Mike Johanns facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Johanns
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Official portrait, 2009
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| United States Senator from Nebraska |
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| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Chuck Hagel |
| Succeeded by | Ben Sasse |
| 28th Secretary of Agriculture | |
| In office January 21, 2005 – September 20, 2007 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Ann Veneman |
| Succeeded by | Ed Schafer |
| 38th Governor of Nebraska | |
| In office January 7, 1999 – January 20, 2005 |
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| Lieutenant | David Maurstad Dave Heineman |
| Preceded by | Ben Nelson |
| Succeeded by | Dave Heineman |
| 47th Mayor of Lincoln | |
| In office May 20, 1991 – November 30, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Harris |
| Succeeded by | Dale Young |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michael Owen Johanns
June 18, 1950 Osage, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (1988–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (before 1988) |
| Spouses |
Connie Johanns
(m. 1972; div. 1985)Stephanie Armitage
(m. 1986) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (BA) Creighton University (JD) |
Michael Owen Johanns (born June 18, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as a United States senator for Nebraska from 2009 to 2015. Before that, he was the 38th governor of Nebraska from 1999 to 2005.
In 2005, President George W. Bush chose him to be the Secretary of Agriculture. He held this job from 2005 to 2007. Johanns was the fourth person from Nebraska to become Secretary of Agriculture.
He was born in Osage, Iowa, and studied at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and Creighton University School of Law. He started his career as a lawyer. Later, he worked for the Nebraska Supreme Court. Johanns was elected to the Lancaster County Board in 1983 as a Democrat. In 1988, he joined the Lincoln City Council as a Republican. He became the 47th mayor of Lincoln in 1991 and was reelected in 1995.
In 1998, Johanns won the election for governor of Nebraska. He was reelected in 2002. In 2008, he ran for the U.S. Senate and won. He decided not to run for reelection in 2014.
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Early Life and Education
Mike Johanns was born in Osage, Iowa. His parents were Adeline Lucy and John Robert Johanns. His family had German, Luxembourgian, and Polish roots. He grew up helping on his family's farm.
He finished high school in 1968. Then, he went to Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in Winona. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications in 1971. Johanns later got his law degree from Creighton University School of Law. He became a lawyer in Nebraska in 1974.
After law school, he worked for Judge Hale McCown of the Nebraska Supreme Court. He then practiced law in O'Neill, Nebraska. In 1976, he started his own law firm in Lincoln, Nebraska. He worked there until 1991.
Early Political Career
Johanns first served on the Lancaster County Board from 1983 to 1987. At that time, he was a Democrat. In 1988, he became a Republican and was elected to the Lincoln City Council. He served on the council from 1989 to 1991.
On May 7, 1991, he was elected the 47th Mayor of Lincoln. He won against the current mayor, Bill Harris. Johanns started his term as Mayor on December 3, 1991. In 1995, he was reelected without anyone running against him. This was the first time that happened for a Lincoln Mayor since the 1950s.
Governor of Nebraska
Becoming Governor
1998 Election
Johanns started campaigning for governor very early, in October 1995. This helped him become well-known and gain support. He visited all 93 counties in Nebraska, traveling over 100,000 miles.
In the Republican primary election, Johanns won with 40% of the votes. He beat John Breslow and Jon Lynn Christensen. The primary was one of the most expensive in Nebraska's history.
The current governor, Ben Nelson, could not run again. Bill Hoppner won the Democratic nomination. On November 3, 1998, Johanns and his running mate, David I. Maurstad, won the general election. They defeated Hoppner and his running mate, Pam Bataillon, by 54% to 46%.
2002 Election
Johanns was reelected in 2002 by a large margin. He defeated Democrat Stormy Dean with 69% of the votes. He was the first Republican governor of Nebraska to be reelected since 1956.
Time as Governor
During his first term, Johanns worked to lower property taxes. He managed to reduce taxes by $85 million.
Johanns supported Initiative 413. This changed Nebraska's constitution to limit how much the state government could spend. It also linked tax increases to the rate of inflation. In 2002, Johanns signed a law that raised the state's cigarette tax. It went up by 50 cents per pack. He also suggested another 20-cent increase. He said that smoking leads to higher medical costs for everyone.
He led trade missions for agriculture to countries like Japan, China, and South Korea. He signed a law that increased gasoline taxes by 1.25 cents. This money helped fund ethanol production in Nebraska. Johanns was also the chairman of the Governors' Ethanol Coalition in 2001.
Johanns was known for often using his veto power. In 1999, he vetoed 26 bills in just five days. This was more than any previous Nebraska governor. In 2003, he vetoed the entire $5.4 billion state budget. He said he would not accept a budget that raised taxes to grow government. He wanted a nearly 10% cut in all state programs. He also vetoed bills that would increase pay for lawmakers and teacher salaries.
In 1999, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill to stop executions for two years. This was to study if the death penalty was fair in the state. Johanns, who supported the death penalty, vetoed the bill. He said it was "poor public policy."
Johanns served as the chairman of the National Governors Association's Committee on Economic Development and Commerce twice. He also served on the Advisory Committee for the Export-Import Bank of the United States. In 2003, he chaired the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership. In 2002, he became the chair of the Midwestern Governors Association.
United States Secretary of Agriculture
On December 2, 2004, President George W. Bush chose Johanns to be the new Secretary of Agriculture. This meant Johanns would not run for U.S. Senate in 2006. President Bush said he chose Johanns because he supported ethanol and knew a lot about foreign trade.
The Senate confirmed Johanns by a voice vote on January 20, 2005. He resigned as Governor of Nebraska that day and started his new job the next day.
U.S. Senate
2008 Election
On September 20, 2007, Johanns resigned as Secretary of Agriculture. On October 10, 2007, he announced he would run for the United States Senate. Senator Chuck Hagel was retiring, leaving the seat open. On November 4, 2008, Johanns was elected to the Senate. He defeated the Democratic candidate, Scott Kleeb.
Time in the Senate
Johanns' time in the Senate was quiet. He did not often appear on TV talk shows. He voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a healthcare law) and the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (a financial reform law). He also opposed laws about carbon emissions trading.
He was part of a group called the "Gang of Eight." This group tried to find a way to reduce the national debt in 2011. He also played a key role in changing the planned path of the Keystone Pipeline.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society gave Johanns an award. This was for his work to support funding for research into autoimmune diseases.
Committee Work
As a Senator, Johanns served on several important committees:
- Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
- Subcommittee on Energy, Science and Technology
- Subcommittee on Domestic and Foreign Marketing, Inspection, and Plant and Animal Health (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Production, Income Protection and Price Support
- Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
- Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
- Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment, Ranking Member
- Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
- Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
- Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion
- Subcommittee on Science and Space
- Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- Committee on Indian Affairs
Groups He Joined
Johanns was also a member of these groups in Congress:
- International Conservation Caucus
- Parkinson's Disease Caucus (co-chair)
- Sportsmen's Caucus
Millennium Challenge Corporation
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In December 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Johanns to join the board of directors for the Millennium Challenge Corporation. This organization helps reduce poverty in developing countries. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination in February 2016. In March 2019, President Donald Trump nominated him for a second term on the board.
Personal Life
Johanns married Connie Johanns in 1972. They had two children, a son named Justin and a daughter named Michaela. He also has five grandchildren. He and Connie divorced in 1985. In 1986, he married Stephanie Armitage. She had been a Lancaster County Commissioner and a Nebraska state senator.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2009
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Johanns speaks at a hearing, 2005
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Johanns shakes hands with President George W. Bush, 2007
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Johanns (right) at a board meeting of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, 2019
