Dusty Johnson

Dustin M. Johnson (born September 30, 1976) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner from 2005 to 2011, when he was appointed chief of staff to Governor Dennis Daugaard, a position he retained until 2014.[1][2][3] Between his state political career and congressional service, Johnson was the vice president of Vantage Point Solutions in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Not to be confused with Dustin Johnson.
Dusty Johnson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Dakota's at-large district
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byKristi Noem
Chief of Staff to the Governor of South Dakota
In office
January 8, 2011 – November 7, 2014
GovernorDennis Daugaard
Preceded byNeil Fulton
Succeeded byTony Venhuizen
Member of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission
In office
January 2005 – January 8, 2011
Preceded byJim Burg
Succeeded byChris Nelson
Personal details
Born (1976-09-30) September 30, 1976
Pierre, South Dakota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Jacquelyn
Children3
EducationUniversity of South Dakota (BA)
University of Kansas (MPA)
WebsiteHouse website

Early life and education

Johnson was born in Pierre, South Dakota. Johnson graduated from T.F. Riggs High School in 1995. He earned his B.A. in political science from University of South Dakota in 1999, where he was a member of fraternity Phi Delta Theta.[4] He earned his M.P.A. from University of Kansas in 2002. [5] In 1998, Johnson was named a Truman Scholar.[6] As a Truman Scholar, he worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. In 2003, Johnson worked as a senior policy advisor for then-South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds.

State government career

Public Utilities Commission (2004–2011)

In 2004, Johnson ran for the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. He was elected statewide to South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. Upon his election, he subsequently became the youngest utilities commissioner in the nation.[5] He was re-elected in 2010. Johnson was also a member of the executive board of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. In 2007, he became the Chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission a position he held until his resignation in 2011. In 2010, he led a South Dakota delegation that included then-Governor Mike Rounds and state regulators that met with FCC Commissioners on concerns with the FCC’s National Broadband Plan and its impact on small and rural providers in South Dakota.

Daugaard administration (2011–2014)

In 2011, he resigned his PUC position to become chief of staff for Governor Dennis Daugaard.[7] Johnson served four years as chief of staff to Governor Dennis Daugaard. As chief operating officer for much of state government, he supervised Cabinet Secretaries, policy advisors and many of the Governor’s projects and initiatives.

Private sector career (2014–2018)

In 2014, he resigned his chief of staff position, leaving the public sector to work for Vantage Point Solutions in Mitchell, South Dakota.[8] Fellow Truman Scholar, Tony Venhuizen, succeeded Johnson as Chief of Staff.[9] Johnson resigned his position with Vantage Point Solutions in 2018, upon his accession to Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2018
Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives election in South Dakota

On November 15, 2016, Johnson announced bid to become a Republican candidate for U.S. Representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district.[10] The announcement came shortly after Kristi Noem had announced she would not seek re-election to Congress in order to run in the 2018 South Dakota gubernatorial election.[10] He defeated Secretary of State of South Dakota Shantel Krebs and businessman Neal Tapio, a state senator, in the June 5, 2018, GOP primary. He defeated Democrat Tim Bjorkman, a retired circuit court judge, and two minor candidates in the November general election.

2020
Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives election in South Dakota

On February 19, 2020, Johnson announced his bid to seek re-election to the U.S. House. [11] On February 4, 2020, Former State Rep. Liz Marty May announced she was challenging Johnson in the Republican primary.[12]

Two Democrats candidates Brian Wirth of Dell Rapids, and Whitney Raver of Custer, announced their candidacy for the US House seat. [13] Both Wirth and Raver failed to get the required number of signatures to make the ballot. [14] According to state party chairman Randy Seiler, Wirth and Raver's canvassing efforts were hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.[15] On June 2, 2020, Johnson won the Republican primary 77%-23%. [16]

Tenure

Johnson was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3, 2019, and joined the Problem Solvers Caucus soon after.

On March 26, 2019, Johnson was one of fourteen Republicans to vote with all House Democrats to override President Trump's veto of a measure unwinding the latter's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border.[17]

Committee assignments

Source:[18]

Electoral history
2018 Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Dusty Johnson 47,032 46.8
Republican Shantel Krebs 29,442 29.3
Republican Neal Tapio 23,980 24.0
Total votes 100,454 100
South Dakota's at-large congressional district, 2018[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Dusty Johnson 202,446 60.35% -3.75%
Democratic Tim Bjorkman 120,816 36.01% +0.11%
Independent Ron Wieczorek 7,313 2.18% N/A
Libertarian George D. Hendrickson 4,896 1.46% N/A
Total votes '335,471' '100.0%' N/A
Republican hold

Personal life

Johnson has been actively involved as a state advisor for South Dakota Teen Age Republicans (TARs) and its Black Hills camp leader since 2004.[20] Johnson serves on the board of directors for the W.O. Farber Fund, Abbott House, and served on the South Dakota Attorney General's Open Government Task Force. Johnson has served as an adjunct professor at Dakota Wesleyan University.

References
  1. FEC Contribution Report for Friends of John Thune
  2. "Wayback Machine". December 29, 2010. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  3. "Dusty Johnson – South Dakota War College". dakotawarcollege.com. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  4. "Phi Delta Theta GHQ on Instagram: "Congratulations to the many Phis across the United States who won election victories last evening. Indiana Beta (Wabash) Phi Mike Braun…"". Instagram. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  5. "Crisis or Renaissance". puc.sd.gov. South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.
  6. "Harry S. Truman Foundation". Truman.gov.
  7. "Dusty Johnson to be Daugaard's chief of staff". mitchellrepublic.com.
  8. "Dusty Johnson to resign as Daugaard's chief of staff". usatoday.com. USA TODAY.
  9. "Venhuizen to succeed Johnson as chief of staff". argusleader.com. Argus Leader.
  10. "Dusty Johnson planning run for Congress in 2018". KSFY.com.
  11. "Dusty Johnson kicks off reelection campaign". February 19, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  12. "Liz Marty May announces candidacy for US Congress". February 4, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  13. "Wirth, Raver seeking U.S. House seat". August 27, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  14. "South Dakota Democrats fail to field 2020 House candidate". April 8, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  15. "South Dakota Democrats will not field a U.S. House candidate in 2020". abc Dakota News Now. April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  16. "Statewide races". June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  17. Brufke, Juliegrace (March 26, 2019). "House fails to override Trump veto on border wall". The Hill.
  18. "About Dusty Johnson". Representative Dusty Johnson. 2012-12-03. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  19. Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  20. "TARS". penncogop.org. Pennington County GOP.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Kristi Noem		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Dakota's at-large congressional district
2019–present		 Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Chrissy Houlahan		 United States Representatives by seniority
375th		 Succeeded by
John Joyce
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