption = Johnson in 2011
| office = Member of the Michigan Senate
| constituency = 14th (2019{{ndash}}2022)
24th (2023{{ndash}}present)
| term_start = January 1, 2019
| term_end =
| predecessor = David B. Robertson
| successor =
| office1 = 42nd Secretary of State of Michigan
| governor1 = Rick Snyder
| term_start1 = January 1, 2011
| term_end1 = January 1, 2019
| predecessor1 = Terri Lynn Land
| successor1 = Jocelyn Benson
| state_house2 = Michigan
| district2 = 46th
| term_start2 = January 1, 1999
| term_end2 = January 1, 2005
| predecessor2 = Tom Middleton
| successor2 = Jim Marleau
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|1|8}}{{cite web | url=https://voterly.com/politicians/OfflELj6uP/ruth-johnson | title=Ruth Johnson, State Senator, District 24 from Michigan }}
| birth_place = Holly, Michigan, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| education = {{nowrap|Oakland Community College}}
Oakland University (BA)
Wayne State University (MA)
}}
Ruth Johnson (born January 8, 1955) is an American businesswoman and politician currently serving as a member of the Michigan Senate since 2019. She was the 42nd Secretary of State of Michigan from 2011 to 2019 and a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1999 to 2005. She is a Republican.
Background
Johnson, of Holly, was a former public school teacher, small business owner, and public official in a suburban area immediately north of Detroit with a population of more than one million, prior to her election as secretary of state in November 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/11/republican_ruth_johnson_wins_m.html|title=Republican Ruth Johnson wins Michigan secretary of state race|website=mlive.com|date=3 November 2010|access-date=26 July 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/10GEN/03000000.html|title="2012 Official Michigan Election Results"|website=nictusa.com|access-date=26 July 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929213119/http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/10GEN/03000000.html|archive-date=29 September 2011}} She was elected to the Oakland County Board of Commissioners in 1988 and served for 10 years. Johnson was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1998, and re-elected in 2000 and 2002; term limits meant she was ineligible for a fourth term.{{cite web | url=https://www.senatorruthjohnson.com/meet-your-senator/ | title=Meet Senator Johnson }} She was elected Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds in 2004, upsetting incumbent G. William Caddell in the Republican Primary{{cite web |url=https://clarkstonnews.com/johnson-marleau-win/ |title=Johnson, Marleau win |work=Clarkston News |author=CJ Carnacchio |date=August 4, 2004 |access-date=October 20, 2020}} and defeated Democratic nominee Jason Ellenburg in the general election.{{cite web |url=https://www.oakgov.com/clerkrod/elections/Documents/results/2004-11-02-election/enrasummary.pdf |title=Oakland County Election Results
|work=Oakland County Clerk's Office |date=November 2, 2004 |access-date=October 20, 2020}} She became the first woman clerk in Oakland County's 176-year history. Johnson became popular for her community outreach event and parties.
In August 2006, Johnson was selected by Grand Rapids businessman and Republican gubernatorial nominee Dick DeVos as his running mate, becoming the GOP nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan.{{cite web |url=https://clarkstonnews.com/johnson-is-devos-running-mate/ |title=Johnson is DeVos? running mate |date=August 16, 2006 |access-date=October 20, 2020 |work=Clarkston News}} DeVos and Johnson lost the general election to the incumbent Democratic ticket of Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Lt. Gov. John Cherry.{{cite web |url=https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2006/governor/mi/ |title=Michigan Races |work=Sabato's Crystal Ball |date=November 8, 2006 |access-date=October 20, 2020}} In 2007, Johnson endorsed Sen. John McCain's bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination and served as the Oakland County Chair for McCain's Michigan campaign.{{cite web |url=https://www.macombdaily.com/ruth-johnson-announces-run-for-secretary-of-state/article_55a23969-0bc7-5e48-8045-a1c447675f45.html |title=Ruth Johnson announces run for secretary of state |author=Charles Crumm |work=The Macomb Daily |date=April 23, 2010 |access-date=October 20, 2020}} Johnson was re-elected County Clerk in 2008, defeating Democrat Sheila Smith.{{cite web |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/MI/Oakland/9047/13955/en/summary.html |title=OFFICIAL RESULTS |work=Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds Elections Division |date=November 8, 2004 |access-date=October 21, 2020}}
Secretary of State
As secretary, Johnson promoted motorcycle safety initiatives, such as wearing high-visibility gear and encouraging riders to get a cycle endorsement. Johnson herself is a licensed motorcycle rider and often rides in to motorcycle-related news conferences.{{cite web |url=http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2013/05/13/news/doc518d5efdebe56356805776.txt |title=TAYLOR: Secretary of State rides to Biker Bob's promoting motorcycle safety (SLIDESHOW) - thenewsherald.com |website=www.thenewsherald.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306163606/http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2013/05/13/news/doc518d5efdebe56356805776.txt |archive-date=2016-03-06}} Johnson pushed her departments to foster safe driving among teens. After reviewing the department's teen driver licensing program, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offered recommendations for improvement but overall gave the program high praise for combating the leading cause of death for teens in the United States.{{cite web |url=http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1640_9150-333049--RSS,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212161303/http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1640_9150-333049--RSS,00.html |archive-date=2017-02-12 |title=SOS - Michigan's driver education program praised by NHTSA}}{{cite web |url=http://wgrt.com/secretary-johnson-encourages-parental-involvement-during-national-teen-driver-safety-week/ |title=Secretary Johnson Encourages Parental Involvement During National Teen Driver Safety Week {{!}} WGRT |website=wgrt.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307203754/http://wgrt.com/secretary-johnson-encourages-parental-involvement-during-national-teen-driver-safety-week/ |archive-date=2016-03-07}} Like her time as Oakland County Clerk, Ruth Johnson because popular for community outreach events, and viral marketing campaigns{{Cite web |title=SOS Express News from Secretary of State Ruth Johnson |url=https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MISOS/bulletins/82d242 |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Michigan Secretary of State |language=en}}{{Citation |title=Ruth Johnson discusses SOSLive & ExpressSOS |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK723VlTZ6U |access-date=2023-08-03 |language=en}}
In 2014, Michigan was named the best state in the nation for registering qualified U.S. citizens at state motor-vehicle offices, according to USA Today.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/07/29/motor-voter-states-dmv/12752595/|title=Motor voter problems mean delays at polls|website=usatoday.com|access-date=26 July 2017}} Also in 2014, the University of Michigan's Center for Local, State and Urban Policy found that the Secretary of State's Office was rated the second best state agency for job performance by community leaders.{{Cite web |url=http://closup.umich.edu/files/mpps-spring-2014-right-track.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-02-21 |archive-date=2015-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921032716/http://closup.umich.edu/files/mpps-spring-2014-right-track.pdf |url-status=dead }} That same year, the state's Mackinac Bridge license plate was named the best designed plate in the world.{{cite web|url=http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127--325168--,00.html|title=SOS – Michigan wins award for world's best new license plate|website=www.michigan.gov|access-date=26 July 2017}}
In July 2017, Ruth Johnson agreed to provide Michigan voter registration information to a federal commission created by Trump to investigate alleged illegal voting in the 2016 election.{{cite web|url=http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2017/06/30/trump-voter-request-michigan/103329788|title=Michigan SOS: Trump panel hasn't asked for voter data|website=detroitnews.com|access-date=26 July 2017}} Johnson indicated she would only provide basic public voter information.{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/03/politics/kris-kobach-letter-voter-fraud-commission-information/index.html|title=44 states won't give some voter info to panel|author1=Liz Stark |author2=Grace Hauck|website=CNN|date=4 July 2017|access-date=26 July 2017}}
2010 Secretary of State election
{{see also|2010 Michigan Secretary of State election}}
In 2010, she won the Republican nomination for secretary of state at the party's state convention. Her opponents were Paul Scott, Michelle McManus, Anne Norlander and Cameron Brown. She went on to win the general election defeating Democrat Jocelyn Benson, Libertarian Scotty Boman, Green John Anthony La Pietra, and US Taxpayer Robert Gale.{{cite web |url=http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/10GEN/03000000.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-10-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929213119/http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/10GEN/03000000.html |archive-date=2011-09-29 }}
2014 Secretary of State election
{{see also|2014 Michigan Secretary of State election}}
In 2014, Johnson defeated Detroit lawyer and Democrat Godfrey Dillard, Libertarian James Lewis, US Taxpayers Robert Gale, and Natural Law Jason Gatties to earn a second term by 10.6 percentage points, receiving 1,649,047 votes to the defeated candidates 1,431,748 votes. She drew more votes than any other Republican candidate on the ballot.{{cite web|url=http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/14GEN/#03000000|title=2014 Michigan Official General Election Results – 11/04/2014|website=miboecfr.nictusa.com|access-date=26 July 2017}}
2018 and 2022 Michigan State Senate elections
After her tenure as Secretary of State, she was elected as a Michigan State Senator in 2018 and re-elected again in 2022. In September 2020, Johnson filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for allowing votes postmarked before election day to be counted after election day.{{Cite web|date=2020-09-29|title=Former Michigan secretaries of state suing over plan to count delayed ballots after Election Day|url=https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/09/former-michigan-secretaries-of-state-suing-over-plan-to-count-delayed-ballots-after-election-day.html|access-date=2020-09-30|website=mlive|language=en}} The lawsuit was later dismissed.
Electoral history
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Michigan House of Representatives 46th District Republican Primary Election, 1998 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Ruth Johnson |3,639 |40.73 |
| Republican
|Jeff Gallant |3,141 |35.15 |
| Republican
|Patricia Woods |1,885 |21.10 |
| Republican
|John Lauve |270 |3.02 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Michigan House of Representatives 46th District Election, 1998 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Ruth Johnson |21,739 |67.54 |
| Democratic
|Roxanne La Montaine |8,571 |26.63 |
| Libertarian
|Mark Carney |1,876 |5.83 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Michigan House of Representatives 46th District Election, 2000 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Ruth Johnson (inc.) |29,119 |64.48 |
| Democratic
|Patrick Doyon |13,928 |30.84 |
| U.S. Taxpayers
|Sean Patrick Sullivan |2,110 |4.67 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Michigan House of Representatives 46th District Republican Primary Election, 2002 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Ruth Johnson (inc.) |3,833 |68.95 |
| Republican
|John Lauve |1,726 |31.05 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Michigan House of Representatives 46th District Election, 2002 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Ruth Johnson (inc.) |21,582 |70.88 |
| Democratic
|Robert Reading |8,866 |29.12 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Michigan Secretary of State Election, 2010 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Ruth Johnson |1,608,270 |50.68 |
| Democratic
|1,434,796 |45.22 |
| Libertarian
|58,044 |1.83 |
| U.S. Taxpayers
|Robert Gale |41,727 |1.31 |
| Green
|John Anthony La Pietra |30,411 |0.96 |
| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Michigan Secretary of State Election, 2014 |
| Party
|Candidate |Votes |% |
| Republican
|Ruth Johnson (inc.) |1,649,047 |53.53 |
| Democratic
|Godfrey Dillard |1,323,004 |42.94 |
| Libertarian
|James Lewis |61,112 |1.98 |
| U.S. Taxpayers
|Robert Gale |34,447 |1.12 |
| Natural Law
|Jason Robert Gatties |13,185 |0.43 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://mi.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1640_9105---,00.html Official Secretary of State bio of Johnson]
- [https://www.ruthforsenate.com/ Ruth Johnson for State Senate Website]
- [https://www.facebook.com/RJ4SEN14/ Ruth Johnson for Senate Facebook page]
- {{C-SPAN|64685}}
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{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan|years=2006}}
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{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Michigan Secretary of State|years=2010, 2014}}
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{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the 46th district|years=1999–2005}}
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{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Secretary of State of Michigan}}|years=2011–2019}}
{{s-aft|after=Jocelyn Benson}}
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{{s-par|us-mi-sen}}
{{s-bef|before=David B. Robertson}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 14th district|years=2019–2023}}
{{s-aft|after=Sue Shink}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Tom Barrett}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 24th district|years=2023–present}}
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{{Michigan State Senators}}
{{Michigan Secretary of State}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Ruth}}
Category:20th-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century members of the Michigan Legislature
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:County commissioners in Michigan
Category:Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Category:Republican Party Michigan state senators
Category:Oakland Community College alumni
Category:Oakland University alumni
Category:People from Holly, Michigan
Category:Secretaries of state of Michigan
Category:Wayne State University alumni
Category:Women state constitutional officers of Michigan