Charlene Ward Johnson

Charlene Ward Johnson

Democratic Party

Candidate, Texas House of Representatives District 139

Texas House of Representatives District 139

Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

1

Predecessor: Jarvis Johnson (D)

Prior offices:

Houston Community College Board of Trustees District II

Years in office: 2023 - 2025

Predecessor: Rhonda Skillern-Jones (Nonpartisan)

Successor: Renee Jefferson Patterson (Nonpartisan)

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Report an officeholder change

Compensation

Base salary

$7,200/year

Per diem

$221/day

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2026

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

University of Houston, 1991

Bachelor's

University of Houston, 1992

Graduate

University of Arizona Global Campus, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Temple, TX

Religion

Baptist Christian

Profession

Manager

Contact

Official website

Official Instagram

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Charlene Ward Johnson (Democratic Party) is a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 139. She assumed office on January 14, 2025. Her current term ends on January 12, 2027.

Ward Johnson (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 139. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. She advanced from the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.

Biography

Charlene Ward Johnson was born in Temple, Texas. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston in 1992 and a graduate degree from the University of Arizona Global Campus in 2020. Her career experience includes working as a manager.

Ward Johnson has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• Greater Houston Frontiers Club, Inc
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• Top Ladies of Distinction-HIC Chapter
• Houston Livestock and Rodeo
• University of Houston Alumni Foundation
• A. Philip Randolph Institute

Sponsored legislation

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

2026

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2026

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 139

Incumbent Charlene Ward Johnson (D) and Kyle Harding (R) are running in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 139 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Charlene Ward Johnson (D)
	Submit photo	Kyle Harding (R)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 139

Incumbent Charlene Ward Johnson (D) defeated Dominique M. Payton (D) and Jerry Ford Sr. (D) in the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 139 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Charlene Ward Johnson	64.2	12,253
		Dominique M. Payton	23.7	4,531
		Jerry Ford Sr.	12.1	2,310

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 19,094
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 139

Kyle Harding (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Texas House of Representatives District 139 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Kyle Harding

---

	There were no incumbents in this race.
= 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.
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Endorsements

Ward Johnson received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

• Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus

2024

See also: Texas House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Texas House of Representatives District 139

Charlene Ward Johnson won election in the general election for Texas House of Representatives District 139 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Charlene Ward Johnson (D)	100.0	46,196

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,196
= 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 runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 139

Charlene Ward Johnson defeated Angeanette Thibodeaux in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas House of Representatives District 139 on May 28, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Charlene Ward Johnson	51.9	2,533
		Angeanette Thibodeaux	48.1	2,348

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,881
= 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 Texas House of Representatives District 139

Angeanette Thibodeaux and Charlene Ward Johnson advanced to a runoff. They defeated Mo Jenkins, Rosalind Caesar, and Jerry Ford Sr. in the Democratic primary for Texas House of Representatives District 139 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Angeanette Thibodeaux	33.3	3,672
✔		Charlene Ward Johnson	24.1	2,654
		Mo Jenkins	17.7	1,948
		Rosalind Caesar	16.9	1,869
		Jerry Ford Sr.	8.0	887

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,030
= 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.

Endorsements

Ward Johnson received the following endorsements.

• Texas AFL-CIO

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Charlene Ward Johnson has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Charlene Ward Johnson asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Charlene Ward Johnson, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 25,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

You can ask Charlene Ward Johnson to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing info@electcharlene.com.

2024

Charlene Ward Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ward Johnson's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have over 20 years of leadership experience advocating for opportunities and resources being brought into the district. I am currently a Houston Community College Board Trustee. I serve in leadership roles on several community boards. I have 30 years of working in Corporate America.

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?

• Quality Education: I will work to bring educational opportunities in the district. I will advocate for funding for public schools, universities, community colleges, that includes academics, job and workforce skills.
• Job Opportunities: I will work to create better opportunities for the district such as better jobs. I will help small businesses and entrepreneurs. I will partner with unions, local charities and businesses to help bring in much needed resources.
• Access to Quality Healthcare: The people in the district need access to quality healthcare, including women's reproductive rights. I will work to expand Medicaid to help place a cap on the rising cost of prescription drugs.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about changing the funding formula for public schools. The schools in lower economic status require more funding than more affluent communities.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Having good communications skills that include being a good listener. You also must be able to communicate effectively with your constituents. They must be compassionate about helping improve the issues of the people in the district.

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

I have years of experience volunteering in the community to help improve the lives of others.

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

The elected official must be responsive to their constituents. They pass laws that government the state. They approve the budget and advocate for funding for activities and services in their district.

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

My first job was a cashier at Grandy's restaurant. I had it for 6 months. That was the beginning of my career in customer service.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is the Bible

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

The biggest challenges are public education and immigration.

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

Yes, I believe experience is beneficial to state legislations. Experience does matter.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, because in order to pass legislation you will need the support of other to Legislators.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Black Women of Greater Houston
Representative Jarvis Johnson

What committees interest you?

Public Education, Higher Education, Energy

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Elected officials must be transparent in their financial spending of the budget.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Note: Ward Johnson submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on February 6, 2024.

Show past responsesHide past responses

January 22 submission

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have been a community advocate long before I ran for a political office

I am current a Houston Community College Board Trustee. In addition to my 30 years experience working in corporate America, I spend much of my free time giving back to my community. Over the years I have served on several diverse community boards. I serve as Vice President of the Greater Houston Frontiers Club. I also serve as the Public Affairs Committee chair on the University of Houston Alumni Foundation Board, Community Service for Top Ladies of Distinction-HIC Chapter, Social Justice Chair of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc-Xi Alpha Omega Chair. I am also a 12 year volunteer with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I am a Lifetime member of the A. Philip Randolph Institute: Tideland Houston Chapter.

I am a mother of two adult children.

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?

• Experienced Leadership Experience contributing to the expansion of educational options for our youth and senior adults.
• This District needs an effective Representative who has the experience to bring in resources to the district
• I will work to make our communities safer and cleaner

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about the funding for public education including teachers' pay. I believe students deserve quality education regardless of their economic status. I am passionate about bringing educational opportunities to the district so the people can attain the skills and knowledge that lead to jobs. I support workforce training and unions that fight for workers to have livable wages, rest breaks, safe working conditions and the right to organize.

I am passionate about having access to quality healthcare and the expansion of Medicaid to help place caps on the cost prescriptions drugs for seniors.

I want to work to make neighborhoods safer and cleaner

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

I looked up to my Dad because he would always pull over to help someone. He spoke with mind when he felt someone was doing something wrong. That is the example I want to follow. Both my parents believed in helping people if they had the opportunity.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Bible

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Leadership skills, Honesty, Ethical behavior, Transparency,

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

The event that stands out is In 1995, Dr Bernard Shaw became the first African American astronaut to spacewalk.
was 30 years old

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

My first job was at Grandy's Restaurant as a cashier when I was in High school. I was employed there for 1 year

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

No, there is a lot of conflict and unresolved issues between the governor and the state legislator.

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

The greatest challenge is public education vs school vouchers, border security, voting rights, women's rights, healthcare, unions and gun control

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

Yes, I believe that a candidate should be able to prove they have been a successful leader. The constituents rely on their legislators to advocate on their behalf. Therefore, the candidate needs to show they have the experience to handle all the duties of that elected office.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, I believe it is beneficial because it takes a majority to pass legislation. The legislators need the support of other legislators sometime for other another to pass laws.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I want to be trailblazers like Mickey Leland and Barbara Jordan

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Yes I love to hear stories of success from students who have received scholarships from the organizations that I serve as a board member.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Yes

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes, Compromise is part of negotiating. It can help resolve some conflict between the two parties. It can be a means of coming to a mutual acceptance of the policy.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Rep. Jarvis Johnson, the incumbent
Rep. Jolanda Jones

What committees interest you?

Higher Education

Energy Resources
Business and Industry'

County Affair

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Note: Ward Johnson submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on January 22, 2024.

Campaign finance summary

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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.

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Charlene Ward Johnson campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024	Texas House of Representatives District 139	Won general	$106,495	$81,343
Grand total			$106,495	$81,343
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards, State legislative scorecards in Texas

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 scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

• 2025
• 2024
• 2023

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Texas State Legislature in 2025.

• Club for Growth Foundation — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
• Sierra Club Texas — Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
• Texans for Fiscal Responsibility — Legislators are scored based by the organization on their votes on bills relating to "core budget and free enterprise issues."
• Texans Uniting for Reform & Freedom — Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills relating to taxes and property rights.
• Texas Right to Life — Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues.
• Texas Values Action — Legislators are scored on their votes on social issues.
• The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.

In 2024, the Texas State Legislature was either not in session or no scorecards were found. Please contact us if you would like to suggest a scorecard.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the Texas State Legislature in 2023.

• Sierra Club Texas — Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.
• Texans for Fiscal Responsibility — Legislators are scored based by the organization on their votes on bills relating to "core budget and free enterprise issues."
• Texans Uniting for Reform & Freedom — Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills relating to taxes and property rights.
• Texas Right to Life — Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues.
• Texas Values Action — Legislators are scored on their votes on social issues.
• The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
• The Institute for Legislative Analysis — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.

See also

2026 Elections

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Texas House of Representatives District 139

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Jarvis Johnson (D)	Texas House of Representatives District 139 2025-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Rhonda Skillern-Jones	Houston Community College Board of Trustees District II 2023-2025	Succeeded by Renee Jefferson Patterson

[show]

Current members of the Texas House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Dustin Burrows

Representatives

District 1

Gary VanDeaver (R)

District 2

Brent Money (R)

District 3

Cecil Bell (R)

District 4

Keith Bell (R)

District 5

Cole Hefner (R)

District 6

Daniel Alders (R)

District 7

Jay Dean (R)

District 8

Cody Harris (R)

District 9

Trent Ashby (R)

District 10

Brian Harrison (R)

District 11

Joanne Shofner (R)

District 12

Trey Wharton (R)

District 13

Angelia Orr (R)

District 14

Paul Dyson (R)

District 15

Steve Toth (R)

District 16

Will Metcalf (R)

District 17

Stan Gerdes (R)

District 18

Janis Holt (R)

District 19

Ellen Troxclair (R)

District 20

Terry Wilson (R)

District 21

Dade Phelan (R)

District 22

Christian Manuel (D)

District 23

Terri Leo-Wilson (R)

District 24

Greg Bonnen (R)

District 25

Cody Vasut (R)

District 26

Matt Morgan (R)

District 27

Ron Reynolds (D)

District 28

Gary Gates (R)

District 29

Jeffrey Barry (R)

District 30

A.J. Louderback (R)

District 31

Ryan Guillen (R)

District 32

Todd Hunter (R)

District 33

Katrina Pierson (R)

District 34

Denise Villalobos (R)

District 35

Oscar Longoria (D)

District 36

Sergio Munoz (D)

District 37

Janie Lopez (R)

District 38

Erin Gamez (D)

District 39

Armando Martinez (D)

District 40

Terry Canales (D)

District 41

Robert Guerra (D)

District 42

Richard Raymond (D)

District 43

J.M. Lozano (R)

District 44

Alan Schoolcraft (R)

District 45

Erin Zwiener (D)

District 46

Sheryl Cole (D)

District 47

Vikki Goodwin (D)

District 48

Donna Howard (D)

District 49

Gina Hinojosa (D)

District 50

James Talarico (D)

District 51

Maria Luisa Flores (D)

District 52

Caroline Harris (R)

District 53

Wesley Virdell (R)

District 54

Brad Buckley (R)

District 55

Hillary Hickland (R)

District 56

Pat Curry (R)

District 57

Richard Hayes (R)

District 58

Helen Kerwin (R)

District 59

Shelby Slawson (R)

District 60

Mike Olcott (R)

District 61

Keresa Richardson (R)

District 62

Shelley Luther (R)

District 63

Ben Bumgarner (R)

District 64

Andy Hopper (R)

District 65

Mitch Little (R)

District 66

Matt Shaheen (R)

District 67

Jeff Leach (R)

District 68

David Spiller (R)

District 69

James Frank (R)

District 70

Mihaela Plesa (D)

District 71

Stan Lambert (R)

District 72

Drew Darby (R)

District 73

Carrie Isaac (R)

District 74

Eddie Morales (D)

District 75

Mary Gonzalez (D)

District 76

Suleman Lalani (D)

District 77

Vincent Perez (D)

District 78

Joseph Moody (D)

District 79

Claudia Ordaz (D)

District 80

Don McLaughlin (R)

District 81

Brooks Landgraf (R)

District 82

Tom Craddick (R)

District 83

Dustin Burrows (R)

District 84

Carl Tepper (R)

District 85

Stan Kitzman (R)

District 86

John Smithee (R)

District 87

Caroline Fairly (R)

District 88

Ken King (R)

District 89

Candy Noble (R)

District 90

Ramon Romero (D)

District 91

David Lowe (R)

District 92

Salman Bhojani (D)

District 93

Nate Schatzline (R)

District 94

Tony Tinderholt (R)

District 95

Nicole Collier (D)

District 96

David Cook (R)

District 97

John McQueeney (R)

District 98

Giovanni Capriglione (R)

District 99

Charlie Geren (R)

District 100

Venton Jones (D)

District 101

Chris Turner (D)

District 102

Ana-Maria Ramos (D)

District 103

Rafael Anchia (D)

District 104

Jessica Gonzalez (D)

District 105

Terry Meza (D)

District 106

Jared Patterson (R)

District 107

Linda Garcia (D)

District 108

Morgan Meyer (R)

District 109

Aicha Davis (D)

District 110

Toni Rose (D)

District 111

Yvonne Davis (D)

District 112

Angie Button (R)

District 113

Rhetta Bowers (D)

District 114

John Bryant (D)

District 115

Cassandra Garcia Hernandez (D)

District 116

Trey Fischer (D)

District 117

Philip Cortez (D)

District 118

John Lujan (R)

District 119

Elizabeth Campos (D)

District 120

Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D)

District 121

Marc LaHood (R)

District 122

Mark Dorazio (R)

District 123

Diego Bernal (D)

District 124

Josey Garcia (D)

District 125

Ray Lopez (D)

District 126

Sam Harless (R)

District 127

Charles Cunningham (R)

District 128

Briscoe Cain (R)

District 129

Dennis Paul (R)

District 130

Tom Oliverson (R)

District 131

Alma Allen (D)

District 132

Mike Schofield (R)

District 133

Mano Deayala (R)

District 134

Ann Johnson (D)

District 135

Jon Rosenthal (D)

District 136

John Bucy (D)

District 137

Gene Wu (D)

District 138

Lacey Hull (R)

District 139

Charlene Ward Johnson (D)

District 140

Armando Walle (D)

District 141

Senfronia Thompson (D)

District 142

Harold Dutton (D)

District 143

Ana Hernandez (D)

District 144

Mary Perez (D)

District 145

Christina Morales (D)

District 146

Lauren Simmons (D)

District 147

Jolanda Jones (D)

District 148

Penny Shaw (D)

District 149

Hubert Vo (D)

District 150

Valoree Swanson (R)

Republican Party (88)

Democratic Party (62)