Rick Johnson (Canadian politician) facts for kids

Rick Johnson is a Canadian who used to be a politician and is also a musician. He was a member of the Liberal party. From 2009 to 2011, he served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He represented the area called Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock.

Rick Johnson was first elected in a special election on March 5, 2009. In that election, he won against John Tory, who was the leader of the Progressive Conservative party at the time. Later, in the 2011 election, he lost his seat to Laurie Scott. She had held the position before him.

Early Life and Music Career

Before Rick Johnson became a politician, he was a musician. He worked with his wife, Terri Crawford. In the 1970s and 1980s, they were part of the Terri Crawford Band. Later, they became a duo called Terri & Rick. They were known for making children's music.

Public Service and Political Journey

Rick Johnson also served his community in other ways. He was a trustee for the Trillium Lakelands District School Board. This means he helped make important decisions for public schools in that area. He was also the chair of the board.

He also became the president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association. During his time there, he helped start new programs. These included breakfast programs, co-operative education programs, and reading programs for his district. He also worked with the Lindsay Chamber of Commerce.

Entering Provincial Politics

Rick Johnson first ran for a provincial election in 2007. He was the Liberal candidate for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock. However, he lost that election to Laurie Scott.

In 2009, Laurie Scott decided to step down from her seat. This was so that the Conservative Leader, John Tory, could try to win a seat in the legislature. Rick Johnson ran in the special election that followed. Many people were not happy about Laurie Scott's decision. Rick Johnson was able to win this election by a small number of votes. He defeated John Tory.

Time as an MPP

As a Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), Rick Johnson had important roles. He served as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure. This minister was Bob Chiarelli. Before that, he was the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

In the 2011 election, Rick Johnson ran again. But he lost to Laurie Scott, the P.C. candidate. She won by about 6,000 votes. He tried again in 2014 but lost to Scott once more. This time, she won by over 3,000 votes.