J. Bennett Johnston | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1980 | |
| United States Senator fromLouisiana | |
| In office November 14, 1972 – January 3, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Elaine Edwards |
| Succeeded by | Mary Landrieu |
| Member of theLouisiana Senate from theCaddo Parish at-large district | |
| In office 1968–1972 | |
| Preceded by | Johnny Rogers (at-large) Jackson B. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Member of theLouisiana House of Representatives from theCaddo Parish at-large district | |
| In office 1964–1968 | |
| Preceded by | Wellborn Jack (at-large) |
| Succeeded by | At-large delegation |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Bennett Johnston Jr. (1932-06-10)June 10, 1932 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | March 25, 2025(2025-03-25) (aged 92) Arlington, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Park Cemetery,Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Tim Roemer (son-in-law) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Washington and Lee University United States Military Academy Louisiana State University (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Service years | 1956–1959 |
| Unit | U.S. Army JAG Corps |
John Bennett Johnston Jr. (June 10, 1932 – March 25, 2025) was an American attorney, politician, and laterlobbyist fromLouisiana who served as member of theUnited States Senate from 1972 to 1997. He had previously served in both houses of theLouisiana State Legislature representingCaddo Parish, Louisiana as a member of theLouisiana House of Representatives from 1964 to 1968 and as a member of theLouisiana State Senate from 1968 to 1972. He was a member of theDemocratic Party.
Johnston was born inShreveport, Louisiana, where he attendedC. E. Byrd High School before enrolling in theUnited States Military Academy andWashington and Lee University. He received a law degree fromLouisiana State University and served in theUnited States Army Judge Advocate General Corps from 1956 to 1959.
In 1964, Johnston was elected to represent Caddo Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives. In 1968, he was elected to the Louisiana State Senate. As a state legislator, Johnston held moderate-to-conservative views and unsuccessfully pushed for atoll road connecting Shreveport with South Louisiana, which at the time had no interstate highway connection. In1971, he unsuccessfully ran forGovernor of Louisiana, narrowly losing the Democratic primary toEdwin Edwards.
Shortly after his unsuccessful 1971 campaign for governor, Johnstonchallenged incumbent U.S Senate memberAllen J. Ellender. When Ellender died before the primary election, Johnston was easily nominated and won the general election without opposition. He was re-elected to three terms; his final re-election campaign against formerGrand Wizard of theKu Klux KlanDavid Duke in1990 was the closest and highest-profile of his four campaigns, and he won bipartisan support against Duke. From 1987 to 1995, Johnston was chair of theUnited States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and widely recognized as the preeminent American legislator on energy policy.
Johnston was born on June 10, 1932, inShreveport, Louisiana, to the attorney John Bennett Johnston Sr. and the former Wilma Lyon.[1][2][3][4]
After Southfield, Johnston attended and graduated fromC. E. Byrd High School in Shreveport.[5] He attended theUnited States Military Academy inWest Point, New York, andWashington and Lee University inLexington, Virginia.[6]
In 1956, Johnston graduated fromPaul M. Hebert Law Center ofLouisiana State University inBaton Rouge, Louisiana. He was then admitted to the bar that same year.[6] Johnston attendedThe Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School at theUniversity of Virginia and enteredUnited States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. He served in theUnited States Army,Judge Advocate General Corps in Germany from 1956 to 1959.[6]
Johnston married Mary Hunter Gunn, a native ofNatchitoches, Louisiana, on August 11, 1956, in her hometown. Johnston was a member of theBaptist Church; and his wife[7] isRoman Catholic.[8] They had four children together: J. Bennett Johnston III, N. Hunter Johnston, Mary Norriss, and Sally Roemer, who were raised as Catholic.[9]
Their daughter Sally marriedTim Roemer, a native ofIndiana in 1989, aDemocratic Party politician who served as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2003 representingIndiana's 3rd congressional district.[10]
They had a total of 10 grandchildren.[9][11]
_of_Mardi_Gras_and_Senator_J._Bennett_Johnston_of_Louisiana_in_the_Oval_Office.jpg)
Johnston had joined the Democratic Party and decided to run for office, beginning at the local level. In 1964, he was elected to theLouisiana House of Representatives.[12][11]
In 1966, Johnston hiredRalph Perlman to the legislative staff; he was a business graduate ofColumbia University in New York City. SoonGovernor of LouisianaJohn McKeithen appointed Perlman as state budget director, where he served from 1967 to 1988.[13][14]
In 1970, State Senator Johnston outlined his proposal for atoll road to connect Shreveport with South Louisiana, as there was no north–south interstate highway at the time. Johnston said the state gasoline tax was bringing in only 20 percent of what was needed to construct such a north–south highway. Therefore, he proposed using tolls to raise the necessary revenue, as they applied only to users.[15] While his proposal was not approved, later the federally subsidizedInterstate 49 was built, linking Shreveport withLafayette, Louisiana. Most of the highway was opened in the early 1990s. Interstate connections were created from Lafayette toBaton Rouge andNew Orleans.
He was known for holding moderate-to-conservative views.[16]
In1971, Johnston ran forGovernor of Louisiana. Harmon Drew Jr. headed the Johnston college campaign. Drew said that Johnston represented a "new outlook this state must have."[17] Johnston narrowly lost this race by 4,488 votes toEdwin Edwards in thetwo-round election of the Democratic primary. This was the last Louisiana gubernatorial election to be held prior to the state's adoption of thenonpartisan primary in 1975. Edwards' margin was fewer than two votes per precinct. Drew later served as a judge of theLouisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal, for the second circuit.
Edwards defeated RepublicanDave Treen in the general election for governor held on February 1, 1972. Treen was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives in November 1972. He was re-elected, serving until his election as governor in1979.[18]
In1972, Johnston challenged the long-term incumbent,Allen J. Ellender, for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate.[19] Ellender died during the campaign,[19] and Johnston, with powerful name identification stemming from his gubernatorial bid months earlier, won the primary easily. In the primary, Johnston received 623,076 votes (79.4 percent); Frank T. Allen, 88,198 votes (11.2 percent), and the deceased Ellender, 73,088 votes (9.3 percent).[20]
Johnston defeated Republican Ben C. Toledano, a New Orleans attorney and a former candidate forMayor of New Orleans, and formerGovernor of LouisianaJohn McKeithen ofColumbia, Louisiana, a fellow Democrat who ran as anIndependent politician in the general election because the filing period was not reopened upon Ellender's death.
McKeithen, the first Louisiana governor to serve two consecutive terms, left office six months prior to the Senate election in order to conduct his campaign.[21][22]
The creation of the interim position was done to swear in Johnston immediately upon certification of his election, allowing him to gain an edge in seniority over other senators who first took office during the93rd United States Congress. Johnston's freshman classmates includedJoe Biden (D-Delaware), who served seven terms before being elected as Vice President and later President,Sam Nunn (D-Georgia), who served four terms,Jesse Helms (R-North Carolina), who served five terms, andPete Domenici (R-New Mexico), who served six terms.
For a time, Johnston's director of special projects was James Arthur Reeder (1933–2012), a former Shreveport and Washington, D.C., attorney, and owner of a chain of radio stations.[23] Like Johnston, Reeder was later inducted into theLouisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in the town ofWinnfield, Louisiana.[24] Later Reeder organized voter registration drives in Caddo Parish to empower minority voters. In 2009, Reeder narrated the inaugural parade of U.S. PresidentBarack Obama.[23]
In 1976, Johnston would serve as the chair forJimmy Carter's presidential campaign in Louisiana.[16] However, he would later turn against Carter after Carter would continuously block funding for water projects which Johnston regarded as important for Louisiana's economy; Carter deemed the projects to bepork barrel.[16]
In1978, Johnston defeated Democratic State RepresentativeWoody Jenkins of Baton Rouge in thenonpartisan primary, 498,773 (59.4 percent) to 340,896 (40.6 percent). (Jenkins later shifted to the Republican Party.)[25][26][27]
Johnston's closest re-election race was in1990 against State RepresentativeDavid Duke, a formerKu Klux Klan man and Republican candidate, who was not endorsed by his party's leadership. Louisiana State Senate memberBen Bagert of New Orleans dropped out of the primary race in a bid to try to prevent a runoff battle between Johnston and Duke. Eight Republican U.S. Senate members endorsed Johnston over Duke.[28] These includedTed Stevens andFrank Murkowski ofAlaska,David Durenberger andRudy Boschwitz ofMinnesota,John Danforth ofMissouri,William Cohen ofMaine,Warren Rudman ofNew Hampshire, andNancy Kassebaum ofKansas.[29][30] Former U.S. House of Representatives memberJack Kemp ofNew York, who served asUnited States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1989 to 1993 during thePresidency of George H. W. Bush, also endorsed Johnston.[31]
Johnston defeated Duke in the primary, 752,902 votes (53.9 percent), to 607,391 votes (43.5 percent), far less than expected. Other candidates took the remaining 35,820 votes (2.5 percent).[27] Johnston retired after his fourth term ended in 1997; he was succeeded by his choice for the seat, fellow DemocratMary Landrieu of New Orleans, daughter of former Mayor of New OrleansMoon Landrieu, who served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1979 to 1981 during thePresidency of Jimmy Carter.
He developed close friendships with Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, while also locking horns with Carter.[16] However, he would also praiseBill Clinton, who he described as "extremely bright."[16]
Johnston broke with his party in 1991 to authorize the use of military force in theGulf War in Iraq.[32][33] He also broke ranks to support the narrowly achieved confirmation ofClarence Thomas as associate justice of theUnited States Supreme Court.[34] In 1987, Johnston had voted with his Democratic majority against PresidentRonald Reagan's choice ofRobert Bork, former judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Appeals, for elevation to the U.S. Supreme Court.[35]
Johnston was one of the few Senate Democrats to vote against the Budget Act of 1993, which was strongly supported by PresidentBill Clinton. He repeatedly voted against theBalanced budget amendment and giving the President theline-item veto, both of which were measures strongly favored by fiscal conservatives in both parties. On foreign policy issues, he frequently voted with more liberal Democrats to terminate restrictions on travel to communistCuba, and in support of the United Nations and foreign aid. Johnston was the only member of either chamber of theUnited States Congress to vote against a 1995 resolution to allowPresident of the Republic of ChinaLee Teng-hui, a Taiwanese politician, to visit the United States.[36]
During his tenure as Chairman of theUnited States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, he was recognized as the nation's pre-eminent legislator onenergy policy of the United States.[37] One of his major concerns was the threat of anthropogenicclimate change.[38]
Johnston was a firm advocate of theFlag Desecration Amendment.[39] He opposed abortion and most gun control measures.[40][41]
In 1988, Johnston sought the position ofSenate Majority Leader but lost toGeorge J. Mitchell of Maine.[42] From 1972 to 1987, Johnston served alongside fellow Democratic U.S. Senate memberRussell B. Long, with whom he worked closely to deliver federal spending to Louisiana. Johnston and Long gained authorization[clarification needed] of theCane River National Heritage Area inNatchitoches Parish, Louisiana in 1994, which stimulated tourism in the region. Johnston delivered a eulogy at Long's funeral in 2003.
After he left the Senate, Johnston formed Johnston & Associates LLC, a lobbying group.[43][9] In 2008,Steptoe LLP, a major international law firm, formed a "strategic alliance" with Johnston. Steptoe added three members from Johnston & Associates to the firm.[44]
Johnston and former U.S. Senate memberHoward Baker ofTennessee co-chaired the National Parks Second Century Commission.[45]
In 1997, Johnston was elected to the board of directors ofChevron Corporation.[46] He had left the board by 2011.[47]
Johnston was one of the advisory directors atFreeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold[48] and Angeleno Group, an energy-based investment group.[49][50]
Johnston lived inSperryville, Virginia, andMcLean, Virginia, in later years.[1] He died from complications ofCOVID-19 and other unspecified conditions at a hospital inArlington, Virginia, on March 25, 2025, age 92.[1][51] His casket, which was draped with the American flag, was be transferred to the Kilpatrick's Rose-Neath Funeral Home inShreveport by April 1 after returning to Louisiana when it was received byCaddo Parish deputies at the Texas-Louisiana state line.[52][53][54] On April 2, 2025, his funeral was held at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, and was then afterward escorted by Caddo Parish to the Forest Lake Cemetery in the St. Vincent area ofShreveport, Louisiana.[54][55][52][53] Both his funeral visitation and graveside service were open to the public.[54][55][52][53] He was interred at the Forest Lake Cemetery with full military honors.[55][54][52]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromLouisiana (Class 2) 1972,1978,1984,1990 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theDemocratic Senatorial Campaign Committee 1976–1977 | Succeeded by |
| Vacant Title last held by Ted StevensJohn Rhodes | Response to the State of the Union address 1982 Served alongside:Robert Byrd,Alan Cranston,Al Gore,Gary Hart,Ted Kennedy,Tip O'Neill,Donald Riegle,Paul Sarbanes,Jim Sasser | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Louisiana 1972–1997 Served alongside:Russell B. Long,John Breaux | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Energy Committee 1983–1987 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Energy Committee 1987–1995 | Succeeded by |
| Ranking Member of theSenate Energy Committee 1995–1997 | Succeeded by | |
| Public Lands (1816–1921) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Public Lands and Surveys (1921–1947) | ||
| Interior and Insular Affairs (1947–1977) | ||
| Energy and Natural Resources (1977–) | ||
| Class 2 | | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
