Carl Johnson (Alaska)

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Carl Johnson

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 1994

Law

University of Minnesota Law School, 1999

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Years of service

1986 - 1990

Personal

Profession

Small business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal Instagram

Carl Johnson (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Alaska State Senate to represent District N. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Carl Johnson was born on the Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 1990. Johnson obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 1994 and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1999. His professional experience includes owning a small business in the tourism industry. He is involved with Visit Anchorage, the Alaska Travel Industry Association, the Alaska Society of Outdoor and Nature Photographers (Board of Directors), the North American Nature Photography Association, Nikon Professional Services, and Professional Photographers of America.

Elections

2020

See also: Alaska State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Alaska State Senate District N

Roger Holland defeated Carl Johnson, Carolyn Clift, and Lynette Hinz in the general election for Alaska State Senate District N on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Roger Holland (R)	49.7	10,512
		Carl Johnson (D)	45.6	9,650
		Carolyn Clift (Independent)	4.6	965
	Submit photo	Lynette Hinz (D) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	40

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,167
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Alaska State Senate District N

Roger Holland defeated incumbent Catherine Giessel in the Republican primary for Alaska State Senate District N on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Roger Holland	64.2	3,687
		Catherine Giessel	35.8	2,055

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,742
= 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.

Alaska Democratic and Independence parties primary election

Alaska Democratic and Independence parties primary for Alaska State Senate District N

Carl Johnson defeated Lynette Hinz in the Alaska Democratic and Independence parties primary for Alaska State Senate District N on August 18, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Carl Johnson	54.1	2,247
	Submit photo	Lynette Hinz	45.9	1,907

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,154
= 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.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Carl Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Johnson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in a military family, with a father, uncles and grandfather who served in the Air Force or Army Air Corps. After serving in the Navy, I put myself through college, earning a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, then through law school at the University of Minnesota Law School. After moving to Alaska, I clerked for the Alaska Court System and practiced law for ten years in the areas of environmental law, Indian law, and general business law. I then worked for over seven years in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management. In that program, I was in charge of a team that executed 20 public meetings annually throughout the state to provide local residents the opportunity to shape hunting and fishing regulations on federal public lands in Alaska. Today, I am a small business owner in the tourism industry. Over my time in Alaska, I have visited every corner of the state, from Kaktovik to Ketchikan, Kotzebue to False Pass. I have joined Alaskans from all walks of life as they engage in daily activities, from seismic operations in the Beaufort Sea to subsistence hunts to commercial fishing.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• We must diversify Alaska's economy to be better prepared for the ebbs and flows of global markets. There will be times when one industry is down, but others are booming. If we diversify, we reap the benefits of those stronger elements of the economy. We should provide rational, fair investments to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation across all industry sectors.
• We must also address our challenges in a thoughtful, comprehensive way to ensure strong communities. That means fully funding essential government functions - from public safety issues like homelessness and crime, to developing and maintaining infrastructure that supports families, businesses and communities. Alaskans must have access to affordable and reliable health care, and a safety net when times are unexpectedly tough. I will fight for a stable and reliable Permanent Fund and Dividend.
• Opportunity begins with education. It is a crucial part of building a productive, meaningful society and paves the way for the success of future generations. Recent education cuts undermine our communities. We must enhance educational opportunities in Alaska at all levels for all students. This includes investing in pre-K programs, safe school buildings, teachers and staff, reducing class sizes, and restoring the University of Alaska system so our kids can get a top-notch education here at home.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Natural resource management, education, health care, and economic development.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I have a general tendency to look up to those who use their power, talent, skills, or knowledge to improve the lives of others, regardless of how it benefits them. The list is long of people from artists to scientists to elected officials who meet this criteria.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I believe strongly in the positive role that government can play in our lives, from providing a safety net for those who need it, to providing infrastructure to support families and an economy, to providing quality and affordable public education. I have worked in all three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judiciary), at the state, county, tribal and federal level. I have seen how government can both work and fail, and have worked hard to improve public access to government and government officials. I strongly believe in robust public involvement in decision making. I have a strong background in law and policy (20+ years).

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

First and foremost, a legislator must honor their oath of office, which can be found in the Alaska Constitution, Article 12, Section 5: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Alaska, and that I will faithfully discharge my duties as . . . to the best of my ability." As the role of the judiciary includes interpreting the constitution, court interpretations of the meaning of the constitution are bound into that oath. Time spent legislating must begin with the obligation to support and defend the constitution.

Related to that, a legislator must act in the public interest. Decisions should be made based on facts, data and science, and based on whether it will provide a maximum benefit to the people of Alaska. A legislator's desire to retain office should never take priority over acting in the public good.

A legislator must possess certain qualities that will aid him/her in the exercise of his/her duties in a manner that will ensure outcomes that benefit the public. A legislator must act with empathy, speak truthfully, and act ethically.

Finally, a legislator must act responsibly. He/she must pursue policies that ensure our resources - human, natural, and financial - are managed for the sake of benefiting both current and future generations. This is an extension of the need to act in the public interest.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I have a vivid memory of gathering in my paternal grandparents' living room in Stillwater, Minnesota, to watch on television as man walked on the moon for the first time. I was two and a half years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was running a carmel apple and carmel corn stand at the regional fair near my childhood home in Rapid City, South Dakota. I worked that job for two summers, while also starting work delivering the newspaper. I was 12 years old when I took those first jobs.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is "Groupthink" by Irving Janis. "Groupthink" the psychological drive for consensus at any cost that suppresses disagreement and prevents the appraisal of alternatives in cohesive decision-making groups. Irving Janis' book specifically examines case studies of poor decisions that were made in government and what led to those decisions, examining factors such as withholding information from a decision maker that was believed would be seen with disfavor, but would alter the outcome. It is an important work to examine for those who make decisions in government as a means of helping to identify factors that lead to poor decisions.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do believe that anyone who seeks elected public office should have some prior experience in government service. The whole point of serving in elected office is to work in the public interest. We can best see who really believes in government and public service by observing who has worked for the government before. Additionally, prior exposure to government procedures, rules and laws has the benefit of educating a legislator first-hand as to the functions of government. Quite frequently, those with no prior experience will sponsor or co-sponsor legislation that violates norms, procedures, or even the constitution itself. In many cases, such legislators will also seek to undermine the efficacy of government as a result of either inexperience or pure partisan objectives that lack a grounding in the public interest.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Our number one challenge in the next decade will be to develop new revenue sources. Historically, we have relied almost exclusively on oil taxes and royalties for general revenue. This worked well when the price of oil was over $100 per barrel, but we are likely to never see those prices again. Cutting down essential government services to the point that whole regions of the state lack transportation and that our public university system is being dismantled is also not the answer to solving our budget woes. Intertwined with our need to improve revenue is to diversity our economy so that it is not so closely linked to industries that ebb and flow with the whims of the commodities markets.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I favor a redistricting process that completely removes partisan qualifications from eligibility for serving on a redistricting board. An example that I find fair and appropriate is the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. There, a 14-member commission consists of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four people who are not politically affiliated. The first eight members of the commission are randomly selected from a list of applicants, and the remaining six are selected by those eight. Alaska's current redistricting system is guaranteed to produce a partisan result, as has been proven again this year.

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See also

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Footnotes

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Current members of the Alaska State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Gary Stevens

Majority Leader:Catherine Giessel

Senators

District A

Bert Stedman (R)

District B

Jesse Kiehl (D)

District C

Gary Stevens (R)

District D

Jesse Bjorkman (R)

District E

Catherine Giessel (R)

District F

James Kaufman (R)

District G

Elvi Gray-Jackson (D)

District H

Matt Claman (D)

District I

Loki Tobin (D)

District J

Forrest Dunbar (D)

District K

Bill Wielechowski (D)

District L

Kelly Merrick (R)

District M

Shelley Hughes (R)

District N

Robert Yundt (R)

District O

Mike Shower (R)

District P

Scott Kawasaki (D)

District Q

Robert Myers (R)

District R

Mike Cronk (R)

District S

Lyman Hoffman (D)

District T

Donald Olson (D)

Republican Party (11)

Democratic Party (9)