Ruth Johnson
Encyclopedia
Ruth Johnson is the current Secretary of State
of Michigan. She is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and the 2006 Republican
candidate for lieutenant governor
as the running mate of Dick DeVos
.
Johnson, of Holly
, a former public school teacher and small business owner, was clerk and register of deeds
of Oakland County
, a suburban area immediately north of Detroit
with a population of more than one million, prior to her election as secretary of state in November 2010. She was elected clerk in 2004 after defeating long-time incumbent William "Doc" Caddell in the Republican primary, and was the first woman clerk in Oakland County's 176-year history. From 1988 to 1998, she was a member of the as Oakland County Board of Commissioners.
Johnson was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1998, and re-elected in 2000 and 2002; term limits made her ineligible for a fourth term. While in the House, she served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and as assistant majority whip
.
In 2010, she won the Republican nomination for secretary of state at the party's state convention. Her opponents were Paul Scott
, Michelle McManus
, Anne Norlander and Cameron Brown
.
of the Honorable (abbreviated to Hon. or Hon'ble) for life. However, this was a title that she already received through her election as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives.
Michigan Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is the third-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan and one of four great offices of state. As the name implies, the officeholder was originally responsible for much of state government, but now the duties are similar to those of the other 47 secretaries of states...
of Michigan. She is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and the 2006 Republican
Michigan Republican Party
The Michigan Republican Party is the state affiliate of the national Republican Party in Michigan. It is sometimes referred to as MIGOP, which simply means Michigan Grand Old Party....
candidate for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
The Lieutenant Governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor, and one of four great offices of state...
as the running mate of Dick DeVos
Dick DeVos
Dick DeVos is a businessman and Republican politician from Michigan. The son of billionaire Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, he served as CEO of the multi-level marketing consumer goods distribution company from 1993–2002...
.
Johnson, of Holly
Holly, Michigan
Holly is a village in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,086 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Holly Township. It is about south of Flint and northwest of Detroit.- Demographics :...
, a former public school teacher and small business owner, was clerk and register of deeds
Recorder of deeds
Recorder of deeds is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over that property.-Background:...
of Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
, a suburban area immediately north of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
with a population of more than one million, prior to her election as secretary of state in November 2010. She was elected clerk in 2004 after defeating long-time incumbent William "Doc" Caddell in the Republican primary, and was the first woman clerk in Oakland County's 176-year history. From 1988 to 1998, she was a member of the as Oakland County Board of Commissioners.
Johnson was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1998, and re-elected in 2000 and 2002; term limits made her ineligible for a fourth term. While in the House, she served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee and as assistant majority whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
.
In 2010, she won the Republican nomination for secretary of state at the party's state convention. Her opponents were Paul Scott
Paul H. Scott
Paul Scott is an American politician from Grand Blanc, Michigan. A member of the Michigan State House of Representatives, Scott was recalled on November 8, 2011.-Early Life:Scott graducated from Grand Blanc High School in 2000...
, Michelle McManus
Michelle McManus (Michigan politician)
Michelle A. McManus is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Most recently, she was a member and assistant majority leader of the Michigan Senate, representing the 35th District; a seat previously held by her uncle George McManus, from 2003 until 2011.In 2010, she unsuccessfully...
, Anne Norlander and Cameron Brown
Cameron S. Brown
Cameron S. Brown is a Republican Party politician from the U.S. state of Michigan and a former member of the Michigan Senate....
.
Title
As secretary of state, Johnson is entitled to the courtesy titleCourtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
of the Honorable (abbreviated to Hon. or Hon'ble) for life. However, this was a title that she already received through her election as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives.