Rodney Kohler "Rod" Johnston (September 2, 1937March 30, 2018) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

attorney and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician. He served six years in the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

(1979–1985) after four years in the State Assembly (1975–1979), representing suburban North Shore area of

Milwaukee County Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...

. In 1982, he was the Republican nominee for

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

Wisconsin's 5th congressional district Wisconsin's 5th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin, covering most of Milwaukee's northern and western suburbs. It presently covers all of Washington and Jefferson countie ...

, but was defeated by

Jim Moody James Powers Moody (September 2, 1935March 22, 2019) was an American economist and Democratic politician. He served five terms as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 5th congressional district (1983–1993). At the time, the 5th congre ...

. In 1984, Johnston was challenged by Democrat

Barbara Ulichny Barbara Lynn Ulichny (born June 10, 1947) is an American attorney, women's rights activist, and retired Democratic politician. She was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate for 8 years (1985–1993) after serving six years in the State Ass ...

in the 4th Senate district. Ulichny prevailed in the general election, taking 55% of the vote.

Biography

Johnston was born in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. He was educated at

Wauwatosa East High School Wauwatosa East High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school in the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It is part of the Wauwatosa School District. The school was originally known as Wauwatosa Senior High School until the opening of Wauw ...

, graduating in 1955. Johnston placed first in the Naval Academy competitive examination from his Wisconsin congressional district in 1955, and was appointed to the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

, graduating in 1959. He then served six years in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. After leaving the service, he enrolled at

George Washington University Law School The George Washington University Law School (GW Law) is the law school of George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. Established in 1865, GW Law is the oldest top law school in the national capital. GW Law offers the largest range of cou ...

, where he received his J.D. in 1967. Johnston began his political in career 1968 by finishing second (with 34.58% of the vote) to the eventual winner of the seat,

Jim Sensenbrenner Frank James Sensenbrenner Jr. (; born June 14, 1943) is an American politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 2021 (numbered as the 9th district until 2003). He is a member of the Republican Party. ...

, in the Republican primary race for a seat in the Wisconsin Assembly. Johnston died March 30, 2018, at his home on

Tybee Island, Georgia Tybee Island is a city and a barrier island located in Chatham County, Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah, United States. Though the name "Tybee Island" is used for both the island and the city, geographically they are not identical ...

, at the age of 80. He was survived by his three children, Scott, Julie and actress

Kristen Johnston Kristen Angela Johnston (born September 20, 1967) is an American actress. Best known for her work on television sitcoms, she twice won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sally Solomon in ...

.http://foxandweeks.com/memorial/Rodney-K.-Johnston/7022#sthash.uE3EdYxx.dpbs Obituary from Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, Rod 1937 births 2018 deaths Politicians from Milwaukee Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin lawyers Military personnel from Milwaukee United States Navy officers United States Naval Academy alumni 20th-century American politicians Candidates in the 1982 United States elections 20th-century American lawyers People from Chatham County, Georgia