Patrick Johnston is a former 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...

 state legislator in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. He served in the State Assembly

California State Assembly

The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 from 1981 until 1991 and in the State Senate

California State Senate

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

 from 1991 until 2000, primarily representing San Joaquin County

San Joaquin County, California

San Joaquin County is a county located in Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 685,306. The county seat is Stockton.-History:...

.

Johnston's election to the Assembly occurred after his Republican opponent was declared elected and sworn into office on December 1, 1980, winning by a margin of just 18 votes. Requesting a re-count, Johnston was declared the winner; with the Republicans taking the matter to court, where the case was dismissed. Johnston was sworn into office on January 1, 1981.

Following the 1991 resingation of John Garamendi

John Garamendi

John Raymond Garamendi is the U.S. Representative for , serving since November 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Garamendi was the California State Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998, and the California State Insurance...

 to become California's first elected Insurance Commissioner, Johnston successfully sought election to the State Senate, defeating Garamendi's wife, Patti Garamendi, in the special election.

Since leaving political office, he has been a healthcare and education consultant. In 2004, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....

 appointed Johnston to the California Bay-Delta Authority. In 2009, Johnston was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the California Association of Health Plans. Johnston's background is in government and politics; he holds a Masters Degree in political representation from California State University, Sacramento

California State University, Sacramento

California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...

; and was the first legislator in residence at the University of California, Berkeley Institute of Government.