Gloria Johnson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Johnson in 2023 | |
| Member of theTennessee House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Eddie Smith |
| Constituency | 13th district (2019–2023) 90th district (2023–present) |
| In office January 8, 2013 – January 13, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Harry J. Tindell |
| Succeeded by | Eddie Smith |
| Constituency | 13th district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1962-05-25)May 25, 1962 (age 63) |
| Party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Tennessee (BA) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Gloria Johnson (born May 25, 1962)[1] is an American politician andDemocratic member of theTennessee House of Representatives currently representing District 90, and formerly District 13, based inKnoxville.[2] In April 2023, she and two other state representativesfaced expulsion votes from the Tennessee General Assembly after taking to the floor of the State House unrecognized to protest gun violence. Johnson was the only one of the three legislators not to be expelled. Johnson was the Democratic Party nominee for the2024 United States Senate election in Tennessee, losing to incumbent RepublicanMarsha Blackburn.
In 2012, Johnson was elected to represent District 13 in theTennessee House of Representatives. She lost re-election toEddie Smith in 2014. Following a failed attempt in 2016, Johnson defeated Smith in 2018.[3] She was re-elected in 2020.[4] Followingredistricting, Johnson's residence became located in District 15, which already had aDemocratic incumbent. Because of this, Johnson moved to District 90 and won the seat in 2022.[5]
In January 2021, Johnson was assigned a small, windowless conference room for use as her office in theCordell Hull State Office Building. Johnson disagreed with the room she was given, and alleged her assignment to it was retribution from State House SpeakerCameron Sexton after she was the only representative to abstain from voting for Sexton in the speakership election. Johnson instead moved her desk to the hallway outside and gave the room to her assistant, who was originally given a non-connecting closet for her office.[6] In 2022, following a year-long campaign, she was assigned a new office space, subsequent to anADA compliance complaint.[7]
Following reportage ofRutherford County, Tennessee juvenile arrest and incarceration scandal, in January 2022, withSenatorHeidi Campbell, she filed a joint resolution to remove juvenile court JudgeDonna Scott Davenport from the bench.[8]
During a legislative session three days after the2023 Covenant School shooting, Johnson and fellow Democratic representativesJustin Jones andJustin Pearson led a gun control protest on the House floor.[9] Later dubbed the "Tennessee Three", the trio interrupted House proceedings with their demonstration as thousands protested outside of the building.[10] The demonstration violated the chamber's decorum rules, as the three members were not recognized to speak and utilized abullhorn.[11]
Subsequently, House leadership stripped Johnson and Jones of their committee assignments (Pearson did not serve on any committees), and resolutions to expel the three were drawn up.[12][13] During her interview withMother Jones a day before her expulsion vote, Johnson accused House Republicans offascism and said she believed Tennessee was less democratic thanNorth Korea.[14] Jones and Pearson were expelled while Johnson avoided expulsion by the margin of a single vote.[11][15] The expulsion vote gathered national attention for the three Democratic lawmakers, including praise from Vice President Kamala Harris during a speech atFisk University following the vote.[16]
In late July 2023, it was reported Johnson would launch a campaign the following month to challenge SenatorMarsha Blackburn in the2024 election.[17] In early August, Johnson launched an exploratory committee in preparation for a Senate run.[18] On September 5, Johnson formally launched her senate campaign.[19]
In March 2024, Grammy-winning vocalistsBrandi Carlile,Emmylou Harris,Maren Morris, andAllison Russell, along with more than 30 other artists, came together to record and release a new "soul anthem" called Tennessee Rise in support of Johnson's senate campaign.[20]
Johnson won the Democratic Primary on August 1, 2024, with 70% of the vote to become the party's nominee.[21] She defeated previous Democratic Nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020, Marquita Bradshaw, along with Civil Miller-Watkins and Lola Denise Brown.[22]
Johnson went on to lose the general election to Marsha Blackburn, garnering 34.2% of the vote to Blackburn's 63.8%.[23]
Johnson lives inKnoxville, Tennessee. She isChristian.[24] Johnson is a retired special education teacher of 27 years.[25] She was a teacher at Central High School in Knoxville when a shooting occurred at the school in 2008.[26]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson | 143,962 | 70.20 | |
| Democratic | Marquita Bradshaw | 44,657 | 21.78 | |
| Democratic | Lola Brown | 10,027 | 4.89 | |
| Democratic | Civil Miller-Watkins | 6,420 | 3.13 | |
| Total votes | 205,066 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Marsha Blackburn (incumbent) | 1,918,743 | 63.80 | +9.09% | |
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson | 1,027,461 | 34.16 | −9.76% | |
| Independent | Tharon Chandler | 28,444 | 0.95 | N/A | |
| Independent | Pamela Moses | 24,682 | 0.82 | N/A | |
| Independent | Hastina Robinson | 8,278 | 0.28 | N/A | |
| Total votes | 3,007,608 | 100.00 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Becky Duncan Massey | 10,006 | 63.56 | |
| Democratic | Gloria S. Johnson | 5,737 | 36.44 | |
| Total votes | 15,743 | 100.00 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson | 778 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 778 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson | 10,018 | 48.09 | |
| Republican | Gary Loe | 9,730 | 46.71 | |
| Independent | Nick H. Cazana | 1,084 | 5.20 | |
| Total votes | 20,832 | 100.00 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson (incumbent) | 1,798 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 1,798 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Eddie Smith | 6,730 | 50.69 | |
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson (incumbent) | 6,548 | 49.31 | |
| Total votes | 13,278 | 100.00 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson | 1,639 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 1,639 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Eddie Smith (incumbent) | 11,162 | 50.34 | |
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson | 11,011 | 49.66 | |
| Total votes | 22,173 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson | 4,243 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 4,243 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson | 11,495 | 54.92 | |
| Republican | Eddie Smith (incumbent) | 9,041 | 43.20 | |
| Independent | Zachary Houk | 394 | 1.88 | |
| Total votes | 20,930 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson (incumbent) | 5,031 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 5,031 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson (incumbent) | 14,242 | 52.93 | |
| Republican | Elaine Davis | 12,664 | 47.07 | |
| Total votes | 26,906 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson (incumbent) | 3,690 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 3,690 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson (incumbent) | 8,473 | 57.90 | |
| Republican | David "Pozy" Poczobut | 6,162 | 42.10 | |
| Total votes | 14,635 | 100.00 | ||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson (incumbent) | 4,041 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 4,041 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Gloria Johnson (incumbent) | 16,372 | 99.69 | |
| Write-in | Zachary Houk | 51 | 0.31 | |
| Total votes | 16,423 | 100.00 | ||
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromTennessee (Class 1) 2024 | Most recent |