Jonathan E. Johnson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University, Utah |
| Political party | Republican |
| Board member of | overstock.com |
| Spouse | Courtney Johnson (m. 1988) |
| Children | 5 |
Jonathan Edwin "J.J." Johnson III is an American business executive who served as the CEO of Overstock.com from 2019 to 2023. [1] [2] [3] [4] He was a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2016 Utah gubernatorial election. [5]
Johnson was born in Los Angeles, California to Jonathan E. Johnson II and Clare Hardy Johnson, the oldest of their eight sons. He received a Bachelor's degree in Japanese from Brigham Young University in 1990, followed by a Juris Doctor degree from the Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, in 1993. [6]
Following his graduation, Johnson worked as a clerk for Utah Supreme Court Justice Leonard H. Russon. [7]
In 1999, Johnson moved back to Utah to work for the publicly traded software company TenFold Corporation, lasting there until 2002 when he was hired by Overstock.com to be general counsel. [8] He served as the chairman of the board at Overstock until 2019. [9] [10] [11] Upon the departure of Patrick Byrne on August 22, 2019, Johnson became the interim CEO of the company. [12] One month later on September 23, 2019, Johnson was appointed permanent CEO. [3] He resigned in November 2023, following accusations of poor performance in a letter from a major shareholder. [4] [13]
Johnson, a Republican, formally announced his candidacy for governor on August 15, 2015 at the state GOP convention [14] Johnson defeated the incumbent governor, Gary Herbert, at the convention, triggering a primary election, which was held June 28, 2016. [15]
On April 18, 2016, Johnson announced his selection of Robyn Bagley as his running mate. [16] Bagley is the founder of a charter school, and was a leader on the losing side in the voucher battle in 2007. [17] Herbert defeated Johnson in the primary, and went on to win reelection in the general election. [18]
Johnson and Bagley focused on education during their announcement to run together for governor and lieutenant governor, and expressed their intention to put education decisions into the hands of private companies. Both running mates voiced support for vouchers that would allow public funding to go to private schools. [17] [19]
Olene Walker was an American politician who served as the 15th governor of Utah from 2003 to 2005, succeeding the governorship after Mike Leavitt's resignation. A member of the Republican Party, Walker was Utah's first female governor and the first female lieutenant governor of Utah.
Robert William Bishop is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Utah's 1st congressional district from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he became the dean of Utah's congressional delegation after the retirement of Orrin Hatch from the U.S. Senate in 2019.
Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. is an American businessman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 16th governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the ambassador of the United States to Russia from 2017 to 2019, ambassador to China from 2009 to 2011, and ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993.
Beyond, Inc. is an American online retailer headquartered in Midvale, Utah. Previously known as Overstock.com, Inc., the company acquired and adopted the name of bankrupt big-box retailer Bed Bath & Beyond in 2023. The company sells home decor, furniture, bedding, and many other goods that are closeout merchandise.
Gary Richard Herbert is an American politician who served as the 17th governor of Utah from 2009 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the National Governors Association during the 2015–2016 cycle.
Patrick Michael Byrne is an American businessman and conspiracy theorist. In 1999, Byrne launched Overstock.com after leading two smaller companies. Byrne led Overstock as chief executive officer for two decades, from 1999 to 2019. In 2002, Byrne took Overstock public. Early in his tenure he attracted public attention for a long-running legal battle against short sellers and "naked short selling." He eventually resigned as CEO in August 2019, following revelations that he had been in an intimate relationship with Russian agent Maria Butina.
The 2004 Utah gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2004. The incumbent governor was Republican Olene S. Walker, who had become governor following Mike Leavitt's resignation to join the George W. Bush administration. However, Walker placed fourth in the Republican primary, far behind Jon Huntsman Jr. Huntsman won the nomination and went on to win the general election, carrying 25 of the 29 counties and winning 57.7% of the overall vote. This was the last time that a Democratic nominee for any statewide office has received forty percent or more of the popular vote, and the most recent election in which a Democratic nominee carried more than three counties in the state.
Parents for Choice in Education (PCE) is an advocacy group in Utah that pushes for school choice programs including private school vouchers, and supports anti-union legislation.
The 2012 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2012. It was won by Republican incumbent Governor Gary Herbert.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Utah were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 and elected the four U.S. representatives from the state of Utah, an increase of one seat in reapportionment following the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate. Primary elections were held on June 26, 2012.
Spencer James Cox is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 18th governor of Utah since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the eighth lieutenant governor of Utah from 2013 to 2021. In Fairview, Utah, where Cox lives and was raised, he was elected to the city council in 2004 and then as mayor in 2005. In 2008, he was elected as a Sanpete County county commissioner.
A general election was held in the U.S. State of Utah on November 4, 2014. The state's four seats in the United States House of Representatives are up for election and there was a special election for Utah's attorney general. Primary elections were held on June 24, 2014.
The 2016 United States Senate election in Utah took place on November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Utah, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2016 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Utah, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Utah took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Utah, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections. The primaries took place on June 26.
The 2016 Utah general elections were held in the U.S. state of Utah on November 8, 2016. Utah's Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, and Treasurer were elected, as well as one of Utah's U.S. Senate seats and all four seats in the United States House of Representatives, fifteen Utah Senate seats and all of the Utah House of Representatives seats. Primary elections were held on June 28, 2016.
The 2020 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor of Utah, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Although incumbent Republican Governor Gary Herbert was eligible to run for re-election to a third full term, he initially announced shortly after being re-elected in 2016 that he would not run again, but indicated in January 2019 that he was open to the possibility of running again before ultimately deciding to retire and endorse his lieutenant governor, Spencer Cox. Utah has not had a Democratic governor since Scott M. Matheson left office in January 1985. This is the second longest active streak of one-party leadership, trailing only South Dakota, which has not had a Democratic governor since Harvey L. Wollman left office in 1979.
Ronald M. Nate is an American far-right politician and economist who has previously served as a member of the Idaho House of Representatives from the 34th district. He was an economics professor at Brigham Young University–Idaho and is now president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank.
David C. Damschen is an American politician from the state of Utah. A member of the Republican Party, Damschen was the Utah State Treasurer.
The 2024 Utah gubernatorial election will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the governor of Utah, concurrently with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Governor Spencer Cox is running for re-election to a second term in office. Primary elections will take place on June 25, 2024.