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| Bill Johnson |
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| Candidate for |
Kentucky Secretary of State
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| Party | Republican |
| Military service |
| Service/branch | U.S. Navy |
| Personal |
| Profession | Business |
| Websites | |
| Campaign website |
William Ejner Johnson, Jr. was a
Republican candidate for
Kentucky Secretary of State in the
2011 elections. He launched his candidacy on November 8th, 2010 - exactly one year before the general election. He prevailed over conservative activist and former U.S. Agriculture Department administrator
Hilda Legg in the May 17th
Republican primary contest but fell to
Alison Lundergan Grimes in the general election.
Biography
Johnson is a western Kentucky businessman and a ten year veteran of the United States Navy. [1] [2] He has had a variety of experience as a corporate executive; he was a member of British Petroleum's international leadership team and a corporate auditor/global information security manager for General Electric. He also owned and operated a business repairing and maintaining aircraft airframes and power plants. Before entering the business world, Johnson served as a nuclear propulsion engineer for the U.S. Navy from 1988 to 1998. Johnson and his wife, Delinda, have two children.
Issues
Johnson's campaign website outlines three issue positions: "civic education," "honest elections," and "business advocacy." Specifically, he promises to "work to expand civic education programs," to push a bill that would require photo identification to vote, and to continue efforts to automate business interactions with state government.[3] On broader policy issues, Johnson:
- Opposes to early voting and open primaries. He is also against restoring voting rights to convicted felons except when the governor grants an executive pardon.[4]
- In June 2011, Johnson's campaign published a newsletter in which he suggested he was against same day voter registration[4]. However, in a questionnaire released by KentuckyElection.org on April 22, 2011, he claimed he would work to "enable same day registration" by putting eligibility check technology in place.[5]
- Opposes to abortion and supports state and federal "personhood" legislation[4]
- Supports gun rights[4]
- Opposes "cap and trade" legislation to control carbon emissions and supports mountaintop coal mining that has drawn criticism from environmentalists.[4] Johnson also called for abolition of the federal Environmental Protection Agency during his 2010 campaign for U.S. Senate because it "[stands] between Kentucky and our natural resources."[6]
- Claims he will "automate government process, eliminate waste, and reduce costs."[7]
Elections
2011
- See also: Kentucky secretary of state election, 2011
Johnson announced he would run for Kentucky Secretary of State in the 2011 election. He claimed the Republican nomination after a close race against former U.S. Department of Agriculture official Hilda Legg but fell to Lexington attorney and Democratic candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes in the November 8 general election.
- NOTE: Hilda Legg requested a recanvass of the vote in the Republican primary, which was conducted on May 26. It did not change the result.[8]
2010
In 2010, Johnson made an unsuccessful run for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator from Kentucky, garnering only 2.2% of the vote. Ultimately, ophthalmologist Rand Paul would claim the seat.
Campaign contributions
2011
Kentucky Secretary of State
As of July 13, 2011, the breakdown of Johnson's campaign finances during the primary season was as follows:
| Kentucky Secretary of State -- Republican Primary[10]
|
| Report
|
Date Filed
|
Beginning Balance
|
Contributions
|
Expenditures
|
Cash on Hand
|
| Total
|
---
|
---
|
$25,691.09
|
$23,861.85
|
---
|
| 60-Day Post-Primary
|
7/16/2011
|
$1,860.74
|
$0.00
|
$0.00
|
$1,860.74
|
| 30-Day Post-Primary
|
6/16/2011
|
$1,771.65
|
$1,650.00
|
$1,560.91
|
$1,860.74
|
| 15-Day Pre-Primary
|
5/2/2011
|
$3,539.35
|
$925.00
|
$2,574.20
|
$1,890.15
|
| 32-Day Pre-Primary
|
4/15/2011[11]
|
$4,714.06
|
$13,146.09
|
$14,470.80
|
$3,389.35
|
| Quarterly
|
12/31/2010[12]
|
$0.00
|
$9,970.00
|
$5,255.94
|
$4,714.06
|
2010
U.S. Senator from Kentucky
According to Open Secrets, Johnson raised $78,046 in 2010 for his senatorial campaign. [13]
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Cincinnati Inquirer "Bill Johnson to run for secretary of state in 2011" 28 Sept. 2010
- ↑ Bluegrass Politics "Bill Johnson files to run for secretary of state" 8 Nov. 2010
- ↑ Bill Johnson for Secretary of State, "Issues," accessed July 13, 2011.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Friends of Bill Johnson, "Election Gazette," accessed July 13, 2011.
- ↑ KentuckyElection.org, "Bill Johnson," April 22, 2011.
- ↑ The Free Republic, "BILL JOHNSON IS A FRIEND OF COAL - Time for Energy Experience in Washington [US Senate - KY," February 23, 2010.]
- ↑ Louisville Courier-Journal, "2011 Voter Guide," accessed July 13, 2011.
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Legg concedes Republican Secretary of State primary to Johnson," May 27, 2011.
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections - 2010 Republican Primary Election Results
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Searches," accessed July 12, 2011.
- ↑ Amended on 5/3/2011
- ↑ Amended on 1/4/2011
- ↑ Open Secrets - Campaign Contributions for William Ejner Johnson Jr., 2010
Alison Lundergan Grimes 
Bill Johnson
