Mike Johnson (Louisiana politician)

Early life and education

Johnson was born in Shreveport, the oldest of four children of Jeanne Johnson and James Patrick Johnson (1953-2016), a firefighter who founded the nonprofit organization, the Percy R. Johnson Burn Foundation, after having been critically burned and disabled in the line of duty. Johnson has two brothers, Chris and Josh, and a sister named Laura.

Johnson graduated from Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport. He received an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, at which he was a member of the Order of Omega honor society and Kappa Sigma fraternity. He holds a Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University Law Center, and worked as constitutional attorney in Benton, Louisiana.

Johnson is a member of the Council for National Policy, the National Rifle Association, the American Bar Association, and the Louisiana Family Forum.

Commentator

Johnson has served as a talk radio host and conservative columnist. He has appeared on The O'Reilly Factor, Fox and Friends, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and National Public Radio.

Legal career

Johnson served as a trustee of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission within the Southern Baptist Convention from 2004-2012. Prior to his election to Congress, Johnson was also a partner in the Kitchens Law Firm and a senior attorney and national media spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund, now known as Alliance Defending Freedom, which describes itself as "a non-profit legal defense and advocacy organization dedicated to religious liberty, traditional family values, and the value and sanctity of life." Johnson was also formerly chief counsel of the non-profit law firm Freedom Guard.

Johnson served as co-counsel for the state defendants in the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Louisiana state ban on same-sex marriage in both 2004 and again in 2015. He was driving home from a hearing on the matter before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans when he learned from a radio broadcast that he would run unopposed in his bid to succeed Thompson.

Louisiana House of Representatives

Johnson ran unopposed in the special election called for February 21, 2015 to select a successor to Jeff R. Thompson, a Republican who had resigned to become a judge in Louisiana's 26th Judicial District Court. The election was cancelled when only Johnson filed for the seat. He was re-elected in the September 10, 2015 election, again running unopposed.

Johnson was endorsed by United States Senator David Vitter and United States Representative John Fleming, as well as the political action committee of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

Johnson was re-elected to a full term on October 24, 2015, again running without opposition.

Louisiana Marriage and Conscience Act

In April 2015, Johnson proposed a bill titled the Marriage and Conscience Act, similar in content to Indiana's controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed a few days earlier, though Johnson denied that his legislation was based on the Indiana law.

Johnson's Marriage and Conscience Act would have eliminated the state of Louisiana's ability to withhold a "state license, certification, accreditation, employment, state contracts, state benefits, or tax deductions" from a person or entity based on their views on the institution of marriage. Critics denounced the bill as an attempt to protect people who discriminate against same-sex married couples.

Then-Governor Bobby Jindal pledged to sign Johnson's bill into law if it passed both houses of the legislature. IBM and other employers in the region expressed their opposition to the bill, including concerns about the hiring difficulties it would likely produce. Other politicians also objected, including fellow Republican, Baton Rouge Metro Councilman John Delgado, who described Johnson as a "despicable bigot of the highest order" for proposing the bill.

On May 19, 2015, the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee voted 10-2 to table the bill, effectively ending its chances to become law. Both Republicans and Democrats voted against the bill; other than Johnson, only Republican Ray Garofalo voted for it. After the bill was tabled, Governor Jindal said that he would issue an executive order to enforce its intent. Johnson planned to reintroduce his own bill in 2016.

Other

In March 2016, Johnson opposed a one-penny increase in the state sales tax proposed to help address Louisiana's $940 million budget deficit. The one-penny increase was approved by a vote of 76 to 27, with one vacancy. A House and Senate conference committee subsequently changed the duration of the tax from five years, as recommended by the state Senate to twenty-seven months, effective from April 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018.

In 2015 and 2016 Johnson led an anti-abortion "Life March" in Shreveport-Bossier City.

Johnson opposed the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

2016 campaign

On February 10, 2016, Johnson announced his candidacy for the 4th congressional district seat held for eight years by John Fleming, who was running, ultimately unsuccessfully, for the United States Senate seat vacated by David Vitter.

In a runoff election held on December 10, 2016, Johnson defeated the Shreveport Democratic attorney Marshall Jones, 87,369 votes (65 percent) to 46,578 (35 percent). He won all fifteen parishes in the district, with 78 percent in Bossier Parish but only 52 percent in his native neighboring Caddo Parish, also the home of opponent Jones. Eliminated in the November 8 primary election were Republicans Trey Baucum, a Shreveport cardiologist, former State Senator Elbert Guillory of Opelousas, Shreveport attorney Rick John, Oliver Geoffrey Jenkins (born July 1966), a member of the Shreveport City Council.

Tenure

Johnson was sworn into office on January 3, 2017. He is a member of the Republican Study Committee.

Jeffrey Hayden Haynes, a great-grandson of the late Webster Parish Sheriff O. H. Haynes Jr., is Johnson's chief of staff. He was formerly an aide to former U.S. Senator David Vitter.

Johnson voted in favor of the American Health Care Act of 2017.

Committee assignments

Positions

Johnson supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order to curtail for ninety days immigration until better screening methods are devised. He stated that “This is not an effort to ban any religion, but rather an effort to adequately protect our homeland. We live in a dangerous world, and this important measure will help us balance freedom and security.”

Personal life

Johnson is married to Kelly Lary Johnson (born October 1973). Kelly is a teacher and lecturer on family-related issues. They have two sons and two daughters. Johnson has formerly resided in Sibley in Webster Parish, and in Allen in Collin County, Texas.