Another DFL candidate has put himself forward for the special in House District 19A, Clark Johnson, an academic advising coordinator at Minnesota State University-Mankato, has announced his candidacy for the DFL endorsement in the HD 19A special election.
In a phone interview, Johnson promised to abide by the party's endorsing process, as have Robin Courrier and Karl Johnson, who announced their bids earlier.
Johnson ran as a DFL Candidate for Minnesota House in 1984.
Here's the press release:
Clark Johnson, longtime resident of lower North Mankato, announced that he is seeking DFL endorsement for the District 19A legislative seat being vacated by Rep. Terry Morrow.
Johnson explained that he is running because “Minnesota needs to create a long term, stable approach to the budget. We have had enough of the gimmicks, borrowing from school districts and pushing the burden on property taxes. I want to work as part of the DFL majority in the legislature and with the Governor to develop a rational, measured, sound, forward-thinking solution to the budget instability that we have experienced for a long time.”
Johnson has worked at Minnesota State University, Mankato for 27 years. He coordinates academic advising for about 2200 undergraduate students in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He also coordinates the preparation of future secondary social studies teachers.
Whoever wins the race will enter the Legislature after it has convened and will need to be a quick study to begin representing the citizens of District 19A from the start. Johnson stressed the value of his past experience in politics having worked as a Legislative Assistant for a U.S. Senator, served multiple terms on the government relations committee for his union and being active in the DFL for more than 30 years.
“I am a hard worker and I am a natural optimist. I believe that we can create opportunity for all in this society and that state government has a role to help assure that everyone has access to high quality public education, owning a home, and working at a job that can support a family,” Johnson said.
Johnson is married to April Moen Johnson, a social worker at Waseca Junior and Senior High School. They have two adult daughters.
A bio provided by Johnson notes a long career in education and public service. In addition to working as the Student Relations Coordinator and Social Studies Coordinator at Minnesota State-Mankato since 1985, Johnson taught social studies part time at Mankato West High and served as a county outreach officer for the Minnesota Valley Action Council, Mankato.
Before moving to Minnesota in the early 1980s, he volunteered for a year at the Institute for Cultural Affairs in Kenya, lobbied for the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission, served as a legislative assistance for U.S. Senator Quentin Burdick (ND). Johnson is a native of North Dakota.
Johnson joins Robin Courrier and Karl Johnson among the Democrats seeking their party's endorsement. Farmer; author and EcoCommerce entrepreneur Tim Gieseke is considering a bid as the Independence Party standard bearer, while Allen Quist is contemplating running for the seat he once held in the last century.
Photo: Clark Johnson, submitted photo.
Amazing. Pretty much everybody in this contest whose name isn't Allen Quist is someone who actually seems to be a decent candidate. Could it be that Quist has Hoovered up all the cray-cray potential?
Posted by: Phoenix Woman | Jan 04, 2013 at 11:38 AM