Steve Johnson (born April 21, 1960) is an American former politician. He was a
county commissioner
A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...
of
Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins. The county was named for William Larimer, Jr., the founder of Denver.
...
, and a
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 ...
member of the
Colorado Senate
The Colorado Senate is the upper house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Colorado. It is composed of 35 members elected from single-member districts, with each district having a population of about 123, ...
. From 2003 to 2009, Johnson represented the
15th Senate district, encompassing rural
Larimer County
Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins. The county was named for William Larimer, Jr., the founder of Denver.
...
and the cities of
Loveland and
Estes Park
Estes Park is a statutory town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 5,904 at the 2020 United States Census. Estes Park is a part of the Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corr ...
.
Previously he was a member of the
Colorado House of Representatives
The Colorado House of Representatives is the lower house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Colorado. The House is composed of 65 members from an equal number of constituent districts, with each distr ...
from 1997 through 2002.
Biography
Johnson holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a
D.V.M. from
Colorado State University
Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...
, Johnson worked as a veterinarian in
Loveland, Colorado
The City of Loveland is the home rule municipality that is the second most populous municipality in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver and is the 14th most populous city ...
, and currently works as a county supervisor for Larimer County. He has taught science at
Heritage Christian High School. Johnson is married and has no children.
Johnson was a member of the Larimer County Planning Commission from 1987 to 1996, and was first elected to the State House in 1996.
In 2002, he was elected to the State Senate over Democrat
Kathy Gilliland, and was re-elected in 2006, defeating Democrat Jennifer Miller.
In the 2007-2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Johnson sat on the powerful Joint Budget Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee.
A moderate Republican, Johnson was the State Senate sponsor for Referendum C, a statewide measure to remove
TABOR
Tabor may refer to:
Places
Czech Republic
* Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region
** Tábor District, the surrounding district
* Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region
Israel
* Mount Tabor, Galilee ...
restrictions on the state budget; his sponsorship put him at odd with other fiscally conservative Republicans. In addition to his work on the six-member Joint Budget Committee preparing the state budget, Johnson has expressed priorities of expanding funding to higher education and re-opening the state drivers' license office in
Loveland.
/ The office reopened on May 16, 2008.
In June 2007, Johnson — otherwise healthy and athletic, having recently taken second place in a legislative fitness challenge — suffered a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
. That same summer, Johnson taught an
organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J.; ...
class at Colorado State University. Since then, Johnson has placed a renewed emphasis on affordable
healthcare
Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...
, calling it a "moral issue" for the Republican Party.
In January 2008, Johnson, facing the end of his senate tenure in 2010, announced his candidacy for a seat on the
Larimer County
Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins. The county was named for William Larimer, Jr., the founder of Denver.
...
Board of Commissioners.
[The Coloradoan - www.coloradoan.com - Ft. Collins, CO](_blank)
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He was elected in 2008, in 2012 without opposition, and again in 2016.
In 2015, Johnson was named Colorado Commissioner of the Year by the state-wide County Commissioner organization, Colorado Counties, Inc.
He retired from politics in 2021.
References
External links
Project Vote Smart - Senator Steve Johnson (CO)
profile
Rocky Mountain News - Steve Johnson
candidate profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Steve
1960 births
Living people
Colorado state senators
County commissioners in Colorado
Members of the Colorado House of Representatives
Politicians from Columbus, Ohio