Jarvis Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jarvis Johnson
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Johnson in 2022
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| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 139th district |
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| Assumed office May 19, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Sylvester Turner |
| Member of the Houston City Council from the B District |
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| In office January 2, 2006 – January 2, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Carol Galloway |
| Succeeded by | Jerry Davis |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jarvis Diallo Johnson
September 27, 1971 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Charlene Ward Johnson (divorced) |
| Education | Texas Southern University (BA) |
Jarvis Diallo Johnson, born on September 27, 1971, is an American politician and businessman. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Currently, he serves in the Texas House of Representatives, representing the 139th district since 2016. Before this, he was a member of the Houston City Council.
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Early Life and Education
Jarvis Johnson grew up in the Fifth Ward area of Houston, Texas. He attended Texas Southern University, where he studied speech communications. He graduated from the university in 1996 with a bachelor's degree.
While still in college in 1995, Johnson became the executive director of the Phoenix Outreach Youth Center. He worked there until 2005. That same year, he began his political career by being elected to the Houston City Council.
Political Career Highlights
Jarvis Johnson has served in important roles in both Houston city government and the Texas state government.
Serving on the Houston City Council (2005–2009)
In 2005, Jarvis Johnson ran for a seat on the Houston City Council for District B. This seat was open because the previous council member, Carol Mims Galloway, could not run again. Johnson was one of eight candidates in the race.
He received enough votes to move on to a second election, called a runoff election. In December 2005, Johnson won the District B race with more than 60% of the votes. He was re-elected to the City Council in 2007 and again in 2009.
While on the City Council, Johnson led the Human Services and Technology Access Committee. He also worked on other important committees, including the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Affairs and the Housing and Community Development Committee.
Running for U.S. Congress (2010)
On January 5, 2010, Johnson announced he would run for the 18th Congressional District seat in the United States House of Representatives. This seat was held by Sheila Jackson Lee.
The 18th Congressional District covers a large part of urban Houston. It includes many different communities. At the time, Johnson had just won his third term on the Houston City Council, which is part of this congressional district.
Representing Texas in the State House (2016–2025)
In 2016, Jarvis Johnson ran for the Texas House of Representatives for District 139. He won both a special election and a primary election runoff. This meant he would take over the state representative role from Sylvester Turner. Turner had served for 26 years but stepped down to become the mayor of Houston.
Johnson won the special election on May 7 with 85% of the votes. This allowed him to finish the rest of Turner's term right away. Turner himself swore Johnson into office. This also meant Johnson immediately gained the seniority and roles that Turner had, including being the vice-chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
When Johnson later ran for the Texas Senate, his former wife, Charlene Ward Johnson, won the Democratic primary to take his place in the House. She ran without opposition and is set to become the district's state representative in 2025.
Key Laws and Efforts
Jarvis Johnson has worked on several important issues during his time in the Texas House.
- Education Funding: He has spoken out for better funding for Texas's HBCUs. He noted that these schools often receive less money than other higher education institutions.
- Police Protections: Johnson was the only member to speak against a bill (HB 2908) that aimed to protect police officers. He strongly opposed it because he believed it could make it seem like questioning an officer was an act of resistance.
- State Holiday Reform: For three legislative sessions in a row (2019, 2021, and 2023), Johnson tried to pass bills to end Confederate Heroes Day as a state holiday. However, these bills did not get voted on by the House State Affairs Committee.
- Pollution Limits: Johnson also introduced several bills to set limits on pollution from concrete plants. These plants can affect the air quality in districts like the one he represents. Unfortunately, these bills did not pass either.
Running for Texas Senate (2024)
In 2024, Jarvis Johnson announced he would run for the Texas Senate in District 15. This seat became open when the current senator, John Whitmire, won the 2023 Houston mayoral election. Johnson came in first in the primary election with 36% of the votes. He then advanced to a runoff election in May against Molly Cook.
Images for kids
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Johnson inspects a worn house in District B.
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Johnson during the annual toy give away
