- Dean Johnson
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For the American attorney, see Dean Edward Johnson.For the PBS television host, see Hometime (US TV series).For the musician, promoter and nightlife icon, see Dean Johnson (entertainer).
Dean Elton Johnson 8th Minnesota Senate Majority Leader In office
January 2004 – January 2007Preceded by John Hottinger Succeeded by Larry Pogemiller 11th Minnesota Senate Minority Leader In office
January 1993 – July 9, 1997Preceded by Duane Benson Succeeded by Dick Day Minnesota State Senator In office
1983–2007Minnesota State Representative In office
1979–1983Personal details Born June 24, 1947 Political party Republican, 1983–2000
DFL, 2000–presentSpouse(s) Avonelle Johnson (deceased) Children 1 Residence Willmar, Minnesota Alma mater Luther College
Luther Seminary
U.S. Army War CollegeOccupation Minister, National Guard, University Regent Religion Lutheran Military service Service/branch United States Army National Guard Rank 
Brigadier GeneralDean Elton Johnson (born June 24, 1947 in Lanesboro, Minnesota) is a former Minnesota politician and a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota. He is a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and a former member, majority leader and minority leader of the Minnesota Senate.
Contents
Service in the Minnesota House and Senate
Johnson was first elected to the House in 1978, representing the old District 21A, and served from 1979 to 1983. He was elected to the Senate in 1982 and represented District 13 in the west central part of the state. Prior to the 2002 legislative redistricting, the area was known as District 15. Through the years, he represented all or portions of Chippewa, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stearns and Yellow Medicine counties in the southwestern part of the state.[1]
As a Republican, Johnson served as Senate Minority Leader from 1993 to 1997. In 2000, he switched parties, leaving the Republican Party to join the DFL Party. He subsequently served as Majority Leader from 2004 until 2007. He is the only Minnesota Senator to have led both caucuses in that chamber, and one of only two to serve as both Minority and Majority Leader.[2][1]
2006 controversial remarks
In March 2006, controversy arose over remarks Johnson made in January of that year to a group of pastors. Johnson said he had a conversation with an unnamed Minnesota Supreme Court justice, who supposedly gave him informal assurances that the court would not overturn Minnesota's statute defining marriage as between one man and one woman. There was concern that the Minnesota Supreme Court might strike down the Minnesota statute the way the Massachusetts Supreme Court had struck down a similar statute in that state, thus legalizing gay marriage.[3]
When a tape recording of Johnson's remarks surfaced, the justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court denied that any such conversation had ever taken place. Republicans filed an ethics complaint against Johnson. He subsequently apologized for embellishing the story. This controversy contributed to the loss of his senate seat to Republican Joe Gimse in the general election that November.[4][5]
Background, education and professional career
Johnson resides in Willmar. He is widowed, has one child, two grandchildren, and is a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. His wife of 21 years, Avonelle Johnson, died of cancer in 2005.[1]
Johnson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College, a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He is a chaplain holding a general's rank in the National Guard.[1] In 2007, he was selected as a Regent of the University of Minnesota, with his current term expiring in 2013.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d "Minnesota Legislators Past & Present – Legislator Record – Johnson, Dean Elton". Leg.state.mn.us. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10286. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ List of Majority and Minority Leaders
- ^ "Johnson apologizes for gay marriage remarks | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ". Minnesota.publicradio.org. 2006-03-17. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/03/17/johnsonapology/. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ "GOP files ethics complaint against Dean Johnson | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ". Minnesota.publicradio.org. 2006-03-22. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/03/22/johnsonethics/. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ "Minnesota Legislators Past & Present – Legislator Record – Gimse, Joseph R". Leg.state.mn.us. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=15240. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
- ^ "Dean Johnson: Office of the Board of Regents". .umn.edu. 2010-03-01. http://www1.umn.edu/regents/r_johnson.html. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
External links
- Dean Johnson at Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
- Dean Johnson Biography – University of Minnesota Board of Regents
Minnesota Senate Majority Leaders Charles N. Orr • Archie H. Miller • John M. Zwach • Stanley W. Holmquist • Nick Coleman •
Roger Moe • John Hottinger • Dean Johnson • Larry Pogemiller • Amy Koch
Minnesota Senate Minority Leaders Categories:- 1947 births
- Living people
- People from Lanesboro, Minnesota
- American Lutherans
- Minnesota Republicans
- Minnesota Democrats
- Minnesota State Senators
- People from Kandiyohi County, Minnesota
- People from Willmar, Minnesota
- United States Army generals
- Luther College (Iowa) alumni
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