Andrew Johnson (Minnesota politician)

Last updated
Sara Vine
​
(m. 2016)​
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson, March 2014.jpg
Johnson in 2014
Member of the Minneapolis City Council from the 12th Ward
In office
January 6, 2014 –November 21, 2023
Residence Longfellow, Minneapolis
Alma mater University of Minnesota Normandale Community College
Occupation Systems engineer
Website Official website

Andrew Johnson (born 1983 or 1984) is an American politician and systems engineer from Minneapolis, who represented the city's 12th Ward on the Minneapolis City Council from 2014 to 2023. Formerly President of the Longfellow Community Council, Johnson was first elected in 2013 as a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) and became the council's youngest sitting member at 29 years old. During his first term, he focused on ridding outdated, contradictory, and burdensome rules from the city's code of ordinances.

Contents

Early life

Born in 1983or1984, Andrew Johnson grew up with a single mother, mowing lawns and bagging groceries at a Lunds at 50th & France in Edina, Minnesota. [1] [2] He graduated from Normandale Community College with an associate degree before studying political science at the University of Minnesota. [2] Johnson got a job as a systems engineer at Target Corporation and bought a house in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis in 2010. [1] [2] By chance, he attended the Longfellow Community Council's (LCC) annual meeting where he was elected to its board and, following his first term, was elected council president. [2]

Minneapolis City Council

Election

While serving on the LCC, Johnson dealt with glaucoma, an experience that led him to reevaluate how he was living his life and ultimately led him to run for a seat on the Minneapolis City Council. [2] Johnson vied for the endorsement of the DFL at their convention in April 2013, facing incumbent councilmember Sandy Colvin Roy who had served on the Council since 1997, longer than all but one other councilmember. Colvin Roy, who represented the city's 12th Ward, [a] had previously supported bypassing a provision in the city's charter requiring a public referendum to approve the construction of U.S. Bank Stadium. The DFL convention resulted in no endorsement for Ward 12 and Johnson attributed Colvin Roy's support for bypassing the charter as a reason for the lack of an endorsement. [4] Colvin Roy dropped her bid for a fifth term on the Council on June 17, leaving Johnson to face Chris Lautenschlager of the Green Party. [5] Johnson officially filed his candidacy on July 30. [6] In the election on November 5, he faced Lautenschlager, Charlie Casserly, Ben Gisselman, and Dick Franson, winning with 4,553 votes in the first round of voting. [b] [7]

First term

Johnson was sworn into office on January 6, 2014, along with six other new members of the 13-member body. [8] At 29 years old, he became the youngest sitting member of the Minneapolis City Council, as well as the city's only single city councilmember as of 2014. [9]

Johnson described three categories into which he divides his workflow: ward, city, and enterprise. He considers ward work to be specific to concerns of residents and businesses of the 12th Ward, such as stop sign placement or library hours. City work includes citywide efforts like transportation projects (such as the Southwest LRT) or environmental ordinances, and Johnson considers enterprise work to be any that improves the efficiency and accessibility of city government. [9]

The Southside Pride characterized Johnson as likely to continue departing 9th Ward councilmember Gary Schiff's legacy of providing a "leftward pull of DFL progressivism on the Council." [9] During his first term, Johnson has worked on overhauling rules from Minneapolis's code of ordinances that he sees as outdated, contradictory, or obstructive to small businesses. [10] These efforts have led to lowering licensing fees for second-hand shops, making it more accessible for businessowners to have murals on their buildings, eliminating an ordinance banning patrons from wearing hats in movie theaters. [10] [11] During his first term, he has also authored an ordinance to clarify Minneapolis's rules on pets and wildlife, including making urban chicken coops more accessible, permitting the ownership of reptiles, and instituting a no-kill policy for the city's animal control agency. [12] He led an effort to end the city of Minneapolis's IT services contract with Unisys at an annual savings of $3 million to the city and introduced language eliminating the requirement for single-use restrooms in city businesses to be designated either female or male, allowing instead for gender neutral single-use bathrooms. [13] [14]

Johnson intends not to run for reelection in the 2023 city council elections, saying that he "always [had] looked at public service as something that you do temporarily". [15]

Personal life

Johnson married Sara Vine in June 2016. [2]

Electoral history

Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 12. Minneapolis City Council Ward 12 2017.svg
Most voted first-choice candidate by precinct in Ward 12.
Minneapolis City Council Ward 12 election, 2017
PartyCandidate% 1st
Choice		Round 1
Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party Andrew Johnson (incumbent)87.158,874
Independent Will Jaeger9.40957
Independent Harrison Bullard3.10316
Write-in N/A0.3435
Valid votes10,182
Maximum possible threshold5,353
Undervotes522
Turnout (out of 22,735 registered voters)47.0810,704
Source: Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services [16]
Minneapolis City Council Ward 12 election, 2013 [17]
Political party/principleCandidate % 1st ChoiceRound 1
DFL Andrew Johnson54.334,553
DFL Ben Gisselman17.041,428
Independent Charlie Casserly13.791,156
Green Party of Minnesota Chris Lautenschlager10.93916
DFL Dick Franson3.51294
N/A Write-ins 0.4134
Maximum possible threshold4,372
Valid votes8,381
Undervotes360
Overvotes1
Turnout39.54%8,742
Registered voters22,108

Notes

  1. ↑ Ward 12, in the southeast corner of Minneapolis, is composed of the Howe, Standish, Hiawatha, Ericsson, Minnehaha, and Morris Park neighborhoods, as well as a portion of the Keewaydin neighborhood. [3]
  2. ↑ Minneapolis uses ranked choice voting; the winner needed a majority (50%+1, disregarding fractions) of 4,372 or more votes, which Johnson clinched in the first round. No subsequent instant runoff rounds were required. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minneapolis City Council</span> Lawmaking body of the City of Minneapolis

The Minneapolis City Council is the legislative branch of the city of Minneapolis in Minnesota, United States. Comprising 13 members, the council holds the authority to create and modify laws, policies, and ordinances that govern the city. Each member represents one of the 13 wards in Minneapolis, elected for a four-year term. The current council structure has been in place since the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Coleman (politician)</span> American politician and lawyer

Christopher B. Coleman is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 54th Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota between 2006 and 2018. He defeated incumbent mayor Randy Kelly in 2005 and took office on January 3, 2006. He was later succeeded by city councilman Melvin Carter on January 2, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cam Gordon</span> American politician (born 1955)

Cameron A. Gordon is an American politician who was a Green Party member of the Minneapolis City Council from 2006 to 2022. He was a co-founder of the Green Party of Minnesota and was called "the most prominent Green elected official in the US."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Cohen (politician)</span> American author and politician (1936–2024)

Daniel Willard Cohen was an American author, businessperson and politician from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He had provided financial support to candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties and ran as an independent candidate in the 2013 Minneapolis mayoral election, ultimately finishing seventh out of 35 candidates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betsy Hodges</span> American politician (born 1969)

Elizabeth A.Hodges is an American politician who served as the 47th Mayor of Minneapolis from 2014 to 2018. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represented Ward 13 on the Minneapolis City Council from 2006 January 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Schiff</span> American politician (born 1972)

Gary Schiff is an American politician and activist who represented Ward 9 on the Minneapolis City Council. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), he was first elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2005 and 2009. Prior to his political career, Schiff was involved with a variety of activist groups and causes ranging from human rights with the Human Rights Campaign, to historic preservation with Save Our Shubert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Minneapolis mayoral election</span>

The 2013 Minneapolis mayoral election was held on November 5, 2013, to elect the mayor of Minneapolis for a four-year term. This was the second mayoral election in the city's history to use instant-runoff voting, popularly known as ranked choice voting, first implemented in the city's 2009 elections. Municipal elections in Minnesota are nonpartisan, although candidates are able to identify with a political party on the ballot. After incumbent Mayor R. T. Rybak announced in late 2012 that he would not seek a fourth term, 35 candidates began campaigns to replace him. Many of these candidates sought the endorsement of the Minneapolis unit of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), though the convention ultimately ended with no endorsement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdi Warsame</span> American politician

Abdi Warsame is a Somali-American politician in Minnesota's Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. After moving to London as an asylum-seeker, he immigrated to Minnesota in 2006. In November 2013, he was elected to the Minneapolis City Council, becoming the first Somali official to be elected to the position. Warsame was reelected for a second term in 2017. He resigned from the position in 2020 to become the head of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohamud Noor</span> American politician

Mohamud Noor is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Noor represents District 60B, which includes parts of the city of Minneapolis in Hennepin County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Quincy (Minnesota politician)</span>

John M. Quincy is an American politician and marketing consultant living in Minneapolis. From 2010–2018, he served two terms on the Minneapolis City Council as a representative of the city's 11th Ward. Quincy moved to Minneapolis in 1994 and sought the endorsement of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) in 2006 for a seat on the Minneapolis Board of Education which he did not receive. He won both the DFL's endorsement and the 2009 City Council election and served as the head of several committees. He has also acted as a member of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport's Noise Oversight Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Minnesota gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 6, to elect the 41st Governor of Minnesota as incumbent Democratic (DFL) Governor Mark Dayton chose not to run for re-election for a third term. The Democratic nominee was U.S. Representative Tim Walz from Minnesota's 1st congressional district while the Republican Party nominated Hennepin County commissioner Jeff Johnson for a second consecutive time. The Independence Party of Minnesota did not field a candidate for the first time since 1994. Going into the election polls showed Walz ahead; the race was characterized as lean or likely DFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Frey</span> Mayor of Minneapolis since 2018

Jacob Lawrence Frey is an American politician and attorney who has served as the mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota since 2018. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, he served on the Minneapolis City Council from 2014 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Bender</span> American politician and city planner

Elizabeth Peterson "Lisa" Bender is an American politician, city planner, and a former member of the Minneapolis City Council from the 10th Ward. In 2018, she was unanimously elected president of the Minneapolis City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Minneapolis City Council election</span>

The 2017 Minneapolis City Council election was held on November 7, 2017, to elect the members of the Minneapolis City Council. The political composition remained unchanged, with the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) retaining 12 seats and the Green Party of Minnesota one seat. Three DFL incumbents were defeated by intraparty opponents. The new City Council convened on January 8, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillipe Cunningham</span> Transgender city council member for Minneapolis

Phillipe M. Cunningham is a former city council member for Minneapolis Ward 4 and the first transgender man of color to be elected to public office in the United States. Cunningham won the council position in the 2017 Minneapolis City Council election and lost it in the 2021 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Minnesota Attorney General election</span>

The 2018 Minnesota Attorney General election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the attorney general of the U.S. state of Minnesota. A primary election was held on August 14, 2018, in which Doug Wardlow was nominated as the Republican candidate and Keith Ellison was nominated as the Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) candidate. Ellison won the election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alondra Cano</span> American politician and activist

Alondra Cano is an American politician, activist, and former member of the Minneapolis City Council from the 9th Ward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Minneapolis mayoral election</span>

A mayoral election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the mayor of the U.S. city of Minneapolis. Incumbent DFL mayor Jacob Frey won reelection to a second term, becoming the first Minneapolis mayor to win a second term since R. T. Rybak in 2005. Minneapolis mayoral elections use instant-runoff voting, also known as ranked-choice voting. All candidates appear on the same ballot and there is no primary election, nor is there a runoff. Minneapolis's twin city, Saint Paul, also held a mayoral election on the same day, using the same system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Samuels</span> American politician (born 1949)

Don Samuels is an American politician, activist, and non-profit executive who served as a member of the Minneapolis City Council from 2003 to 2014. A member of the DFL, Samuels represented the 3rd and 5th wards during his three-term tenure. He also served one term as an at-large representative on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board from 2015 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Minneapolis City Council election</span>

The 2023 Minneapolis City Council election took place in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States on November 7, 2023. The Minneapolis City Council is made up of 13 members, with one council member representing each of the city's 13 wards. Typically, council members serve four year terms, but due to census redistricting, the 2021 and 2023 elections were for two-year terms. The 2023 election was the first to elect members to redrawn districts and the first election since the city's form of government moved to an Executive Mayor-Legislative Council structure. The change was prompted after voters narrowly approved a ballot measure in 2021 to shift certain powers from the city council to the mayor. Topics surrounding public safety, affordable housing, rent control, and racial justice were at the forefront of the campaign.

References

  1. 1 2 Roper, Eric (December 29, 2013). "Andrew Johnson: Council's youngest member". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Christensen, Tesha M. (February 24, 2016). "What has Andrew Johnson been up to in his first term?". Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Minneapolis Ward 12 Neighborhoods". Ward 12. City of Minneapolis. December 13, 2013. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  4. ↑ Roper, Eric; Rao, Maya (April 28, 2013). "Three Mpls. councilmembers leave DFL convention without endorsement". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  5. ↑ Roper, Eric (June 18, 2013). "Four-term Council incumbent Colvin Roy won't seek re-election". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on May 23, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Andrew Johnson Affidavit of Candidacy" (PDF). Vote.MinneapolisMN.gov. City of Minneapolis. July 30, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Order by the Municipal Canvassing Board" (PDF). City of Minneapolis. November 12, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 9, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  8. ↑ Roper, Eric (December 29, 2013). "New Mpls. City Council: Energetic political neophytes bring their own passions". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 Ramage, Debra Keefer (April 14, 2014). "Andrew Johnson's first 100 (and a bit) days". Southside Pride. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  10. 1 2 Golden, Erin (May 22, 2015). "Minneapolis council member tackles dozens of outdated laws". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on May 23, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  11. ↑ Golden, Erin (June 23, 2015). "Minneapolis adjusts rules for secondhand shops". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on May 23, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ Littlefield, Susan-Elizabeth (February 15, 2016). "New Minneapolis Ordinance Loosens Restrictions On Pets". WCCO-TV . Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  13. ↑ Roper, Eric (February 5, 2015). "$147 million later, Minneapolis looks at parting ways with IT vendor Unisys". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  14. ↑ Birkey, Andy (September 22, 2014). "Minneapolis tweaks city code to allow gender neutral restrooms". Twin Cities Daily Planet . Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  15. ↑ Navratil, Liz (October 13, 2022). "Minneapolis Council Member Andrew Johnson announces he won't run again". Star Tribune . Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  16. ↑ "2017 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 12". Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  17. ↑ "2013 Minneapolis Election Results: City Council Ward 12". City of Minneapolis. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.