Does your state lean blue or lean red? Check out our new report, highlighting partisan control of state government from 1992-2013.
Brad Johnson
| Brad Johnson | ||
 | ||
| Candidate for | ||
| Montana Secretary of State | ||
| Party | Republican | |
| Prior offices | ||
| Montana Secretary of State | ||
| 2004 - 2008 | ||
| Education | ||
| High school | Cary-Grove Community High School (1969) | |
| Bachelor's | University of Illinois (1976) | |
| Master's | University of Illinois (1976) | |
| Personal | ||
| Birthday | March 6, 1951 | |
| Place of birth | Lake Forest, IL | |
| Profession | Consultant | |
| Websites | ||
| Personal website | ||
| Campaign website | ||
Contents |
.png){kind=avatar} |
The information about this individual is current as of when his or her last campaign ended. See anything that needs updating? Send a correction to our editors |
Biography
Johnson was born in Lake Forest, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1976 with a Master's in agriculture and moved to Montana in 1980 to begin his career.[1] Johnson's interest in politics dated back to his teen years, when he joined the Teen Age Republicans. He was a member of the College Republicans at the University of Illinois, and volunteered on presidential campaigns for both Richard Nixon and John Connaly before entering politics full time. Once in Montana, Johnson became the district representative for Montana’s former Congressman Ron Marlene. He was appointed to serve on the Montana Republican party’s executive board, and was reappointed in 2003.[1]
Prior to running for office in 2004, Johnson owned an auto parts store and worked for a firm called RightNow Technologies. When he left the secretary of state's office in 2008, he started working as a consultant and as part of a group developing a small-scale alternative energy venture.[2]
Education
- Bachelor's degree in agriculture, University of Illinois (1974)
- Master's degree in Agriculture, University of Illinois (1976)
Political Career
Johnson ran for U.S. House in 1990 and U.S. Senate in 2002 before finally winning election to the statewide position of Montana Secretary of State in 2004.
Montana Secretary of State (2004 - 2008)
Johnson was first elected in 2004, and took office in 2005. He served one term, during which he implemented the federal Help America Vote Act and increased overall time and cost efficiency of the office by introducing electronic processing systems.[2]
He lost his bid for re-election in 2008 to then-Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch by about 5,300 votes. That loss was followed by an unsuccessful run for Public Service Commission seat from District 5, in which he was defeated in the Republican primary.[2]
Controversies
On the heels of his 2010 lost bid for PSU, Johnson was caught driving with a blood-alcohol content reading of 0.24%, far surpassing the legal limit. He pleaded guilty to drunken driving and checked himself into an alcohol treatment program. When asked, upon announcing his candidacy in 2012, about the experience, he said it was "incredibly painful, but also life-changing," and that it enabled him to confront the problem and now live a sober, better lifestyle.[2]
Elections
2012
Current secretary of state Linda McCulloch (D) unseated Johnson in the 2008 secretary of state election. On October 13, 2011, Johnson announced his bid to reclaim the seat. He successfully overtook Drew Turiano, Scott Aspenlieder and Patty Lovaas for the Republican nomination in the primary election on June 5, 2012.
Johnson came in second to incumbent Linda McCulloch (D) and Roger Roots (L) in the general election on November 6, 2012.
| Montana Secretary of State General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Linda McCulloch Incumbent |
51.4% | 245,024 | |
| Republican | Brad Johnson | 45.1% | 214,976 | |
| Libertarian | Roger Roots | 3.5% | 16,622 | |
| Total Votes | 476,622 | |||
| Election Results via Montana Secretary of State. | ||||
- Primary
| Montana Secretary of State Republican Primary, 2012 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Brad Johnson |
55.1% | 66,148 |
| Scott Aspenlieder | 22.7% | 27,204 |
| Patty Lovaas | 15.5% | 18,652 |
| Drew Turiano | 6.7% | 8,074 |
| Total Votes | 120,078 | |
| Election Results Via: Montana Secretary of State | ||
Issues
- Voter fraud
Johnson's main campaign platform was to improve the integrity of Montana's voting system. He wanted to impede voter fraud through increased voter-ID requirements. While admitting that fraud is "not rampant" in Montana, he said that following the example of several other states in implementing a photo-ID law would be a wise step toward guaranteeing honesty in elections.[3]
- Elections
In order to minimize "election day chaos," Johnson proposed that Montana's - almost unique - election-day registration be eliminated. He said he did not oppose late voter-registration, but thought there should be a more reasonable cut-off time.[3] He also wants to take advantage of available technologies for automatic signature verification for mail-in ballots and "the initiative process."[4].
- Limitations of the office
Johnson also proposes expanding the secretary's authority to help prosecute those suspected of voter fraud, which he said would "involve a cooperative arrangement with the attorney general’s Justice Department."[3] Currently, the secretary can only pass on reports to the department, a system which, according to Johnson, has proven ineffectual at treating the issue.[3] Despite trailing his fellow Republican candidates throughout the primary season, reporting under $2,000 in cash contributions, he ran as if he has already won his party's nomination, focusing largely on his general election prospects. About his past showdown with McCulloch, Johnson said “I don’t know the last time we’ve had a rematch for secretary of state, but I’m certainly looking forward to it.”[3]
2008
Johnson narrowly lost his bid for re-election in the 2008 race for Montana Secretary of State to Linda McCulloch (D).
| Montana Secretary of State, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Linda McCulloch |
49.3% | 233,717 | |
| Republican | Brad Johnson | 48.2% | 228,412 | |
| Constitution | Sieglinde Sharbono | 2.5% | 11,722 | |
| Total Votes | 473,851 | |||
| Election Results Via: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
2004
Johnson successfully won election as Montana Secretary of State in 2004, defeating Democrat Bill Kennedy.[5]
| Montana Secretary of State, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Brad Johnson |
51% | 219,821 | |
| Democratic | Bill Kennedy | 49% | 210,972 | |
| Total Votes | 430,793 | |||
| Election Results Via: Montana Secretary of State | ||||
Contact
3724B Old Highway 12 East
East Helena, MT 59635
Tel: 422-5933
See also
External links
- Montana Secretary of State Website
- Brad Johnson Official Campaign Site
- Johnson's Campaign on Facebook
- Brad Johnson Campaign on YouTube
- Follow Johnson on Twitter
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Montana Secretary of State, "About the Montana secretary of state," accessed March 2, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Missoulian,"Brad Johnson announces bid to regain secretary of state's office," October 13, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 The Daily Interlake, "Candidate wants to eliminate 'election day chaos,' May 9, 2012
- ↑ Hungry Horse News, "Johnson wants another term as secretary of state," June 4, 2012
- ↑ Montana Secretary of State, accessed March 2, 2012
