Christine Johnson (Utah politician)
Encyclopedia
Christine Johnson is an American politician
who served as a Democratic
member of the Utah House of Representatives
from 2007 to 2010. She is now the executive director of South Carolina
Equality, a gay rights group.
A native of Charleston, South Carolina
, Johnson moved to the Utah Valley when she was a teenager and attended Timpview High School in Provo
. She later attended Dixie State College in St. George, Utah
, as well as Baltimore Community College and the University of the District of Columbia
. She spent eleven years studying classical violin and is a former member of the Utah Youth Symphony.
When state representative Ross I. Romero
announced that he would seek a state senate
seat in 2006, Johnson ran to replace him in the House. The only female among five candidates running for the seat at the Democratic convention, Johnson won the most support from delegates, finishing just one vote short of winning the nomination outright. On 27 June 2006, a primary election took place between the top two finishers, with Johnson winning by 57% to 43%.. She won the general election with 75.4% of the vote.
She is a former chair of the Salt Lake City's East Central Community Council and also served as a member of the Human Rights Commission of Salt Lake City
. Johnson is a lesbian and serves as one of two openly LGBT members of the Utah legislature, alongside Rep. Jackie Biskupski
. She is a former board member of Equality Utah
and her campaigns have won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
.. Representative Johnson served as an advocate for the environment, LGBT equality, women's reproductive rights and election transparency. She served on the House Judiciary, Economic Development, Revenue and Taxation and Speaker appointed Tax Review Commission. During the 2010 legislative session, she negotiated a highly controversial legislative moratorium on anti-gay bills with then Senate President Michael Whaddoups.
In January 2010 Johnson revealed she was a pregnant as a surrogate mother for two gay friends who were married in California before the passage of Proposition 8
. She has a daughter from a previous marriage who attends Seattle University. Johnson gave birth in June 2010 to a baby boy.
On March 4, 2010, Johnson announced she would not seek re-election to the Utah House.
In July 2010, Johnson became the executive director of the GLBT civil rights group South Carolina
Equality.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
who served as a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Utah House of Representatives
Utah House of Representatives
The Utah House of Representatives is the lower house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The House is composed of 75 representatives elected from single member constituent districts. Each district contains an average population of 35,000 people...
from 2007 to 2010. She is now the executive director of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
Equality, a gay rights group.
A native of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, Johnson moved to the Utah Valley when she was a teenager and attended Timpview High School in Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
. She later attended Dixie State College in St. George, Utah
St. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
, as well as Baltimore Community College and the University of the District of Columbia
University of the District of Columbia
The University of the District of Columbia is a historically black, public university located in Washington, D.C. UDC is one of only a few urban land-grant universities in the country and a member of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
. She spent eleven years studying classical violin and is a former member of the Utah Youth Symphony.
When state representative Ross I. Romero
Ross I. Romero
Ross I. Romero is an American politician and Attorney from Utah. A Democrat, he is a member of the Utah State Senate, representing the state's 7th senate district in Salt Lake County including the East Bench of Salt Lake City....
announced that he would seek a state senate
Utah State Senate
The Utah State Senate is the upper house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The Senate is composed of 29 elected members representing an equal number of constituent senatorial districts. Each senatorial district is composed of approximately 91,000 people...
seat in 2006, Johnson ran to replace him in the House. The only female among five candidates running for the seat at the Democratic convention, Johnson won the most support from delegates, finishing just one vote short of winning the nomination outright. On 27 June 2006, a primary election took place between the top two finishers, with Johnson winning by 57% to 43%.. She won the general election with 75.4% of the vote.
She is a former chair of the Salt Lake City's East Central Community Council and also served as a member of the Human Rights Commission of Salt Lake City
Human Rights Commission of Salt Lake City
The Human Rights Commission of Salt Lake City, Utah, is a commission that works with the city government on issues related to the human rights of its citizen.-Establishment:...
. Johnson is a lesbian and serves as one of two openly LGBT members of the Utah legislature, alongside Rep. Jackie Biskupski
Jackie Biskupski
Jackie Biskupski is a former member of the Utah House of Representatives, representing the 30th District in Salt Lake County from 1999 to 2011. She resigned in June 2011 when she moved out of the district.-Early life and career:...
. She is a former board member of Equality Utah
Equality Utah
Equality Utah is an American non-profit 501 organization which is Utah's largest LGBT-rights equality group based in Salt Lake City, Utah.-Background:It was founded in 2001 as Unity Utah and took its present name in 2004....
and her campaigns have won the support of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
.. Representative Johnson served as an advocate for the environment, LGBT equality, women's reproductive rights and election transparency. She served on the House Judiciary, Economic Development, Revenue and Taxation and Speaker appointed Tax Review Commission. During the 2010 legislative session, she negotiated a highly controversial legislative moratorium on anti-gay bills with then Senate President Michael Whaddoups.
In January 2010 Johnson revealed she was a pregnant as a surrogate mother for two gay friends who were married in California before the passage of Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
. She has a daughter from a previous marriage who attends Seattle University. Johnson gave birth in June 2010 to a baby boy.
On March 4, 2010, Johnson announced she would not seek re-election to the Utah House.
In July 2010, Johnson became the executive director of the GLBT civil rights group South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
Equality.