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Betsy Johnson

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This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Betsy Johnson
Prior offices:
Oregon State Senate District 16
Years in office: 2007 - 2021
Successor: Rachel Armitage (D)

Oregon House of Representatives
Years in office: 2001 - 2005

Board of Commissioners Port of Saint Helens Oregon
Years in office: 1992 - 2000

Elections and appointments
Last election
November 8, 2022
Education
Bachelor's
Carleton College, 1973
Law
Lewis and Clark College, 1977
Personal
Religion
Christian: Episcopalian
Contact

Betsy Johnson (Democratic Party) was a member of the Oregon State Senate, representing District 16. She assumed office in 2007. She left office on December 15, 2021.

Johnson (independent) ran for election for Governor of Oregon. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Johnson announced she would run as an unaffiliated candidate in the 2022 gubernatorial race, but would officially leave the Democratic Party in the spring of 2022.[1]

Biography

Johnson earned her B.A. in history from Carleton College in 1973 and her J.D. from Lewis and Clark College in 1977. Her professional experience includes being a commercial pilot, serving as the former director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, owning Transwestern Helicopters Incorporated from 1978 to 1993, and working as a manager for the Aeronautics Division of the Oregon Department of Transportation from 1993 to 1998.[2]

Johnson was Director of the Columbia County Health District in 1990. She served on the Board of Commissioners for the Port of Saint Helens, Oregon, from 1992 to 2000. She served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2001 to 2005.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2021-2022

Johnson was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Johnson was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Oregon committee assignments, 2017
Joint Legislative Policy and Research
Joint Transportation and Economic Development
Joint Ways and Means, Vice chair

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Johnson served on the following committees:

2013-2014

In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Johnson served on the following committees:

2011-2012

2009-2010

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2022

See also: Oregon gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Oregon on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tina Kotek
Tina Kotek (D / Working Families Party)
 
47.0
 
917,074
Image of Christine Drazan
Christine Drazan (R)
 
43.5
 
850,347
Image of Betsy Johnson
Betsy Johnson (Independent)
 
8.6
 
168,431
Image of Donice Smith
Donice Smith (Constitution Party)
 
0.4
 
8,051
Image of R. Leon Noble
R. Leon Noble (L) Candidate Connection
 
0.4
 
6,867
Image of Paul Romero
Paul Romero (Constitution Party of Oregon) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
0
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
2,113

Total votes: 1,952,883
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Oregon on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tina Kotek
Tina Kotek
 
56.0
 
275,301
Image of Tobias Read
Tobias Read
 
31.7
 
156,017
Image of Patrick Starnes
Patrick Starnes Candidate Connection
 
2.1
 
10,524
Image of George Carrillo
George Carrillo Candidate Connection
 
1.9
 
9,365
Image of Michael Trimble
Michael Trimble Candidate Connection
 
1.0
 
5,000
Image of John Sweeney
John Sweeney
 
0.9
 
4,193
Image of Julian Bell
Julian Bell Candidate Connection
 
0.8
 
3,926
Image of Wilson Bright
Wilson Bright Candidate Connection
 
0.5
 
2,316
Image of Dave Stauffer
Dave Stauffer
 
0.5
 
2,302
Image of Ifeanyichukwu Diru
Ifeanyichukwu Diru
 
0.4
 
1,780
Keisha Merchant
 
0.4
 
1,755
Genevieve Wilson
 
0.3
 
1,588
Image of Michael Cross
Michael Cross
 
0.3
 
1,342
David Beem
 
0.3
 
1,308
Image of Peter Hall
Peter Hall
 
0.2
 
982
 Other/Write-in votes
 
2.8
 
13,746

Total votes: 491,445
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Oregon

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Oregon on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Christine Drazan
Christine Drazan
 
22.5
 
85,255
Image of Bob Tiernan
Bob Tiernan
 
17.5
 
66,089
Image of Stan Pulliam
Stan Pulliam
 
10.9
 
41,123
Image of Bridget Barton
Bridget Barton Candidate Connection
 
10.8
 
40,886
Image of Bud Pierce
Bud Pierce Candidate Connection
 
8.7
 
32,965
Image of Marc Thielman
Marc Thielman Candidate Connection
 
7.9
 
30,076
Image of Kerry McQuisten
Kerry McQuisten
 
7.6
 
28,727
Bill Sizemore
 
3.5
 
13,261
Image of Jessica Gomez
Jessica Gomez
 
2.6
 
9,970
Image of Tim McCloud
Tim McCloud Candidate Connection
 
1.2
 
4,400
Image of Nick Hess
Nick Hess Candidate Connection
 
1.1
 
4,287
Image of Court Boice
Court Boice
 
1.1
 
4,040
Image of Brandon Merritt
Brandon Merritt Candidate Connection
 
1.0
 
3,615
Reed Christensen
 
0.8
 
3,082
Image of Amber Richardson
Amber Richardson Candidate Connection
 
0.5
 
1,924
Image of Raymond Baldwin
Raymond Baldwin
 
0.1
 
459
Image of David Burch
David Burch
 
0.1
 
406
John Presco
 
0.0
 
174
Image of Stefan Strek
Stefan Strek
 
0.0
 
171
 Other/Write-in votes
 
2.0
 
7,407

Total votes: 378,317
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2018

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2018

In addition to running as a Democratic Party candidate, Johnson cross-filed to also run as a Republican write-in candidate and as an independent write-in candidate in 2018.[3]

General election

General election for Oregon State Senate District 16

Incumbent Betsy Johnson defeated Ray Biggs in the general election for Oregon State Senate District 16 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Betsy Johnson
Betsy Johnson (D)
 
82.0
 
50,398
Ray Biggs (Constitution Party)
 
17.3
 
10,637
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.7
 
400

Total votes: 61,435
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 16

Incumbent Betsy Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for Oregon State Senate District 16 on May 15, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Betsy Johnson
Betsy Johnson
 
100.0
 
12,337

Total votes: 12,337
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Oregon State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 11, 2014. Incumbent Betsy Johnson was unopposed in the Democratic primary. She also ran as a write-in candidate on the Republican party ticket. Robert Ekstrom ran as a Constitution Party candidate and Perry Roll ran as a Libertarian candidate. Andrew Kaza also ran as an Independent and Working Families Party candidate. Johnson defeated Ekstrom, Roll and Kaza in the general election.[4][5][6]

Oregon State Senate District 16, General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBetsy Johnson Incumbent 70% 34,324
     Independent Andrew Kaza (Independent & Working Families) 13.5% 6,603
     Constitution Robert Ekstrom 12.2% 5,985
     Libertarian Perry Roll 3.9% 1,901
     None Miscellaneous 0.4% 193
Total Votes 49,006

2010

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2010

Johnson won re-election to the Oregon State Senate against Bob Horning (R).[7] Johnson was unopposed in the Democratic primary election on May 18, 2010.[8] The general election took place on November 2, 2010.

Oregon State Senate, District 16 (2010)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Betsy Johnson (D) 27,182
Bob Horning (R) 22,657

2006

See also: Oregon State Senate elections, 2006

On November 7, 2006, Johnson was elected to District 16 in the Oregon State Senate, defeating Don Fell (R) and Robert Simmering (C).[9][10] Johnson raised $153,615 for her campaign, while Fell raised $10,038 and Simmering did not raise any money.[11]

Oregon State Senate, District 16 (2008)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Betsy Johnson (D) 30,645
Don Fell (R) 16,040
Robert Simmering (C) 1,429

Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Betsy Johnson campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2022Governor of OregonLost general$17,898,646 $17,705,598
2018Oregon State Senate District 16Won general$676,350 N/A**
2014Oregon State Senate, District 16Won $456,795 N/A**
2010Oregon State Senate, District 16Won $148,370 N/A**
2006Oregon State Senate, District 16Won $156,787 N/A**
2004Oregon State House, District 31Won $57,687 N/A**
2002Oregon State House, District 31Won $62,207 N/A**
2000Oregon State House, District 1Won $96,259 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Betsy Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Johnson's campaign website stated the following:

Betsy Johnson won’t give up on Oregon without a fight.

Betsy Johnson is running for governor as an independent leader loyal only to the people of Oregon. She believes only the people – not our broken political system – can rescue our state.

Born in Bend, but raised in Redmond, Betsy developed her deep connection to Oregon’s land and people through her family. Her parents gave their property at the headwaters of the Metolius to the United States Forest Service. As Betsy says, her parents loved the land so much, they gave it away to protect it. Her father Sam served in the Oregon House, and her mother Becky served on the State Board of Higher Education and many other community organizations. Betsy graduated from Oregon Episcopal School in 1969 and earned her undergraduate degree from Carleton College. Betsy worked for the Multnomah courts while earning a law degree attending night classes at Lewis & Clark College.

Betsy’s father taught both of his daughters to fly airplanes, fueling their lifelong passion. Betsy’s sister became an aerobatic pilot, flying competitions all over the world. Betsy herself represented the United States in the world helicopter championships in Vitebsk, USSR in 1978. She founded her own aviation business that flew helicopters, including many of the flights over Mount St. Helens after the 1980 eruption. Her company also performed mountain rescue missions and worked on movie projects, including flying Benji the dog into the wilderness to be filmed in heroic action. Betsy was asked to manage the Aeronautics Division of the State Department of Transportation. In 1999, as Director of Legislative Affairs for the Oregon Pilots Association, she helped pass legislation creating the Oregon Department of Aviation.

Betsy served in the Oregon House and Senate for more than 20 years, retiring as Chair of the Joint Ways and Means Committee last year to run for governor. She has a well-earned reputation as a fierce advocate for her constituents, a fearless crusader for fiscal accountability, and as a no-nonsense maverick willing to buck convention to find bipartisan solutions. She’s always been known as an independent minded, pro-jobs leader proudly serving the working people of the northwest coast. Betsy has described herself as “an equal opportunity pisser-offer.” In her 2018 re-election, Betsy not only earned the Democratic Party nomination, but also the Republican and Independent Party nominations through write-in votes. She finished with 82% percent of the support from voters in her district.

In addition to serving in the legislature, Betsy has served on the boards of numerous local, regional, and national organizations, including the Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) Foundation, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) Foundation, and the High Desert Museum in Bend. She is currently on the Board of Visitors of Northwestern School of Law and serves as President of the Samuel S. Johnson Foundation, named for her late father. Betsy and her husband John Helm have been married 35 years and have worked side by side in both business and public service. They live in Scappoose.

While Betsy has given up her party affiliation, her bedrock values have not changed. She deeply believes in taking the best ideas from both parties to forge common sense solutions for everyone. [12]

—Betsy Johnson's campaign website (2022)[13]

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Oregon

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Oregon scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.





2021

In 2021, the Oregon State Legislature was in session from January 21 to June 26.

Legislators are scored on bills related to animal issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes related to the environment.
Legislators are scored on their stances related to taxes, economic development, housing, environmental regulations, and business.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2020


2019


2018


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013


2012


2011

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Johnson has a husband, John Helm.[2]

See also


External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
-
Oregon State Senate District 16
2007-2021
Succeeded by
Rachel Armitage (D)
Preceded by
-
Oregon House of Representatives
2001-2005
Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
-
Board of Commissioners Port of Saint Helens Oregon
1992-2000
Succeeded by
-