Jesse Johnson (politician)
Encyclopedia
Jesse C. Johnson, Jr. is an Executive Committee member and former chair of the environmentalist Mountain Party
, the West Virginia
affiliate of the Green Party
. He has twice been his party's candidate for Governor of West Virginia, and once for a Senate seat. He has also been a filmmaker, actor, and theatrical producer.
, Johnson attended, at various times, Marshall University
, North Carolina School of the Arts
, the University of Charleston
, and West Liberty University.
In 2004, Johnson ran as the Mountain Party candidate for Governor in order to maintain the newly-won ballot line and to bring the issue of mountain top removal to statewide attention. Despite having no corporate financial support, he received 18,430 votes (2.48%). In 2006, again to sustain ballot access for the party, he ran as the party's candidate for a seat in the U.S. Senate
. Johnson received 1.9% of the vote, running against favored Senator Byrd.
In 2007, seeking to bring national attention to mountain top removal, Johnson presided as state chair over the Mountain Party's merger with the national Green Party http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcXF4AHcVbs. During the merger, Johnson was solicited by members of the Greens to run for the party's nomination for President. He received the endorsement of former Alaskan Senator and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Gravel
. At the 2008 Green National Convention
, on July 10–14, Johnson finished fifth in the balloting http://gp.org/2008-elections/2008-Presidential-Ballots_1.htm, which was won by former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
. While Johnson failed to secure the nomination, he succeeded in focusing attention on the environmental concerns of mountain top removal occurring in his state.
In 2008, he once again ran for Governor, this time as the Green Party candidate. His campaign was endorsed by the Sierra Club
and the Citizens' Action Committee. He received 31,195 votes (4.46%).
Johnson is a member of the Screen Actors Guild
, Actor's Equity, AFTRA, and SAG's Native American Registry and has worked with both the Directors Guild of America
and the Writers Guild of America
.
He recently lost the United States Senate special election in West Virginia, 2010
for the late Robert Byrd's
Senate seat in West Virginia. His opponents were Joe Manchin
(D), who won the seat, John Raese
(R), and Jeff Becker (Constitution). Johnson has been endorsed by former Democratic Congressman Ken Hechler
to fill the seat.
Mountain Party
The Mountain Party is a political party in the state of West Virginia that on July 8, 2007, at its state convention, voted to become the West Virginia affiliate of the Green Party. At the 2007 Green Party National Meeting the party was admitted to the Green Party as a state affiliate. It is a...
, the West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
affiliate of the Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
. He has twice been his party's candidate for Governor of West Virginia, and once for a Senate seat. He has also been a filmmaker, actor, and theatrical producer.
Biography
Born in Charleston, West VirginiaCharleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, Johnson attended, at various times, Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
, North Carolina School of the Arts
North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the...
, the University of Charleston
University of Charleston
The University of Charleston is a private university in Charleston, West Virginia, United States of over 1,300 students.-History:The school was founded in 1888 as the Barboursville Seminary of the Southern Methodist Church...
, and West Liberty University.
In 2004, Johnson ran as the Mountain Party candidate for Governor in order to maintain the newly-won ballot line and to bring the issue of mountain top removal to statewide attention. Despite having no corporate financial support, he received 18,430 votes (2.48%). In 2006, again to sustain ballot access for the party, he ran as the party's candidate for a seat in the U.S. Senate
United States Senate elections, 2006
Elections for the United States Senate were held on November 7, 2006, with 33 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate being contested. Senators are elected for six-year terms, with one third of the Senate seats up for a vote every two years. The term of office for those elected in 2006 runs...
. Johnson received 1.9% of the vote, running against favored Senator Byrd.
In 2007, seeking to bring national attention to mountain top removal, Johnson presided as state chair over the Mountain Party's merger with the national Green Party http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcXF4AHcVbs. During the merger, Johnson was solicited by members of the Greens to run for the party's nomination for President. He received the endorsement of former Alaskan Senator and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Gravel
Mike Gravel
Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election....
. At the 2008 Green National Convention
2008 Green National Convention
The 2008 Green National Convention took place on July 10-14, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois at the Palmer House Hilton and Symphony Center. This served as both the venue for the Presidential Nominating Convention and the Annual Meeting of the Green Party of the United States.-Venues:The convention was...
, on July 10–14, Johnson finished fifth in the balloting http://gp.org/2008-elections/2008-Presidential-Ballots_1.htm, which was won by former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States...
. While Johnson failed to secure the nomination, he succeeded in focusing attention on the environmental concerns of mountain top removal occurring in his state.
In 2008, he once again ran for Governor, this time as the Green Party candidate. His campaign was endorsed by the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
and the Citizens' Action Committee. He received 31,195 votes (4.46%).
Johnson is a member of the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
, Actor's Equity, AFTRA, and SAG's Native American Registry and has worked with both the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
and the Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
.
He recently lost the United States Senate special election in West Virginia, 2010
United States Senate special election in West Virginia, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate special election in West Virginia was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd died in office on June 28, 2010. Democrat Governor Joe Manchin appointed Carte Goodwin to temporarily fill the vacancy. Goodwin pledged to not run for...
for the late Robert Byrd's
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
Senate seat in West Virginia. His opponents were Joe Manchin
Joe Manchin
Joseph "Joe" Manchin III is the junior United States Senator representing West Virginia. Manchin, a Democrat, was Governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010...
(D), who won the seat, John Raese
John Raese
John R. Raese is an American business owner and politician. He has lost campaigns to represent West Virginia in the U.S. Senate in 1984, 2006 and 2010, and a campaign for Governor of West Virginia in 1988....
(R), and Jeff Becker (Constitution). Johnson has been endorsed by former Democratic Congressman Ken Hechler
Ken Hechler
Kenneth William Hechler is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented West Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1959 to 1977 and was West Virginia Secretary of State from 1985 to 2001....
to fill the seat.
External links
- Jesse Johnson for US Senate official campaign site
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Speaking at Green Party Presidential Candidate Forum 2007 Green Party national meeting
- Speech at 2008 Green National Convention
- Press conference at 2008 Green National Convention
- Candidate profile: Jesse Johnson at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- Green Party Minneapolis Presidential Forum January 12, 2008
- Speaking at Membership Meeting Minneapolis Minn. January 11, 2008