Difference between revisions of "Ron Johnson"

Revision as of 14:56, December 25, 2016

Ron Johnson
U.S. Senator from Wisconsin From: January 3, 2011 - Present
Predecessor	Russ Feingold
Successor	Incumbent (no successor)
Information
Party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jane Johnson
Religion	Lutheran

Ron Johnson (born April 8, 1955^[1]) is an Oshkosh businessman and a mostly conservative Republican United States Senator from Wisconsin. He defeated incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold in the 2010 election and then defeated him again six years later. He was endorsed by the Tea Party and the Senate Conservatives Fund.

Early life and education

Johnson was born on April 8, 1955 in Mankato, Minnesota.^[1] He graduated with a B.S. from the University of Minnestota in 1977, and he studied business administration at the same university from 1977-79 without earning a degree.^[1]

Business career

In 1979, Johnson moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to start a business with his wife's brother.^[2] His company, PACUR, is a plastics manufacturer,^[2] and it was very successful, making Johnson a millionaire by the 2010 elections.^[3]

U.S. Senator

2010 election

Johnson ran for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin in 2010. He was seen as both a Tea Party and establishment candidate.^[3]

Johnson, who had never before held public office or even visited D.C.,^[4] defeated liberal Democrat incumbent Senator Russ Feingold by a remarkable margin of 51.9% to 47%.^[5] In the same election, conservative Republican Scott Walker was elected Wisconsin governor, and the GOP took majorities in the U.S. House delegation and both houses of the state legislature.^[6][7]

2016 election

Johnson ran for re-election, being challenged again by Feingold. Feingold was widely expected to win as he consistently led in the polls and raised more money than Johnson. However, in a surprise upset, Johnson won the election^[8][9] with 50.17 percent of the vote.^[10] Johnson publically supported Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump despite the fact that other swing state Republicans were abandoning the nominee.^[11] He became "the first Wisconsin Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in a presidential election since Bob Kasten in 1980."^[12]

In addition to Johnson's victory, Trump, who also won the national election, won Wisconsin in an equally surprising upset, becoming the first Republican to do so since 1984.^[13][14] Also, the state GOP won historic victories in the state legislature, building their largest majorities since 1957.^[13][15]

Tenure

Johnson has a conservative voting record and is one of the most conservative senators in the chamber.^[4] Despite this, he has compromised with leftist Democrats.^[4]

His credentials are subject to question since he made statements wrongfully condemning Todd Akin. This statement earned him a place with the RINO Backers. A recent comment by him indicates that he has become another pawn of powerful homosexual activist groups.^[16] Despite this, he does have a strongly conservative record and has stated that he would not compromise his conservative views for his 2016 re-election, even though he is in a blue state.^[17]

Personal life

Johnson lives in Oshkosh with his wife, Jane, and together they have three children.^[2]

External links

• Profile at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Ballotpedia
• Senate website
• Facebook page
• Twitter page
• YouTube channel
• Flickr page

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} JOHNSON, Ron, (1955 - ). Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Biography. U.S. Senator Ron Johnson. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Catanese, David (July 6, 2010). Johnson balances GOP, tea party. Politico. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Sandler, Larry (August 1, 2013). The Rise of Ron Johnson. Milwaukee Magazine. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
5. ↑ Government Accountability Canvas Reporting System, 2010 Election Results. State of Wisconsin. Pg. 2. December 8, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
6. ↑ Wisconsin: GOP wins Senate, House, gov. seats, ousting Feingold. USA Today (from AP). November 3, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
7. ↑ Stein, Jason & Johnson, Annysa (November 3, 2010). Republicans take over state Senate, Assembly. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
8. ↑ Meyer, Theodoric (November 9, 2016). Johnson upsets Feingold to keep Wisconsin Senate seat. Politico. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
9. ↑ Schoffstall, Joe (November 8, 2016). Sen. Ron Johnson Upsets Russ Feingold In Wisconsin. The Washington Free Bacon. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
10. ↑ WEC Canvass Reporting System - Canvass Results for 2016 General Election. elections.wi.gov. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
11. ↑ DeLong, Katie (November 1, 2016). Ron Johnson, Scott Walker to campaign with Trump in Eau Claire, Pence dropped from event. Fox6Now.com. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
12. ↑ Johnson, Shawn (November 10, 2016). Trump's Wisconsin Win Leaves Many Wondering What Happened. Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Bauer, Scott (November 9, 2016). Republicans build majorities in Legislature. The Charlotte Observer (from AP). Retrieved November 9, 2016.
14. ↑ Kueppers, Courtney (November 8, 2016). Trump Becomes First Republican Presidential Candidate Since 1984 To Win Wisconsin. Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
15. ↑ Marley, Patrick & Stein, Jason (November 9, 2016). GOP strengthens hold on Legislature. Sheboygan Press. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
16. ↑ Scott, Dylan (June 24, 2014). GOP Senator: 'I'm Not Going To Oppose' Gay Marriage If Voters Want It. talkingpointsmemo.com. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
17. ↑ Bolton, Alexander (February 10, 2015). Targeted GOP Senator: 'I Will Never Vote With My Reelecton in Mind. The Hill. Retrieved November 6, 2016.