Van R. Johnson
{{short description|American politician}}
{{infobox officeholder
| name = Van R. Johnson
| image = National League of Cities Conference Van Johnson.jpg
| status = Incumbent
| order = 67th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia
| term_start = January 1, 2020
| predecessor = Eddie DeLoach
| office1 = Savannah City Alderman
| term_start1 = January 2004
| term_end1 = December 31, 2019
| constituency1 = 1st District
| Predecessor1 =
| successor1 = Bernetta Lanier
| party = Democratic
| alma_mater = Savannah State University (BS)
Georgia Southern University (MPA)
| predecessor1 = David Jones
}}
Van R. Johnson (born 1968) is an American politician who has served as the mayor of Savannah, Georgia since 2020. He is the fourth African-American mayor in the city's history. Before becoming Mayor, he served four terms as Alderman for the Savannah City Council's 1st District.
Early life and education
Johnson was born and raised in Brownsville and Crown Heights, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. He is the oldest child of the late Van R. Johnson, an Army veteran, law enforcement officer and general construction contractor and Cynthia E. Johnson, a licensed certified social worker and licensed practical nurse.
Johnson attended New York City Public Schools and graduated from Erasmus Hall High School at age 16 and enrolled in Savannah State University, the oldest public historically Black college and university in the state of Georgia.{{Cite web |date=July 6, 2022 |title=Office of the Mayor |url=https://www.savannahga.gov/388/Office-of-the-Mayor |access-date=July 6, 2022 |website=Savannah.gov}} He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1990 and a master's degree in public administration from Georgia Southern University.{{Cite news |last=Birzer |first=Danielle |date=February 4, 2020 |title=Van Johnson, SSU alum, takes mayoral seat |work=The Tiger's Roar |url=http://www.tigersroar.com/news/article_ad8e7db0-469f-11ea-a830-c7e6dab756a3.html |access-date=July 6, 2022}}{{Cite news |date=November 2, 2011 |title=Savannah City Council District 1 candidates |work=Savannah Morning News |url=https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/2011/11/02/savannah-city-council-district-1-candidates/13416363007/ |access-date=July 6, 2022}}
Johnson is a life member of the Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. fraternity, having been initiated into its Beta Phi Lambda chapter in 1991.
Career
After college, Johnson worked as a Chatham County Police Officer, Chatham County Sheriff's Reserve Deputy and later, Assistant Director of human resources for Savannah's Chatham County.
As a political newcomer, Johnson defeated Alderman David Jones, a 12-year incumbent for the 1st District seat in Savannah, Georgia.
From 2004 to 2019, he served as Alderman for the Savannah City Council's 1st District, additionally serving as Mayor Pro Tem and Vice Chair during his tenure.{{Cite news |date=October 30, 2019 |title=We Stand With Van Johnson |url=https://www.savannahtribune.com/articles/we-stand-with-van-johnson/ |access-date=July 6, 2022 |work=Savannah Tribune}} He unseated incumbent Eddie DeLoach in the 2019 Savannah mayoral election and was sworn in as Mayor on January 1, 2020.{{Cite web |date=2019-12-04 |title=Van Johnson wins Savannah's mayoral runoff |url=https://www.wsav.com/news/your-local-election-hq/van-johnson-wins-savannahs-mayoral-runoff/ |access-date=2019-12-04 |website=WSAV-TV |language=en-US}} In November 2020, Mayor Johnson was elected among 16 Biden-Harris electors from Georgia for the Electoral College in the 2020 Presidential Election.https://www.archives.gov/files/electoral-college/2020/ascertainment-georgia.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}} On November 7, 2023, he was re-elected Mayor of Savannah with 77% of the vote against Kesha Gibson-Carter and T.L. Davis.https://www.wsav.com/news/your-local-election-hq/savannah-mayoral-race-2023/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}
References
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Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:21st-century mayors of places in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Savannah State University alumni
Category:Georgia Southern University alumni
Category:Georgia (U.S. state) Democrats
Category:Mayors of Savannah, Georgia
Category:African-American mayors in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:2020 United States presidential electors
Category:Politicians from Brooklyn
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