Christian Johnson (Ohio)

Christian Johnson ran for election for an at-large seat of the Pickerington Local School District Board of Education in Ohio. She lost in the general election on November 2, 2021.

Biography

Christian Johnson earned a bachelor's degree from Kentucky State University in 2012. She earned a master's degree from Ohio University in 2015. Johnson's career experience includes working as a design specialist, as a small business owner and special event coordinator, and as an educator with a local school district.^[1]^[2]

Elections

2021

General election

General election for Pickerington Local School District Board of Education At-large (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Pickerington Local School District Board of Education At-large on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Vanessa Niekamp (Nonpartisan)	16.6	4,597
✔	Submit photo	J.D. Postage (Nonpartisan)	16.2	4,489
✔		Clay Lopez (Nonpartisan)	15.7	4,341
		Christian Johnson (Nonpartisan)	11.7	3,240
	Submit photo	Mark Hensen (Nonpartisan)	10.2	2,830
		Charles Newman (Nonpartisan)	10.1	2,804
		Ryan Holstine (Nonpartisan)	9.8	2,711
	Submit photo	Vanessa Hayes-William (Nonpartisan)	9.5	2,635

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,647
= 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.

2020

General election

General election for Ohio State Senate District 20

Incumbent Tim Schaffer defeated Christian Johnson in the general election for Ohio State Senate District 20 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tim Schaffer (R)	69.5	121,844
	Christian Johnson (D)	30.5	53,477

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 175,321
= 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 Ohio State Senate District 20

Christian Johnson advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 20 on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christian Johnson	100.0	13,993

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,993
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 20

Incumbent Tim Schaffer advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 20 on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tim Schaffer	100.0	25,458

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 25,458
= 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 finance

Endorsements

To view Johnson's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2019

General election

General election for Pickerington Local School District Board of Education At-large (2 seats)

Incumbent Keith Kristoff and Cathy Olshefski defeated Christian Johnson, Barry Sutherland, and Tezlyn Reardon in the general election for Pickerington Local School District Board of Education At-large on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keith Kristoff (Nonpartisan)	25.6	2,754
✔		Cathy Olshefski (Nonpartisan)	21.2	2,279
		Christian Johnson (Nonpartisan)	20.1	2,162
	Submit photo	Barry Sutherland (Nonpartisan)	19.2	2,064
		Tezlyn Reardon (Nonpartisan)	13.9	1,493

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,752
= 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

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

Christian Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Christian 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.

Christian Johnson is a business owner, an educator, and above all, a strong woman who is running to bring solution-based remedies to a broken, divisive and outdated system. Fueled by firsthand experiences with systemic injustices within education, healthcare and the economy/wages, Christian aims to help the government function effectively for everyday, hardworking residents. It's time to ensure our families are safe, close, and doing more thriving than surviving.

Christian is a Pickerington Local School District substitute teacher and in-home instructor with a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education and M.S. in Sports and Recreation Management. She has a passion for the students she educates and mentors and is working to build a system that supports and protects them. Christian is a small business owner (CNoelDesigns, LLC) who knows the struggles that everyday Ohioans face, especially during the current COVID crisis.

It's time to send diverse new voices to the Ohio Statehouse. All Ohioans deserve to be represented in the People's House.

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?

Education
Empathy
Equity

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education It is foundational. Lack of equitable resources to inhabit proper learning, sets the precedence for how a child will ultimately navigate life. The lack of funding for student resources, teacher salaries, and college tuition is unacceptable. Over-extensive testing, lack of state and local control, and little to no accountability from lawmakers are also characteristics of a mismanaged school system. As we have seen with the budget balance during the pandemic, legislators first look to cut funding from an already underfunded education system, but this is not isolated to this crisis. We can not properly prepare students to be successful citizens if the structure we are using to educate and prepare them is not properly equipped to do so.

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

My mama!! If you were to ask my mom if she considered herself a leader, she would probably say no. However, if you were to meet my brother, sister or I, you would have to disagree. She may not have led large groups of people, but she instilled in all three of the ingredients needed to produce great leaders. My mom has a heart of gold, so naturally from that flowed empathy, gentleness, and kindness. But let me be clear, she did and still does not play about her children. We've had a front row seat on how to stand up to people and situations that were not fair or appropriate. How to care for others, even at the extent of self sacrifice. She showed us how to be public servants. My mom has always been relentless when it comes to providing for her family. Where most moms take the lemons of life and make lemonade, my mom took those lemons and made 7-Up Pound cake (and it's good)! She never stops asking hard questions and she is unapologetic in who she is. My mom didn't have to be a leader in order for me to learn from her on how to be one. She just had to be herself and constantly encourage me to be the same. Be bold. Be authentic. Be humble. Be able to pivot. Be Christian!

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

Empathy, Equity (in decision making), Transparency, Accessibility, Accountability, Humble, Unselfish, The ability to be a great listener, Relatable

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to be remembered as someone who didn't back down from a challenge no matter how impossible a successful outcome may have seemed. A woman who was proud of who she was (Black, Woman, Christian), and never conformed to who others wanted her to be. Someone who was selfless and ensured her decision making was rooted in empathy, equity, and care. A true pubic servant who put the needs of others before her own. A woman who enjoyed life and left an impactful impression on whomever she met.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Glory" by John Legend and Common

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

I believe there can be a benefit for a state legislator to have previous government or political experience, but these areas can be learned upon being elected. I believe it is more important to have leaders in legislative power, who can empathize. Legislators with lived experiences that directly reflect those in which they serve. Someone who has proven experience of being a public servant, and unselfish and equitable in their decision making.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Criteria-Driven Independent Commission Approach is one I favor. This approach is based on the approach taken in California, this reform would have district maps drawn by a commission selected in a manner to maximize citizen participation and independence from legislative pressure. That body would then draw those maps based on criteria set by statute.

The manipulative lines which form Ohio's districts, are currently drawn in a way that makes it difficult for new leaders, like myself, to emerge and change to occur. This discourages young people, especially women and people of color, from even attempting the uphill battle that is running for office. Running in such a gerrymandered district, will require me to outwork my opponent to overcome this legal disadvantage. Politicians shouldn't be able to pick their votes. Fair districts means fair votes. It's past time to give voters their voice back.

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?

"We struggle. We are not a glamorous county and we are 30 miles away from everything on either side. People either live here, but don't work here because there is no work. Or work here, but don't live here because it's a poor county. Some developers buy rural properties and divide them up into narrow 5 acre lots. People buy these, thinking they're cheap. Not really. The power company charges thousands to run a line to your place if there isn't already one on the road. No city water, and town people are shocked to find out that you don't hit water at 20', or something. A septic system is at least $10,000. Up on higher ground, there are only thin seams of water you may or may not hit, and the cost of drilling a well is daunting. Most people put in cisterns and haul city water they buy at a coin-op pump near the river, or have water delivered...a constant ongoing expense. ATT won't install phone landlines any more. Only satellite internet, which is expensive, slow, and buggy. Satellite TV works OK, but the satellite internet and VOIP phones using this internet are awful. We're just a small town that gets over looked, by everyone."

This is from an interaction I had with a woman older woman, late 70s who lives in one of the counties I'd represent. This story is so similar to many others. It touched me and will forever be my daily motivation to give a voice to the voiceless and elevate the ignored. There is no reason people should feel this way, or have these issues in the 21st century. I will continue to use this platform to bring resources to those who need them so they can do more than just survive, but to thrive.

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.

2019

Christian Johnson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. 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.

My family and I have been residents of Pickerington since 2001. A 2008 graduate of Pickerington High School North, I am proud to call this community home today. After graduating from the Pickerington North, I attended Kentucky State University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education. My love for education and passion for inspiring the youth in my hometown lead her to return to Pickerington as a substitute teacher. While I loved my time in the classroom, I was compelled to return to the classroom as a student myself to further my education.

I obtained a Master of Science degree in Recreation and Sports Management with a specialization in Special Events from Ohio University. After graduation, I worked as Recreation and Special Events Coordinator at Centerville-Washington Park District in Centerville, Ohio. In spite of working elsewhere in Ohio, my heart remained in Pickerington. I served in this position for three years, then decided to take a leap of faith, move back to Pickerigton.

Upon returning to start my own design agency, CNoelDesgins, LLC, I also re-immersed myself into the Pickerington community and became heavily involved in the school system. I became a mentor at Pickerington High School North where I have had the privilege of engaging with over 90 young men and women. I have built relationships with students, teachers, and administration, gaining diverse outlooks and perspectives of the district and providing them with insight based on my time in the classroom and as a mentor. I served as an adult coordinator for the 2019 Pickerington's Black History Month program, and founded P.A.S.S.E.D., Parents About Students, Success, Equity and Diversity. I live, work, volunteer, and worship, in Pickerington. My loyalty to the city is evident, but my passion is shown through my actions and experiences.

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?

Accessibility
Transparency
Equity

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education

Culture and Society

Health

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

I believe those who sit on the school board should possess these following characteristics, at minimum:

Compassion
Servant leadership
The ability to adapt to change
Strong communication skills
Empathy
Goal Oriented
Integrity

Passion for students

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to encourage anyone who wants to do anything, but most specifically run for a political office, to never be afraid to step up to a challenge. If you have a servant's heart, and know that you have the capability to impact change, do it. In spite of the perception of being unqualified. In spite of adversity and hard times, take the leap and give it all you've got. Don't be afraid to think and act outside of the box. Challenge the status quo. Success is up to you to define. At this moment, I know whether or not I am elected into this position, I did something that I believe I was supposed to do. I know that I have raised awareness in areas that typically get overlooked or not acknowledged. I have challenged the current system to grow and change with current times. So win, lose or draw, I am successful.

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

My first real job was at Kroger off of Hill Rd. in Pickerington before it became a Marketplace. I was 15 years old and I stayed there for five years. I was allowed to come back and work during college breaks.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"I'm Walking in Authority" Donnie McClurkin

What will you do to build a better relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?

Parents trust the schools with one of their greatest gifts,their child. This trust contracts us to make decisions on behalf of them that will positively affect their experience while at school. I believe no major decisions that will effect their student's safety, education, or educational experience should be made without the input of parents. It truly takes a community to raise a child, and those who are leading the community should be open, understanding and forever evolving. There is power when people move in the same direction.

In addition to the parent organization I started, P.A.S.S.E.D- Parents About Student Success Equity and Diversity, and the PTO, I believe the district can host parent and community forums outside of the scheduled board meetings. Incentives and alternative methods for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Encourage parents to come to the schools during school hours. This is what strengthening relationships looks like. Show them we want them to be involved.

Parental involvement is vital to the success of a school system and to the students. Parents are their students biggest advocate and supporter. They should know their rights and feel just as welcomed into the schools as their students are. As a member of the school board, I am committed to taking these steps so together we can strengthen the connection between the schools and parents for the benefit of Pickerington youth.

Do you believe it is important to intentionally recruit with the aim of diversifying the district’s faculty, staff, and administration? If so, what would be your policy to achieve this?

Teach for America recently printed an article speaking on the benefits of having teachers and staff in the school that resemble the student population. It highlights the effect it has on a student's success. "Students taught by teachers who share their identities and look like them benefit both academically and emotionally."

Pickerigton is growing rapidly. People from all walks of life are starting to call Pickerington home, and most often for the education.

As a school district, have a privilege to educate and play a vital role in a students educational, mental and emotional growth. Therefore, we need to explore all options to make this possible. I believe when it comes to hiring staff and teachers, we must be intentional. We must go where we can find diversity instead of waiting and hoping it comes to us. I want to be clear, diversity does not only mean Black and White. It means diversity in thought, in sexuality, in socioeconomic status. Studies show that students are most likely to succeed if they have someone in the schools whom they can relate to in all of these areas. The same goes for administration. It is imperative that those who are making decisions for the whole has multiple perspectives and experiences. With Pickerington changing so often, I believe a policy should be set in place where those who work with our students should reflect the student population. For example, if our Hispanic population in one school is 4.3%, then out of 60 teachers/staff in the building, then at least 3-4 of them should also be Hispanic.

What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?

I believe outside influences, or in common terms "Keeping up with the Jones's" plays a large role in effecting a quality education. Education has become so competitive. Those who sit in leadership positions are constantly comparing what they are doing in comparison to another school or school district. This way of operating, if not harnessed correctly can be detrimental. Each school and school district is unique in its own way. Equity is the key.

Pickerington has the distinct privilege of housing residents from all walks of life. There is beauty in the uniqueness and differences that make up its population. When a student walks into a Pickerington Local School, we have the responsibility of ensuring every child is celebrated, respected and welcomed for their uniqueness and differences. These attributes can only be celebrated if the culture of the school has been crafted in such a way to do so. From curriculum to accessible resources, every student should be given a fair and a fighting chance to succeed from the moment they first walk into a kindergarten classroom until they toss their cap at graduation.

As a school board member, I will dedicate myself to creating an equitable environment for all students to ensure that every student has the opportunity to live up to their potential and thrive. This means that students get something better than an equal playing field; they get what they need to be successful. It shouldn't matter if your student is a visual learner or an auditory learner, comes from a below average income or an above average income home, has some challenges with academics, or is a straight A student ... every single one of these children deserve the right to be educated and have an educational experience based on their uniqueness and differences.

I believe the district should not be uniform, but united. I will strive to create a district where it is not a one-size fits all, but the right fit for each size.

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.

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Pickerington Local School District Board of Education At-large

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 21, 2019
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 1, 2020

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 21, 2019

[bio2-2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 1, 2020

[1]

[2]

	v • e State of Ohio Columbus (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy

Christian Johnson (Ohio)

Contents

Biography

Elections

2021

General election

General election for Pickerington Local School District Board of Education At-large (3 seats)

2020

General election

General election for Ohio State Senate District 20

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 20

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 20

Campaign finance

Endorsements

2019

General election

General election for Pickerington Local School District Board of Education At-large (2 seats)

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

2020

2019

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

SITE NAVIGATION